If you’re reading these words you probably typed in “how to get Instagram dark mode” on either Android or iPhone. If so, then you can probably stop reading this intro right here, and skip to the steps below. We won’t mind.
If, however, you happened to stumble upon this article in a natural way, then congratulations for finding us organically. You might also be wondering why anyone would want dark mode in any app, let alone Instagram, and it’s a fair question. To be completely honest, it’s down to personal preference, and you don’t have to defect to the dark side if you don’t want to.
Personally though, we prefer to set any app we can to dark mode as it’s easier on the eyes, can save a little battery life if you’ve got a device with an OLED display, and it’s less intense at night when we’re browsing in bed, trying to fend off any pre-insomnia anxiety and dread.
Anyway, here’s our step by step guide on how to enable dark mode in Instagram on iPhone, iPad and Android devices
How to get Instagram dark mode on Android
1. Open the Settings app on your Android 10 (or above) device.
2. Scroll down to Display, and tap that option.
3. Activate the Dark theme toggle. This will apply a dark theme across your entire phone and menus, as well as automatically enabling it in any apps (like Instagram) that support it.
4. Open Instagram, and enjoy the new, darker you.
How to get Instagram dark mode via Instagram Settings
1. If you’d rather keep light mode on your Android phone, or would like the option to turn dark mode on or off in Instagram specifically, without affecting your phone or any other apps, first open the Instagram app.
2. Press the button in the bottom-right corner to go to your Profile.
3. On your Profile screen, press the menu button in the top-right corner. Select Settings at the very bottom of the menu that opens.
4. At the bottom of the Settings menu, tap the option called Theme.
5. From here you can select Dark, Light, or "System Default." The latter will automatically assign either the light or dark theme to Instagram, depending on what you’ve chosen in Android's Settings (see previous section).
How to get Instagram dark mode on iPhone or iPad
1. On an iPhone running iOS 13 or higher, or iPad running iPadOS 13 or higher, open Settings.
2. Tap "Display & Brightness."
3. Tap Dark in the "Display & Brightness" settings to change your iPhone’s theme to dark mode. You can also choose Automatic, which will switch your display from light to dark at sunset, and from dark to light at sunrise.
4. Once the previous step is complete, launch Instagram, and it will now be in dark mode.
