Here’s how to make your iPhone (and as many apps as possible) use dark mode, plus some forum-style tips and “hacks” people are using lately.

How to Make Apps Dark Mode on iPhone

1. Turn on system-wide Dark Mode

Most modern apps follow the iPhone’s main appearance setting. To switch the whole phone to dark:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Display & Brightness.
  3. Under Appearance , choose Dark.
  4. (Optional) Turn on Automatic to switch between light in the day and dark at night (you can set “Sunset to Sunrise” or a Custom Schedule).

Once this is on, all Apple apps and most third‑party apps that support dark mode will switch automatically.

2. Quickly toggle Dark Mode from Control Center

If you don’t want to dig in Settings every time:

  • Swipe down from the top‑right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
  • Press and hold the brightness slider.
  • Tap the Dark Mode (or “Dark Appearance”) button to turn it on or off.

If you don’t see the Dark Mode button:

  1. Go to Settings > Control Center.
  2. Add Dark Appearance (or similar) so it shows as a button in Control Center.

This is great when you switch between bright outdoors and a dark room a lot.

3. For stubborn apps: check in‑app settings

Some apps ignore the system setting unless you tell them to behave:

  • Open the app.
  • Look for Settings , Appearance , Theme , or Display.
  • Choose one of:
    • Use system setting / Match system , or
    • Dark (if you want the app dark even when the phone is light).

Apps that often have their own theme settings:

  • Social apps (Twitter/X, Reddit clients, etc.).
  • Note‑taking and writing apps.
  • Browser apps.

There’s no way in iOS to force every single app to dark mode if the developer hasn’t added support.

4. “Fake” dark mode using Smart Invert

If some apps still won’t go dark, people on forums often recommend Smart Invert as a workaround. It flips colors in a way that often creates a “dark- ish” look in many apps:

  1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
  2. Turn on Smart Invert.

Tips:

  • Smart Invert tries to be clever about photos and videos, but sometimes it still makes things look weird.
  • Some users set it as a quick toggle:
    • Go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut.
    • Choose Smart Invert.
    • Now triple‑click the Side button (or Home button on older iPhones) to toggle it.

This isn’t perfect, but it can help in apps that never implemented dark mode.

5. Extra touches power users like

If you want a more “ultimate” dark setup:

  • Set dark wallpapers
    Use darker photos or built‑in wallpapers to reduce overall brightness and make icons pop less at night.

  • Automations with Shortcuts (for power users)
    Some people create automations to:

    • Switch wallpaper when Dark Mode turns on.
    • Adjust widgets and icon styles for light vs. dark.

  • Schedule for eye comfort
    Combined with Night Shift or Reduce White Point (in Accessibility), dark mode can make nighttime scrolling easier on your eyes.

6. Common questions people ask in forums

“Why are some apps still blindingly white?”

  • The developer hasn’t added dark mode support or hasn’t set the app to follow system appearance.
  • You can usually only fix it by:
    • Changing settings inside that specific app (if available), or
    • Using Smart Invert as a partial workaround.

“Can I make all apps dark with one switch?”

  • You can’t fully force every app, but:
    • System‑wide Dark Mode covers most modern apps.
    • Smart Invert catches many of the remaining ones, though it may distort some content.

7. Quick checklist

  • Settings → Display & Brightness → Dark
  • Turn on Automatic if you want time‑based switching
  • Add Dark Appearance button to Control Center
  • Open key apps and set Theme/Appearance → Dark or Match System
  • Optional: Enable Smart Invert + Accessibility Shortcut for the truly stubborn apps

HTML table: iPhone dark-mode options

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Method</th>
      <th>Where to find it</th>
      <th>What it affects</th>
      <th>Best for</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>System Dark Mode</td>
      <td>Settings → Display &amp; Brightness → Dark</td>
      <td>iOS UI, Apple apps, most modern third‑party apps</td>
      <td>Default, everyday use</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Dark Mode toggle</td>
      <td>Control Center → Brightness → Dark Mode</td>
      <td>Same as system Dark Mode, but faster to change</td>
      <td>Quick manual switching</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>In‑app theme setting</td>
      <td>Inside each app → Settings → Appearance/Theme</td>
      <td>That specific app only</td>
      <td>Apps that ignore system setting</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Smart Invert</td>
      <td>Settings → Accessibility → Display &amp; Text Size</td>
      <td>Most on‑screen colors (with exceptions)</td>
      <td>Forcing a “dark-ish” look in stubborn apps</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.