At this point WhatsApp must be teasing us. We’ve been waiting for a dark mode roll-out all year and a recent update changed the iOS app’s start-up screen and gave it a stark white background with a green logo. Real funny, guys.
Meanwhile, the company continues to leave clues that darkness will soon be upon us. In the latest beta version, those eagle-eyed folks at WABetaInfo have discovered new WhatsApp wallpapers designed to accompany the new colour scheme.
Dark theme is still not available in the Facebook-owned messaging app for iOS and Android, but the 2.19.327 beta for Google’s OS does include a tailor-made wallpaper. The wallpaper appears as if it will be the dark mode default and registered WhatsApp Beta users can download the update from the Google Play store now.
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The dark mode is one of the more anticipated, yet-to-launch features for WhatsApp, given most of the other major apps – including stablemates Facebook Messenger and Instagram – are now offering a retina-protecting mode.
Image credit: WABetaInfo
WhatsApp users are already jury rigging a darker mode, of sorts, for themselves by altering the chat wallpaper to the darkest mode available. There have been other, more convoluted ways to force dark mode within the Android 10 beta, but we’re still awaiting the company to roll out the official version.
Back in September the source behind today’s report revealed WhatsApp was indeed working on a dark mode and revealed a hope that it would be fully OLED friendly.
Hopefully, WhatsApp will pull the trigger before the end of the year, because we can’t imagine that it’s overly difficult for the company to implement.
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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.
