iPhone 11 running iOS 13 with Dark Mode pictured

3 min readUpdated May 23, 2025Mar 18, 201911:54 PM

In this article (5)

After many years, the reign of LCD technology in the mobile world seems to be coming to an end. With the price of OLED displays steadily decreasing over the past couple of years, more and more companies are willing to implement the technology even in mid-range offerings. This hardware trend is also affecting the development of apps, games, and even the two major mobile operating systems. Thanks to the ability of OLED panels to completely turn off black pixels, more developers are realising the potential Dark Mode has when combined with the new technology. Not that there hasn’t been apps and themes in the past that have made everything on our smartphones darker, but now that OLED technology is becoming increasingly commonplace, companies are really getting into designing interfaces that are better suited for night-time use. Pretty much all major companies, including Google, Samsung, and Apple, are going to offer built-in Dark or Night modes on their devices starting this year.

Android Pie and Samsung’s One UI have already flipped the switch, while Apple is widely rumored to be working on such a mode for iOS 13. With this in mind, and having seen the new Dark Modes on Android Pie and One UI, we thought we’d let the creative juices flow and imagine what it could look like in iOS 13, on the iPhone XI (or iPhone 11, because maybe Roman numerals were an anniversary-only thing for Apple).

iOS 13 will have a dedicated Dark Mode

We’ve subtly redesigned the iconography of iOS to fit in with Dark Mode. We’re sure we’ve broken some Apple design guidelines in the process.

Looking at the standard iOS icon set, we felt like it wasn’t perfectly suited for Dark Mode. After all, it was tailored with iOS’s colorful aesthetic in mind. That’s why we decided to subtly redesign the icons to feature dark backgrounds while maintaining their color identity. For example, the Mail and Facetime icons, which otherwise feature white pictograms against a colorful background, have been imbued with color and placed against a dark background. This helps retain their color identity and makes them easier to find on the screen, all the while playing into the aesthetic of Dark Mode. Of course, we wouldn’t hold our breath for Apple to actually redesign the iconography of iOS in this way, but we think it looks good nonetheless.

Given how often people reach for their phones before bed, right after waking up, and countless times in between, not getting your retinas obliterated by glaring white light at all times may be the way to go. Taking into account recent rumors that Apple may shift to OLED for all of its future iPhones, including “budget” offerings, building a night mode directly into iOS 13 makes a lot of sense. Users seem to agree with this sentiment, as one of our recent polls suggests. The vast majority of voters (over 91%) said that they were excited about Apple’s upcoming, system-wide Dark Mode in iOS 13, while only a tiny fraction said they didn’t care much about it.

Apple last year introduced Dark Mode in macOS Mojave and is almost definitely going to mimic the idea in the next iteration of iOS. Speaking of that, iOS 13 is the next major update of Apple’s mobile operating system and it may debut alongside the iPhone XI in September, though there’s a chance that we may see it even earlier in beta form. The previous iteration, iOS 12, was released to the public on September 12 last year, though numerous beta versions were made available to developers and enthusiasts alike starting as early as June.

“Taking into account recent rumors that Apple may shift to OLED for all of its future iPhones, including “budget” offerings, building a night mode directly into iOS 13 makes a lot of sense.”

AdvertisementAdvertise with usMobile 320×100

Questions & Answers

What is driving the increased interest in Dark Mode for mobile operating systems?

The falling price of OLED displays is making them more common, even in mid-range phones. OLED panels can completely turn off black pixels, making Dark Mode more effective and visually appealing for users, especially for night-time use.

Which major mobile companies are implementing Dark Mode on their devices?

Google, Samsung, and Apple are all expected to offer built-in Dark or Night modes. Android Pie and Samsung’s One UI already have this feature, and Apple is widely rumoured to be working on one for iOS 13.

When might iOS 13 be released to the public?

iOS 13, the next major update for Apple’s mobile operating system, may debut alongside the iPhone XI in September. However, beta versions could be seen earlier, similar to previous iOS releases.

Reader pulse

Does Apple's rumoured Dark Mode matter?

15,761 votes so far