How to enable dark mode on iPhone for all apps and system menus
Dark Mode changes the iPhone’s light background to darker colours across system menus, Apple apps and many third-party apps. It can make the screen more comfortable in a dim bedroom, reduce glare during an evening commute through Sydney, and give your iPhone a less distracting appearance at night.
The setting is simple to enable, but “all apps” needs a small qualification. iOS can apply the dark appearance globally, yet each app must support Dark Mode correctly. Apps that have not been updated may stay bright, use their own theme setting, or need an accessibility option such as Smart Invert. The steps below explain what works, what does not, and how to create a setup that changes automatically.
What iPhone Dark Mode changes
Dark Mode affects much of the iPhone interface, including Settings, Messages, Phone, Calendar, Notes, Safari’s menus, the Lock Screen controls and notification panels. Apple’s supported apps generally follow the system appearance automatically. Many popular apps also switch when they detect that Dark Mode is active.
The feature changes the colours used by the interface; it does not turn every screen completely black. Some menus use dark grey, cards use a slightly lighter shade, and webpages keep their own design. This distinction matters on OLED models such as the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15, iPhone 16 and newer devices. A genuinely black background can use less power on OLED, while dark grey elements may offer a smaller benefit.
Dark Mode is different from Night Shift. Night Shift warms the colour temperature to reduce blue tones, while Dark Mode changes light backgrounds and interface colours. You can use both together, but one does not replace the other. True Tone also remains separate and adjusts the display’s colour balance to match the surrounding light.
Some people prefer Dark Mode because it is gentler in a dark room. Others find pale text on a dark background harder to read, particularly in bright Queensland sunlight. The best setting depends on the environment, the app and your eyesight.
Turn on Dark Mode from Settings
Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and choose Dark under Appearance. The change happens immediately, so menus, supported Apple apps and compatible third-party apps should adopt the darker interface without restarting the iPhone.
If the screen does not change, check that you selected Dark rather than Light. You can also turn off Automatic while testing. When Automatic is enabled, the iPhone follows a schedule instead of staying in one appearance all day. This can make it seem as though Dark Mode has failed when it is simply switching back to Light Mode.
The same page includes the option to make the change automatic. Turn on Automatic, then tap Options. Select Sunset to Sunrise to use the local sunrise and sunset times, or select Custom Schedule to set your own times. A custom schedule is useful for shift workers, people who read in bed, or anyone who wants Dark Mode to begin at 7:30 pm every day.
Sunset-to-sunrise generally works well across Australia, but daylight-saving rules differ between states and territories. Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Canberra observe daylight saving, while Brisbane, Perth and Darwin do not. If the timing feels wrong after travelling between these areas, check Settings > General > Date & Time and confirm that Set Automatically is enabled.
Use Control Centre for faster switching
Control Centre provides the quickest manual shortcut. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge. Touch and hold the brightness slider, then tap Dark Mode to switch between Light and Dark appearance.
On some recent iOS versions, Dark Mode appears as a direct control in the expanded brightness panel. If you cannot find it, use the Settings method first, or customise Control Centre if your iOS version allows individual controls to be added, removed or rearranged. Apple changes the layout slightly between releases, but the brightness control remains the usual route.
Control Centre is handy when moving between different lighting conditions. You might use Light Mode while checking a map outside in Perth’s strong midday sun, then switch to Dark Mode before opening Messages in a dim café. The change is reversible and does not affect photos, videos or your personal data.
You can also create a shortcut in the Shortcuts app. Add a Set Appearance action, choose either Light, Dark or Toggle, and place the shortcut on the Home Screen or in a widget. The Toggle option is useful when you want a single tap without opening Settings. Automations can switch appearance at a chosen time, when an app opens, or when a Focus mode begins.
Make unsupported apps easier to use
A global appearance setting cannot force every developer to redesign an app. An app may ignore the iPhone setting because it uses a fixed colour scheme, has an independent theme selector, or has not yet been updated for modern iOS. This is common with older games, specialist business apps, some banking tools and websites displayed inside an app.
Look inside the app’s own settings for labels such as Theme, Appearance, Display, Colour scheme or Use device settings. Choose Dark if available, or choose System or Use device settings to let the app follow your iPhone. You may need to close and reopen the app after changing its appearance.
The Australian App Store can contain different versions of apps from those available in other countries, especially for banking, transport and government services. An app from an Australian bank may have its own settings and update schedule, while an international app may follow iOS immediately. Check the app’s current version in the App Store before troubleshooting further.
| What you want to change | Best setting or action | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone menus and Apple apps | Settings > Display & Brightness > Dark | Most system screens change immediately |
| Supported third-party apps | Turn on system Dark Mode | The app follows iOS if its developer supports it |
| One app with its own theme | Open that app’s settings | Choose Dark or Use device settings |
| An older app that stays bright | Check for an app update | It may still ignore Dark Mode |
| Bright webpages in Safari | Use Reader where available, or Safari extensions designed for dark pages | Websites control much of their own colour design |
| Photos, videos and artwork | No global colour change | Media usually keeps its original appearance |
| Almost every screen, including incompatible apps | Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Smart Invert | Results vary and images or icons may look unusual |
Smart Invert is the strongest fallback, but it is not the same as genuine Dark Mode. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Smart Invert and turn it on. iOS attempts to reverse many light colours while preserving photos, media and some images. Older Classic Invert reverses almost everything, including photographs, so it is usually less practical.
If you need Smart Invert only at night, add it to the Accessibility Shortcut. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut, select Smart Invert, then triple-click the side button. On models with a Home button, triple-click that button instead. This gives you a fast way to handle a stubborn app without leaving the accessibility setting enabled permanently.
Improve readability and solve common problems
Dark Mode can expose contrast problems in apps with poorly designed dark themes. Text may appear grey, links may be difficult to spot, or buttons may blend into the background. In Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size, try Bold Text, Increase Contrast or Reduce Transparency. These options can make menus easier to read, though each changes the visual style slightly.
If an app remains white, update it through the App Store and restart it. Also check whether its in-app theme is set to Light. For a website in Safari, remember that the site’s own design may override the browser’s interface. Reader View can provide a simpler reading layout on supported pages, but it will not transform every website.
An unexpectedly bright screen can also be caused by Automatic Brightness, a Focus mode, or a schedule that changes the appearance. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Auto-Brightness to review brightness behaviour. Check Settings > Focus if the appearance changes at a particular time or when you arrive at work.
Dark Mode is not a guaranteed battery-saving feature. It can help on OLED iPhones when large areas of the screen are truly black, but the effect depends on brightness, app design, mobile signal and what you are doing. Streaming video over a weak regional connection or using GPS for a long drive from Melbourne to regional Victoria will usually consume far more energy than the colour of a menu.
For a balanced everyday setup, use automatic Dark Mode from sunset to sunrise, keep brightness at a comfortable level, and let individual apps use their own dark themes where available. Keep Smart Invert as an accessibility shortcut rather than treating it as a universal replacement. This approach gives you dark system menus without making photos, artwork or incompatible apps look distorted.
Save these steps for the next time an app or iPhone menu stays bright: set Display & Brightness to Dark, review the app’s own appearance option, update it, and use Smart Invert only when necessary. With those settings in place, your iPhone can move smoothly between bright Australian days and low-light evenings while keeping its interface comfortable and readable.