Dark Mode also known as the black mode or dark theme or night mode, is a feature that changes the user interface of your device or an application to a dark background/theme. The feature is becoming more popular than before. Several apps including the photo & video sharing app, Instagram are providing a built-in dark mode feature that can be used anytime with a click of a button.
The idea behind dark mode is that it reduces the light emitted by device screens while maintaining the minimum color contrast ratios required for readability —meaning that, instead of the default dark text showing up against a light screen (known as ‘light mode’), a light color text (white or grey) is presented against a dark or black screen.
Smartphones, computers/laptops, and smart TVs offer system-wide dark modes. However, you will still need to set up dark mode on some individual apps —such as Instagram which we are going to see in this article. If you have an iPhone updated to iOS 13 or an Android phone that’s updated to Android 10, your device will support system-wide dark mode. If you don’t have a phone that supports dark mode, you can enable it on many smartphone apps individually.
That said, here is a step-by-step of how to set up dark mode on Instagram on Android, iOS, and the Web.
Turn on Dark Mode for Instagram on Android
In case you have enabled system-wide dark mode on your Android, Instagram will automatically adapt to that and use the dark theme. However, in case you have not enabled that option, you can still use Instagram’s in-app option to activate the dark mode.
Step 1: Launch the Instagram app on your Android phone and head to your profile page.
Step 2: While on your profile page, in the top-right corner, tap the three horizontal lines.
Step 3: A menu will pop up from the bottom of the app. In this menu, tap “Settings.”
Step 4: On the “Settings” page, tap “Theme.”
Step 5: You’re now on the “Set Theme” page where you can choose what theme the Instagram app uses. To make the app use a dark theme, tap the “Dark” option.
After choosing “Dark” your Instagram app will turn to dark mode.
Turn on Dark Mode for Instagram on iPhone
Unlike the Android version, Dark mode cannot be turned on in the Instagram app for iPhone. However, the app relies on your phone’s default mode.
Now this means that iPhone users can only turn on or off dark mode in the Instagram app by adjusting their iPhone’s device settings.
So if you’ve enabled system-wide dark mode on your iPhone, Instagram will also automatically use dark mode. Here’s how to:
Step 1: Go to your phone’s settings.
Step 2: Select “Display and brightness”.
Step 3: Tap on “Dark” to change your phone’s theme.
Step 4: You can now launch your Instagram app and dark mode will be enabled automatically.
Turn on Dark Mode for Instagram on the Web
Again, the social media platform’s website doesn’t offer a toggle button for dark mode, but in case you wish to use it in dark mode then you will have to head to your web browser on your computer and then copy and paste https://www.instagram.com/?theme=dark into your address bar and hit Enter.
The site will be displayed in a dark color. It is important to note that if you reload the site, you will lose the dark mode. However, we advise you to bookmark the Instagram URL for easy access the next time you wish to use dark mode.
Why Should You Use Instagram Night Mode?
People use Instagram for far too long, and it can cause eye strain. The blue lights emitted from your phone screen can harm your vision and even weaken it. In order to keep everything safe and healthy, use the night mode even during the day if you use the device for too long.
