iOS 13 and Android 10 are the first mobile operating systems to include system-wide support for dark mode. Not only will dark mode make it easier to operate the phone at night without burning your eyes out, but most high-end handsets feature OLED displays, and dark mode can help reduce energy consumption.
However, Apple and Google implemented dark mode differently when it comes to ease of use, and Android fans will have to wait for Android 11 to roll out to enjoy a feature that’s already available on the iPhone.
It’s incredibly easy to switch back and forth between light and dark modes on a device, but it’s even better when the operating system can automate the operation. You can set up the iPhone or iPad to use light mode during the day and automatically switch to dark mode after sunset. On Android 10, however, that’s not possible. Thankfully, Android 11 will fix that, according to a new discovery, and bring dark mode scheduling to Android devices.
The feature was part of Android 10 betas, but it was ultimately removed from the final Android 10 release. Google explained in an Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) session on Reddit that the feature was deprecated as it might negatively affect user experience by restarting apps while they’re in use. Also, Google said that the feature “requires apps to request location permissions to be accurate, and even with a valid location the sunrise/sunset time calculations can be buggy.”
It doesn’t help Google’s case, however, that iOS 13 supports dark mode scheduling, and iOS likely has to deal with the same issues to automatically switch between light and dark modes.
But Google still plans on bringing dark mode automation to Android in Android 11, according to recent findings in the Google Issue Tracker (via xda-developers). A Googler responded to complaints from users to confirm the feature will be added in a future Android release, without revealing when that might happen.
The first beta for Android 11 should drop in March, with the final release likely scheduled for late Q3 2020.
