TikTok has witnessed a surge in popularity, captivating a vast global user base. Its captivating short-form videos, innovative editing features, and diverse content ensure continuous user engagement. By fostering trends, showcasing talent, and facilitating connections, TikTok has become a cultural sensation, shaping the future of social media.
To stay current, the platform has introduced various visual updates, including TikTok’s dark theme, making the app aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Wondering how to enable it?
In this guide, We will go through TikTok Dark mode, along with a step-by-step guide on how to turn on Dark mode on various devices. Stay tuned.
What Is Dark Mode On TikTok?
In the last few years, dark mode has emerged as an essential feature across digital devices, including smartphones and computers. Nothing is more frustrating than opening an app and getting welcomed by a glaring white screen.
Popular Operating systems and apps have released their version of dark modes, allowing users to enjoy a pleasant visual experience. However, TikTok was late to join the party.
It wasn’t until 2022 that the company finally introduced dark mode, albeit with limited device compatibility. Currently, TikTok dark mode is only available for iOS and TikTok web. However, resourceful Android developers have found workarounds to enable dark mode on TikTok, which will be discussed further in this article.
How To Make TikTok Dark Mode On iPhone?
Unlike Android devices, TikTok has incorporated support for dark themes on iPhones and iPad. You have two options to enable or disable dark mode: using the in-app switch or adjusting system settings on your iPhone.
Before continuing, ensure that you have the most up-to-date versions of both TikTok and iOS installed on your device.
Here are the steps to follow:
- In the TikTok app, tap Profile at the bottom.
- Tap the Menu button at the top-right corner.
- Tap Settings and Privacy.
- Tap Dark mode located under CONTENT & ACTIVITY.
- Select Dark to turn on dark mode or Light to turn off dark mode.
You also have the option to synchronize TikTok with your device’s display mode. To enable this feature, access the Display settings using the same method mentioned earlier and toggle the switch next to Use device settings. By doing so, whenever you activate a dark theme on your iPhone, TikTok will automatically turn dark and vice versa.
To turn on/off dark mode on your iPhone, take the following simple steps:
- Launch the Settings app and go to Display and Brightness.
- Tap Appearance, and you will get the option to choose the phone theme between Light and Dark.
- You can also turn on the Automatic toggle switch to enable auto-dark more which will enable/disable the dark theme based on the current timing in your region or a custom time selected by you.
Another way to enable the dark theme is through the control center. Simply swipe your finger from the top right corner of the screen to access the Control Center menu. Tap and hold the Brightness control to reveal a dedicated menu where you can easily switch between light and dark modes.
Additionally, you can go to Settings > Control Center and add a dedicated Dark mode switch to the Control Center menu, providing easy access to toggle dark mode on or off.
How to Make TikTok Dark Mode on Android?
Currently, there are two options available for Android TikTok dark mode. Let’s discuss them in detail:
1. Download A Third Party App:
Download the Dark Mode app from the Google PlayStore to activate TikTok dark mode on Android. Next, you can choose one of the three available operating modes – Day, Night, or Auto.
Tap Night Mode, which essentially functions as a dark theme. Activating Night Mode will enable a dark theme for TikTok and other compatible smartphone applications. If you wish to revert to the previous appearance, you can easily switch back to Day Mode. Additionally, you can use the Automatic Mode, which adjusts the mode based on the time of day.
2. Enable Dark Theme Through Developer Option:
There is an alternative method to enable dark mode on TikTok for Android devices, but please note that this approach may not be compatible with all Android phones.
To enable dark mode for the Android TikTok app, you must enable the Force dark mode feature in the Developer Options. Open the Settings app on your Android phone. Take the following steps:
- Open the Settings menu and tap the About phone section.
- Scroll down until you find the Build number.
- Tap the Build number seven times to enable Developer Mode.
- After tapping, a message will appear confirming that you are now a developer.
- Return to the main Settings menu and select Developer options.
- Locate the Hardware accelerated rendering option and tap on it
- Toggle on the Force Dark Mode option.
With the company having recently introduced dark mode support for the latest iOS version, the Android version is expected to be waiting around the corner. You can use the abovementioned workarounds to make TikTok dark on Android smartphones.
How To Turn On TikTok Dark Mode PC?
As TikTok does not offer a dedicated application for Windows or Mac, the only option to use TikTok on your computer is through the web version. However, you can install an Android emulator on your computer and run TikTok in dark mode, similar to an Android device.
For those not looking to go through this technical adventure, thankfully, there is a straightforward method to enable dark mode on TikTok web.
Here are the easy steps to turn on dark mode on the TikTok web app:
- In your web browser, go to https://www.tiktok.com/ and sign in using your details.
- Click on your Profile picture on the top-right of the screen.
- Toggle the Dark mode switch from the drop-down menu.
Please note that TikTok dark theme on the web will only be effective in the following sections:
- For You feed
- Following feed
- Search results
- Profile
- Hashtag results
- Sounds page
- Video page
What Is TikTok Dark Mode APK:
Since there is no official way to activate the TikTok Dark theme on Android devices, many individuals and developers have released their APK versions of the app, claiming to have the built-in dark theme.
If you search for TikTok dark mode on Google, you’ll see that the place of flooded with websites offering APKs to enable the feature. While some of these APK files might work, I want to clear up a few things:
- Most of these websites are bogus and contain misleading information. The aim is to make you download the file and increase their rank.
- These APK files may contain harmful files and malware which could jeopardize your phone’s security and access your data. This is why it’s always advisable to download apps only from the Google PlayStore.
- Most of these APK files contain a lot of bugs, unnecessary advertisements, and more. They don’t even offer the same Dark theme experience as you’d get from the official app.
Why Is TikTok Dark Mode Not Showing On My Phone?
If you can’t see the option on your phone to change the settings, there can be a few reasons behind it:
- You are using an Android device that doesn’t have the Dark theme option for TikTok.
- You haven’t given the necessary permission to the TikTok app. Check the App section in your device settings and ensure that TikTok has permission to modify the display settings.
- You are using an outdated version of the TikTok application. Visit the App Store or Google Play Store to download and install the latest version of TikTok.
- Your device is running on an outdated operating system version. Go to phone Settings and update your phone and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If you are using an Android phone, running an old version of TikTok, or have outdated software, you will not have the option to enable a dark theme.
To use TikTok dark mode on a Samsung phone, go to Developer options and Activate Force dark mode in Hardware accelerated rendering section.
Log in to your TikTok account, click on your profile pictures, and turn on/off the dark mode from the drop-down menu.
Currently, there is no dark theme option for TikTok on Android phones.
Final Word:
When TikTok dark mode is enabled, the app’s background, menus, and system interface will turn black, making text and other light color elements appear sharper and much easier on the eyes. This contrast creates a visually appealing and comfortable viewing experience, especially when watching videos.
I am an engineer by education, tech writer by profession, and a motor sport fan by heart.