Facebook‌ ‌is‌ ‌testing‌ ‌a‌ ‌secret‌ ‌dark‌ ‌mode‌ ‌option‌ ‌-‌ ‌here’s‌ ‌how‌ ‌to‌ ‌check‌ ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌it‌ ‌ ‌

Demand for a ‘dark mode’ on apps have grown over the past few years, with social media platforms like Twitter and WhatsApp offering dark mode options.

Facebook users have long anticipated the introduction of dark mode on the platform, and it appears that their wishes might finally have come true.

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Jane Manchun Wong, a tech blogger and app researcher known for unlocking new features before they launch, revealed the move by Facebook on her Twitter account.

She wrote, “Facebook is publicly testing Dark Mode! You asked it, I chatted with Facebook’s @alexvoica about it and here’s a video made in collaboration with Facebook!”

Facebook is publicly testing Dark Mode! 🌙You asked it, I chatted with Facebook’s @alexvoica about it and here’s a video made in collaboration with Facebook! pic.twitter.com/TGjdTXDxoP

— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 30, 2020

Wong attached a video to her tweet which showed off the Facebook app in all its dark mode glory.

How to check if you have dark mode

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While Facebook’s dark mode is being tested on both Android and iOS phones, it’s unclear which users have access to the trial.

To check if you have dark mode on your Facebook app, simply head to your settings and privacy section of the app. Some lucky users will find a ‘dark mode’ option in this section.

If you already have dark mode turned on in your phone's general settings, you might see your Facebook app automatically implement dark mode.

Should the trial go well, it’s assumed that Facebook will roll out dark mode to all users, but it’s currently unclear when this might happen.

Dark mode on Facebook desktop

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Earlier this year, Facebook offered users the option to use dark mode on its desktop version.

To enable dark mode on your computer, click the arrow pointing down in the top right corner of the Facebook home screen. From there, you should see an option which says ‘display preferences’ - select that and you can turn dark mode on or off.

In this part of the settings, you can also turn on or off compact mode, which shrinks some elements of the Facebook website.

What is dark mode?

‘Dark mode’ refers to the colour theme of an app. While a lot of apps, such as Facebook, have white themes by default, dark mode essentially inverts the colours.

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Instead of having a white layout, dark mode changes it to a darker colour, like black, or dark blue.

There are a number of supposed benefits to dark mode. Apple says dark mode “makes it easier to stay focused on work,” Microsoft claims that dark mode can “reduce eye strain and improve battery life,” and Google argues that it “improves visibility for users with low vision and those who are sensitive to light.”