New video shows why you should use Dark Mode on your smartphone

2019 will probably be remembered as the year everyone joined the dark side. With both Google and Apple opting for system-wide dark mode, there were doubts about the efficiency of dark mode and if it really helps preserve the battery life.

Apple and Google have both started rolling out their respective OS updates which come with dark mode. Unfortunately, while Android users are still waiting for Android 10, 50% of iPhones are already running on the latest iOS 13. With people opting for dark mode on iOS 13, Phone Buff decided to put the theory to test and see if dark mode really helps preserve the battery life. The short answer is yes. However, as the folks over at Phone Buff noted, the testing was done in a controlled environment with only apps that support dark mode on iOS at the moment. They also dimmed the display down to 200 nits which is not very low but is not using the full potential of the new iPhones. That said, the iPhone with Dark Mode enabled lasted a lot longer than the iPhone with Light Mode. You can check out the full battery test video below.

The bottom line is that Dark Mode does help save some battery. While in normal use, you won’t save 30% of the battery using Dark Mode, the results will be significant compared to Light Mode. Also, as David from Phone Buff noted, the results vary across device and usage but as long as your phone uses the OLED panel, you will see better results while using Dark Mode.