Facebook Messenger Dark Mode − How to enable it on Android and iOS right now
Facebook Messenger dark mode has arrived − and it’s now much easier to enable.
To turn it on in the Messenger app, all you need to do is tap your profile picture to access Settings, and tap the Dark Mode toggle. This method works on both iOS and Android.
Read more: Best smartphone
As you’d expect, dark mode switches Facebook Messenger’s colour theme from white and blue to a far more eye-friendly black and grey − ideal for when you’re messaging people in bed at night. It’s a feature that users have been crying out for some time.
“One of the most highly anticipated features from the launch of Messenger 4, dark mode is a sleek new look that goes easy on the eyes by switching the background from white to black,” Bridget Pujals, Facebook Messenger’s product manager, wrote in a blog post in early March.
“Messenger’s dark mode provides lower brightness while maintaining contrast and vibrancy. Dark mode cuts down the glare from your phone for use in low light situations, so you can use the Messenger features you love no matter when or where you are.”
For the last few weeks, users have been able to unlock the retina-friendly mode by typing the crescent moon emoji within a conversation. Now it’s simply a case of heading into the settings portion of the app and toggling a new dark mode switch.
If you missed out on activating the mode via the clever little Easter egg, Facebook is still enabling you do so, just for fun.
Just send the crescent moon emoji (?) to one of your Facebook friends in a Messenger chat. A load of crescent moon emoji will then cascade down your screen and a popup message will appear at the top of the chat, reading: “You Found Dark Mode! Be one of the first to try the new dark Messenger background.”
The popup prompts you to dive into the Facebook Messenger settings menu, where you’ll see the dark mode toggle.
Related: How to delete your Facebook account
Facebook Messenger Dark Mode − Desktop
It isn’t clear when dark mode will come to the desktop, but Facebook has called its emoji unlock promo a “limited-time only experience”, and that Facebook Messenger dark mode “will be fully rolled out in settings in the coming weeks”.
It appears that dark mode will arrive as part of a wider Facebook Messenger redesign. The social media firm seems determined to simplify the app, which has become bloated and not especially nice to use over recent years.
Read more: How to delete an Instagram account
This has seen the popularity of Messenger Lite − a pared-down version of Messenger − rise pretty spectacularly. When the full redesign drops, the Messenger home screen will look much cleaner, with conversations and friends given pride of place.
What do you think of Facebook Messenger dark mode? Share your thoughts on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
