Unlock the Night: How to Activate Dark Mode on Snapchat for Enhanced Messaging Experience

Nowadays, with the times and technology changing, personalisation is the most important thing and you have the power to personalise your experience. One small change you can make, and is available on more applications than you can imagine, is the option to turn to your favourite apps to dark mode. This is not about having an option for a look you like. There are many practical reasons as to why I love and use dark mode on Snapchat.

Are you a night owl who loves to message friends until the wee hours of the morning? Do you know someone who is hands down the coolest among your circle of friends, thanks to their darker theme on their Snapchat? If so, then this handy guide will show you how to use dark mode on Snapchat. Even if you don't fall into either of those categories, you might still want to read this tip since it could make your user experience with Snapchat much more comfortable by turning its dazzling white interface darker overnight. So, don't be afraid to go dark. The full list of instructions is right here.

Embracing the Dark Side: The Allure of Dark Mode

Before that, though, we might want a few words on the ‘why’. Dark mode has become the feature to have for phone users. It reduces eye strain in low-light conditions, and the harsh glare that can result in discomfort. It can also help save battery lives for devices with OLED (organic light-emitting diode) or AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screens. And, for many of us, the dark theme is merely a visually pleasing alternative which makes the colours and content in our screens pop in a different, often more subtle, way.

Step-by-Step: Switching to Dark Mode on Snapchat

Step 1: Launch the Snapchat Adventure

Step one: find and open the app called Snapchat on your smartphone. This is the door to your very own Snapchat, which you can customise to your liking.

Step 2: Access Your Profile

When you open Snapchat, your Bitmoji face will be grinning at you from the top-left corner of the screen. Tap your profile avatar to enter your Snapchat profile, where you can start customising things.

Step 3: Into the Settings We Go

In your preferences, the cog icon resides in the top right corner – tap it to land at the beating heart of Snapchat’s settings.

Step 4: Finding App Appearance

Look for it in the Settings pane when you find the ‘App Appearance’ option under ‘My Account’ and you will soon see the key to dark mode.

Step 5: Make Your Choice

Now, the moment of truth: when you open the App Appearance menu, you will see four magical choices:

• Match system: Echo the dark or light mode settings of your smartphone.
• Always Light: Bask in the perpetual light of Snapchat's traditional theme.
• Always Dark: Embrace the shadows with a constant dark mode.
• Custom: For Snapchat Plus members, delve into bespoke app themes.

Choose the option that aligns with your dark mode desires.

The Dark Mode Revolution on PHONES

(And, to be fair, just a few years ago, the dark mode on Snapchat was simply impossible on Android.) In 2023, Snapchat brought the beloved feature to Android. The dark modes of iOS and Android had become nearly indistinguishable, under the umbrella of Snapchat’s design and unified by a single creative vision. At that moment, I could use the dark mode on any device, whatever it was.

Beyond the Shadows: Exploring PHONES' Hidden Powers

The Evolution of Phone Use

And because our phones are such a big part of everyday life, we have the power to make them our own – unlike, say, a phone booth. This power intensifies when it comes not just to the UI and the tools that phones provide, but also to the UX (the user experience), which includes the phone’s features and setting. After all, the most customisable feature of phones to date is the much-hyped (and widely implemented) ‘dark mode’, in which you adjust the light sensitivity of the screen.

Phones as Gateways to Customization

Snapchat’s dark mode is just the beginning. Phones have long enabled users to customise features such as themes or live tiles, but, increasingly, the customisation journey goes beneath the surface, creating a personalised experience. From alerts to privacy controls, our phones can be tailored to suit our preferences and lifestyles, making navigating them an enjoyable and comfortable experience.

The Future is Customizable

With technology continuing to rapidly evolve, we can only expect phones to become even more customisable, continuing to become more and more like another, personalised person in the world. The dark mode on Snapchat is just the beginning of a more customised, human-centric digital world.

And that is it! Activating dark mode on Snapchat is a small change that goes a long way to improve your messaging experience. If you’re someone who often chats at night, this will be your go-to! Or if you’re someone who is sensitive to light, you will love it too. Hopefully by now you’ve become a pro at changing your Snapchats’ themes from light to dark, and vice-versa, using the simple steps I described above. And now, that is it! As phones become increasingly dominant in our daily lives, using features like dark mode allow us to make the space our home.