How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode color scheme on a computer or mobile device

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How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode color scheme on a computer or mobile device
Dark mode makes your screen appear in darker tones instead of bright white, which can feel more gentle on the eyes.Petri Oeschger/Getty Images
  • You can use WhatsApp's dark mode on the Android, iOS, and Windows desktop apps.
  • You can also enable dark mode on WhatsApp's web browser client.
  • Dark mode flips the color scheme in WhatsApp so the background is dark and the text is light.
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When it comes to mobile apps and operating systems, many users like to use dark mode because, by flipping the color scheme so the background is dark and the text is light, the screen tends to be easier on the eyes. A secondary benefit is that this color scheme takes less energy to produce, so it has the potential to extend battery life a little.

No matter what device you use WhatsApp on - iPhone, Android, or the Windows desktop - you can enable dark mode with just a few taps or clicks.

How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode on Android

You can manually set WhatsApp to use dark mode anytime you like, or you can set it to follow whatever theme your Android OS is using. So if you have your phone set to switch to dark mode in the evening, WhatsApp can follow suit.

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1. Start WhatsApp and then tap the three-dot menu at the top right of the screen. In the drop-down menu, choose "Settings."

How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode color scheme on a computer or mobile device
You can set dark mode in WhatsApp from the Settings menu.Dave Johnson/Insider

2. On the Settings page, tap "Chats."

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3. Tap "Theme."

4. In the pop-up window, choose the mode you want to use. If you tap "Dark," WhatsApp will automatically switch to dark mode. If you choose "System default," it will use the operating system's dark mode whenever it goes on.

How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode color scheme on a computer or mobile device
Choose either "Dark" or "System default" and tap "OK."Dave Johnson/Insider

How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode on an iPhone

WhatsApp takes its dark mode cue entirely from iOS. To turn on dark mode, enable it from your iPhone's Settings.

1. Start the Settings app and then tap "Display & Brightness."

How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode color scheme on a computer or mobile device
WhatsApp will use whatever theme iOS is configured to use in Settings.Dave Johnson/Insider

2. At the top of the screen, tap "Dark" to turn it on immediately or swipe the button for "Automatic" to the right.

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How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode color scheme on a computer or mobile device
Turn on dark mode in iOS Settings and WhatsApp will follow suit.Dave Johnson/Insider

3. Start WhatsApp. If the phone is in dark mode, the app should be as well.

If you are running an older version of iOS, there's still a setting in WhatsApp to enable dark mode. Prior to iOS 14, start WhatsApp, tap "Settings," then "Chats." Tap "Theme" and turn on dark mode.

How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode on a Windows desktop

If you're using the latest version of the WhatsApp desktop app, you can enable dark mode there as well.

1. In WhatsApp, click the three-dot menu at the top of the conversation list pane and in the menu choose "Settings."

How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode color scheme on a computer or mobile device
Open the menu and go to "Settings."Dave Johnson/Insider

2. Click "Theme."

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3. In the "Choose theme" pop-up window, click "Dark" to turn on dark mode right away. If you want WhatsApp to follow whatever theme is selected in Windows, choose "System default."

How to turn on WhatsApp's dark mode color scheme on a computer or mobile device
The WhatsApp desktop app for Windows has a dark mode option as well.Dave Johnson/Insider

The system default is set in Settings in Windows. Go to "Personalization" then "Colors" and then set the "Choose your default app mode" to "Dark."

How to turn on dark mode on WhatsApp's web browser client

If you instead use WhatsApp in a web browser, you can still enable dark mode in a few simple steps.

1. Open WhatsApp's web client in your browser of choice.

2. Click the "more" icon, the three vertical dots in the chat panel on the left side of the screen.

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3. Click Settings in the dropdown menu.

4. Click "Theme" from the next menu.

5. Select "Dark" and click "Ok."

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