WhatsApp dark mode is finally here (for some users)

It feels like an eternity since we first heard that the WhatsApp team was working on a dark mode. Thankfully, it looks like the company is ready to push out the feature to some users.

WABetaInfo spotted a dark mode in the latest WhatsApp beta update (2.20.13) pushed to the Play Store, and we’re able to confirm that it is indeed available for us. Check out the screenshots below.

WhatsApp’s dark mode uses dark hues instead of going completely black though, which is a little disappointing if you’re a fan of other apps with an OLED dark mode. Nevertheless, it should still be easier on the eyes compared to the long-standing light mode. But hopefully we see a black mode in the near future, as it allows for bigger battery savings when using a phone with an OLED screen.

The current dark mode can either be manually enabled or you can have it follow system theme settings if you’re on Android 10. That is, WhatsApp will automatically go dark when you enable system-wide dark mode. Android Pie users and below can manually enable it as well, or they can have it follow the battery saver (i.e. dark mode is enabled when battery saver is turned on). 

Related: How to enable dark mode on WhatsApp

In any event, the new color scheme applies to the chats menu, settings pages, calls tab, contact list, and several other menus. So it’s a pretty comprehensive solution at this point. 

You can download the latest WhatsApp beta from the Play Store by hitting the button below. Otherwise, you’ll need to use the likes of APKMirror to grab the update if you haven’t signed up for the beta.