Your Pixel just got a secret new dark mode setting. Here's how (and why) to use it

Android 17 is making its way to Tensor-powered Pixels, and Google has packed in plenty of new features. While app bubbles and Gemini enhancements are great, the company added some not-so-flashy improvements you can easily overlook.

Google has made improved customization a priority over the last year, adding settings to give you more control over the look of your phone. It’s also included fun icon packs and other ways to customize. Unfortunately, there was one glaring issue that needed to be addressed: dark mode.

Google has done that with Android 17. Here’s how you can make the most out of the improved expanded dark mode (and why you should).

How to use Android 17’s new dark mode setting

Dark mode is nothing new on Android phones, but it’s always been a mixed bag. Supported apps look fine, but others stuck out like a sore thumb. There is nothing more jarring than using dark mode on your phone only to open up an app that makes you feel like you’re staring at the surface of the sun. Android 16 QPR2 introduced an expanded dark mode, but forcing a dark theme across all apps wasn’t an ideal solution.

If an app isn’t designed with a dark theme in mind, it may look terrible or not display properly at all. That’s the beauty of Android 17’s expanded dark mode. If there are one or two apps that you hate when they’re turned on, you can switch those apps off while leaving the rest unaffected. How does it work? Just follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Display.
3. Tap Dark theme.
4. Ensure Expanded is selected.
5. Tap the gear icon next to Expanded.

From here, you’ll see a list of all installed apps on your phone, allowing you to enable/disable expanded dark theme on a per-app basis. It works well enough, and it helps with continuity. After all, it’s hard to fully theme out your Pixel experience if certain apps aren’t playing nice with dark mode. It’s a much-needed improvement from Google, and I’m glad it’s a new Android 17 feature.

There are other benefits to dark mode

Besides giving your phone a unified look, Android 17’s expanded dark mode has other benefits. I’m not going to tell you that enabling dark mode will completely transform your Pixel’s battery life, but it does make a difference.

Today’s OLED panels are much more efficient, but there is still a benefit to having more pixels that are dark a majority of the time. Ranges are hard to pin down and depend heavily on your usage, but if the baseline is about a 3% improvement in battery life, I’ll take it — especially if I’m a power user. Pixels don’t support fast charging, and topping off in a hurry isn’t an option, so I appreciate any savings I can get.

More dark mode is just better for your eyes. We spend the majority of our days staring at screens, and whether you realize it or not, your eyes are most likely screaming for help. Still, staring at fewer bright pixels all day will benefit you in the long term, and if you pair it with blue-light filters on your phone, your eyes will thank you.

Android 17 offers plenty for users

Per-app expanded dark mode is exciting, but it’s by no means the headline feature of Android 17. Google has packaged many small improvements into a better user experience. I’m excited for app bubbles, as multitasking desperately needed an overhaul to make it more intuitive.

Android 17 brings plenty of gaming enhancements for Pixel devices, as Google leans towards the Vulkan architecture to improve frame rates and performance. It’s been a sore spot for Pixel owners (and potential owners) for a long time, so if Google can reverse the narrative that Pixels aren’t for gaming, it’s a bonus.

Those bigger updates are great, but the devil’s in the details, so little touches like per-app customization for expanded dark theme are equally nice to see.