Summary
- While the iOS dark mode applies a dark-gray theme on most visual elements by default, it leaves certain visual elements light.
- If you’re not okay with that, iOS 18 has two hidden appearance settings that can fix the visual inconsistencies.
- All you have to do is enter the Edit mode on the home screen and tap a few buttons.
The iPhone looks great in the dark mode, especially those with an OLED screen. However, for some reason, iOS doesn’t consistently apply the dark theme to every visual element. Thankfully, you can fix that.
What Is the Issue With Dark Mode on iOS 18?
Dark mode has been available on iPhones for quite some time. Whether it’s for aesthetic appeal or just to save some battery life (yes, it reduces power consumption), many iPhone users set the phone permanently on dark appearance mode.
What we don’t realize is that iOS dark mode doesn’t take care of everything.
Sure, it applies a dark-gray theme on the user interface (evident in the system apps) and reduces the overall brightness emitted by the screen, but it doesn’t darken the wallpaper or the app icons on the home screen.
Related
I Use Dark Mode Everywhere, and I’m Not Going Back
I see a phone with light mode, and I want it painted black.
But what if someone wants more granular control over the dark mode on their iPhone? It turns out that iOS 18 has two hidden display settings that dim the wallpaper and change the color scheme of individual app icons for a visually consistent experience.
Darken the Home Screen Wallpaper
Let’s begin by dimming the home screen wallpaper. To do this, press and hold an empty space on the home screen to enter the edit mode (the icons will start to jiggle).
Tap on the Edit button in the top left corner of the screen.
Select Customize from the drop-down menu.
In the menu that appears, tap on the tiny sun icon. This will darken the home screen wallpaper.
Although this method doesn’t directly apply the dark mode on the wallpaper, it makes the screen more cohesive with the system-wide appearance mode.
Apply Dark Mode on App Icons
You can also change how the app icons look on the home screen. The setting we’re about to tell you changes the icons’ color scheme, replacing most white elements with dark gray ones.
Again, press and hold an empty space, tap on Edit at the top right corner, and select Customize.
In the menu that appears, select the second option from the left: Dark.
This will modify how the app icons look, especially those of system apps like Apple Music, Phone, Messages, Fitness, Safari, Notes, and so on. It also darkens the icons of some third-party apps like Google Chrome, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and not just on the home screen, but also other places where the icons appear (like the AirDrop menu).
However, there might be a few apps that don’t support the dark icons. In my case, these were Google Keyboard and PayPal.
Moreover, these settings improve the visual consistency across the user interface and make it more comfortable for usage in low-light conditions.
Change Your iPhone Wallpaper Too
A new iPhone wallpaper can make your iPhone feel all new again (as can a new case, actually). You can use separate wallpapers on your lock screen and home screen if you want, or simply apply a blur effect to your wallpaper when you unlock your iPhone using the built-in wallpaper tool. You can do all of this via the wallpaper gallery by tapping and holding your iPhone while it’s on the lock screen (you’ll need to authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID to make changes).
Related
If picking a wallpaper seems like too much hassle, consider cycling your iPhone wallpaper automatically instead. Space-themed wallpaper from NASA are the perfect fit for an iPhone that’s permanently kept in dark mode.
Aside from appearance settings, iOS 18 provides several other ways to change your iPhone’s appearance. These include customizing the Control Center to show only the controls that are useful to you, replacing your lock screen shortcuts with apps you actually use, and adding useful widgets to your home screen so that you can access functions outside of apps.
We’ve also compiled a list of 15 new iOS 18.2 features that you should check out.
