Search app might show preview of Google Maps Dark Mode

Waqas Awan

Search app might show preview of Google Maps Dark Mode

One app that Google has yet to offer a Dark Mode for is Google Maps. While the navigation screen does invert at nighttime, the entire app doesn’t. According to Android Police, there is a way that you can get a look at what Dark Mode might look like on Google Maps. By enabling Dark Mode on your phone, going to Google Search, and searching for a certain business category or a cuisine, you will see what appears to be a Dark Mode version of the navigation screen that looks different than the change that takes place to the navigation screen when the sun goes down.

This workaround won’t work with every search. However, we searched for the International House of Pancakes and what could be the navigation UI for Maps’ Dark Mode surfaced. In comparison to the nighttime navigation screen in the Maps app, the version found in the Search app uses more pastel hues,

From left to right, Light Mode for Google Maps, Dark Mode in Google Search, and Dark Mode in the apps' navigation page - Search app might show preview of Google Maps Dark Mode

Dark Mode allows users to open an app in a dark room or at night without blinding themselves and others because of the retina melting white background found on Android phones. Instead of using black text on a white background, Dark Mode uses white text on a black background. The setting can also enhance battery life on handsets that sport an OLED panel. That’s because the color black is created on OLED by turning off the appropriate pixels. Pixels that are turned off do not draw energy from the battery, So inverting the background of an OLED display by enabling Dark Mode, a larger part of the display is black which shuts down more pixels and lowers demand for energy from the battery.
 
So to recap, Google Maps does not have a Dark Mode setting yet. However, the actual navigation screen does turn dark after sundown, and when you use the Search app to lookup certain businesses. Hopefully Google will soon bestow Dark Mode to the entire Maps app.

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Alan Friedman

Waqas Awan

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