Dark Mode is all the rage these days, and Instagram has heard all about it and decided to get in on the trend.
If you’re looking to give your social feed a fresh look, here’s our step-by-step guide on how to get Dark Mode on each of your devices for Instagram, along with some handy screenshots to help you along.
How to get Instagram Dark Mode on Android
You’ll need the latest version of Android – Android 10 – to enable Dark Mode on your Insta. As a note, Android 10 hasn’t yet been rolled out widely to all devices. If you have a Pixel or an Android One phone, you’ll have the option to upgrade now. Other flagship phones will gradually get it over the next few months – though note that some older models may not get it at all. If you’d like to know more, check out the latest information on the Android 10 release date.
Once you’ve downloaded Android 10 and your phone has rebooted with all the changes, you can switch into Dark Mode. If you’d like to know more, take a further look at all the latest tips and tricks for Android 10.
As opposed to enabling dark mode on YouTube, Dark Mode in Instagram isn’t something that you enable directly within the app. You’ll have to turn on Dark Mode on your phone, and then the app will recognise that and follow suit. To do this, you have to take the following steps:
- Open your Settings
- Click on Display
- Activate the toggle on Dark theme
As of yet, Instagram hasn’t confirmed when (or if) they’ll be enabling Dark Mode on just the Instagram app – but we’ll keep you in the know.
How to get Instagram Dark Mode on iOS
As with Android, you’ll need to ensure that your device is running on iOS 13 before Dark Mode works on Instagram. Find out about all the features you can get when you install iOS 13.
iOS also works the same way as Android – as in you can’t switch Dark Mode on or off directly in the Instagram app, you have to do it on your phone first. Here’s how to enable Dark Mode on iOS:
- Open your Settings
- Click on Display & Brightness
- Click on the tick for Dark Mode
There are some shortcuts and customisable options for Dark Mode on iOS; take a look at our article on how to use Dark Mode on iPhone.
How to get Dark Mode on desktop
Dark Mode on PC for Instagram works differently than on mobile. Even if your browser is in Dark Mode, the actual page for Instagram won’t change. Instead, you’ll have to download an extension for your browser.
For Chrome, we found the best option to be Smartlink’s Night Mode for Instagram. You can also find similar apps on Safari and Firefox should you wish.
Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As Tech Advisor's Entertainment Editor, Hannah is the resident expert in all things streaming, film and TV. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds and created a website dedicated to geek culture and lifestyle. She's also reviewed a whole range of gadgets including flagship smartphones, wearables and styling tools. Outside of Foundry, she's written freelance pieces for Polygon, Metro and Den of Geek, and is proud to be a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.