WhatsApp finally launches dark mode, but only in beta

Among the most popular mobile apps, WhatsApp is one of the few that still hasn’t embraced dark mode. 

This is bound to change soon, though, as the dark mode setting has appeared in the latest beta version of the WhatsApp app for Android (via Android Authority). 

The option is precisely what you’d expect, giving you a choice between a light or dark theme (you can also choose to conform to the system default theme). If you go dark, the app’s backgrounds will turn darker, but don’t expect a totally black look; instead, you’ll get various shades of dark gray. 

You can find the option under Settings – Chats – Theme. 

To get the option, you must have the latest beta version of WhatsApp for Android (2.20.13), which you can only get if you’ve signed up as a beta tester (and WhatsApp isn’t accepting more testers at the moment). However, the fact that the option made it to beta is a good indicator we’ll see it in one of the coming public releases, probably fairly soon. 

With the addition of a dark mode option, WhatsApp follows many popular apps such as Twitter and Instagram which introduced the feature last year. However, WhatsApp’s parent company Facebook still isn’t offering the option for its main app, though it should be coming fairly soon as well.