We’ve been hearing this for the past 12 months, but WhatsApp on Android could finally get its share of dark mode in the coming weeks.
How can we say that? WABetaInfo has spotted the feature, running on beta version 2.19.282 which will most likely roll out very soon.
The dark mode, or as WhatsApp has called it, dark theme, has been in the works for over a year now, and it’s possible that with Android 10 natively supporting the feature, the option will seamlessly fit into the design of the app.
Application of dark mode provides lesser strain to eyes and also contributes to power efficiency in devices and since WhatsApp is one of the most extensively used applications in the world, this addition will surely help with saving some battery juice.
The tipster pointed out that “when the dark theme is enabled, every section in your app will be turned to blue night colours. The option, once it goes live, will be available in the settings menu, between Account and Chats option.
Also, users will get to choose theme based on Light (the current option), dark and system default (depending your phone runs on Android 10).
However, it seems the theme is yet to work in tandem with the text on the app, and As you can see in this screenshot, the text color is still not correct.
WhatsApp is probably working on fixing this, before it releases the theme in the final version, which unfortunately, still doesn’t have an update timeline.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)