Facebook App's Dark Mode Rollout on iOS Finally Gathers Pace

After months of delay and stop-start testing, Dark Mode for Facebook finally appears to be rolling out for iOS users globally, over 400 days since Apple first introduced the feature in iOS 13.

facebook dark mode setting
Evidence that Facebook has been working on a ‌Dark Mode‌ for its official app first surfaced in April, and by June a small percentage of users had access to the setting, which hinted that the company was gradually rolling out the feature for testing purposes.

However, propagation has been glacially slow ever since, and it's only in the last couple of days that more and more users have contacted MacRumors to report that they're seeing the option under Settings & Privacy within the app's Menu tab.

Confirmation that ‌Dark Mode‌ is rolling out in earnest on iOS and Android came courtesy of app hacker Jane Manchun Wong, who made a video in collaboration with Facebook and shared it on Twitter.


‌Dark Mode‌ has been available on the social network's website for a while now, and some of Facebook's other apps, including Messenger and Instagram have long featured ‌‌Dark Mode‌‌, so it's unclear why the company's flagship app took longer to gain the feature.

Google's Gmail app was the last major app to get ‌Dark Mode‌, following a similar patchy rollout beset by inconsistent functionality.

(Thanks, E K!)

Top Rated Comments

Sebosz Avatar
34 months ago
Wow... Took them literally YEARS to switch the colors to darker shades of grey. What a shame.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
34 months ago

if it has taken them that long to learn how to code a simple background change then perhaps facebook engineers are not the evil geniuses we credit them with being, evil yes, but it’s not exactly complicated...
When your resources are focused on the evil and how to exploit it, simple interface issues are last priority.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve62388 Avatar
34 months ago
So why is it huge (and not so huge) companies like Facebook take so long to implement a simple but welcome feature? Are they taking their time deciding what colours to use? Is there some complicated coding process I'm not aware of? Is it because it won't make them any money? I don't get it.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chublet Avatar
34 months ago
if it has taken them that long to learn how to code a simple background change then perhaps facebook engineers are not the evil geniuses we credit them with being, evil yes, but it’s not exactly complicated...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daisuke.5 Avatar
34 months ago

Only use FB thru Safari so it’s a non-issue. ;)
Plus saves 2hrs or more battery life in my iPhone 11 pro max, which I will always trade for dark mode anytime. Will never install the app until facebook fixes it ever again. Plus their dark mode is not really true black so would most probably be the same battery consumption compared to white.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechieGeek Avatar
34 months ago
Not only are there privacy concerns with having this app installed, there’s also the unnecessary battery use.

Delete the app entirely and use Safari to access FB if you must.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

gradiente iphone white

Brazilian Electronics Company Revives Long-Running iPhone Trademark Dispute

Tuesday May 19, 2020 1:06 pm PDT by
Apple has been involved in a long-running iPhone trademark dispute in Brazil, which was revived today by IGB Electronica, a Brazilian consumer electronics company that originally registered the "iPhone" name in 2000. IGB Electronica fought a multi-year battle with Apple in an attempt to get exclusive rights to the "iPhone" trademark, but ultimately lost, and now the case has been brought to...