The native apps in iOS are already included in the system-wide dark mode and you can simply turn the Dark Mode on your iPhone to see the dark mode in action. I will, however, focus more on the third-party apps that have a dark mode, if it syncs with iOS dark mode or not.
Apps That Have Dark Mode on iOS
1. AccuWeather
The native Weather app on iOS does a pretty good job but if you’re looking for an extensive prediction, use AccuWeather. It comes with a Dark theme that automatically syncs with the iOS.
Install AccuWeather (free)
2. EverNote
EverNote lets you organize your notes, images, texts, links, and videos in one place. The dark mode automatically switches on with iOS dark mode and shows a consistent gray interface across the app.
Install EverNote (free)
3. Facebook Messenger
Even though Facebook Messenger has had a dark mode for a while, you still don’t get it on the Facebook App. To turn on the dark mode, you would have to manually toggle the switch and keep it on at all times until you switch it off. It would have been better if there was an option to sync it with the OS, I still appreciate that it is available.
Install Messenger (free)
4. Feedly
Feedly is my go-to source to aggregate news and articles from across the web. Instead of hoping every news website implements a decent dark mode, I can just subscribe that content through this app. The dark mode works with almost every article and offers a consistently black interface. I like it. The dark mode doesn’t sync with iOS but you can manually enable it from the hamburger menu.
Install Feedly (free)
5. Firefox
Safari already comes with a dark mode with iOS 13 but if you want an alternative that is open-sourced, supports extensions like Adblocker then Firefox is a decent alternative. Its dark mode is not just limited to the app elements but extends to webpages as well. I’ll agree it doesn’t fit perfectly for every webpage as it is just effectively inverting the color scheme but it is still better than not having a dark mode. I would have appreciated it if it automatically adjusted to iOS’ dark mode but I can still manage by manually turning it on from the hamburger menu.
Install Firefox (free)
6. Gboard
Apple’s native keyboard is a classic, it supports glide typing now, and it automatically adjusts to the iPhone’s theme but Gboard is superior in terms of functionality. It has had swipe typing for the longest time, you can search Google within the keyboard itself, seamlessly change languages, translate text, etc. Sure you would have to set up the dark theme manually but I’d take it over any other keyboard available for iOS.
Install Gboard (free)
7. Google News
Google News is a great app to consume the news on your phone and you can subscribe to many popular news publications and websites. The dark mode syncs with iOS and elevates your reading experience.
Install Google News (free)
8. Inoreader
If Feedly doesn’t suit your needs, you can try Inoreader to consume all the online content in one place. Inoreader has a dark theme similar to Feedly which you can manually turn on from the hamburger menu. If you’re confused between Inoreader and Feedly, this might help. Install Inoreader (free)
9. Instagram
Just like Twitter, Instagram also got a dark mode recently which looks okay syncs with the iOS. I’ve been using it for a while now and even though the app interface itself is dark, the media content still shines bright at full intensity which can be irritating at times.
Install Instagram (free)
10. Kindle
Reading on smartphones can be strenuous to your eyes but you can reduce it by using the dark mode in the Kindle app. The Kindle app’s dark mode can be switched on manually from the settings and you get a nice dark gray layout that looks fine.
Install Kindle (free)
11. Opera Touch Browser
Opera Touch Browser for iOS doesn’t have a true dark mode in the web browser but the implementation is well done. The dark theme can be toggled manually but it has no effect on the webpages. However, the dark theme is soothing to the eyes, plus the browser comes with features like crypto mining protection, adblocking, a built-in crypto wallet which makes it an easy sell.
Install Opera Touch Web Browser (free)
12. Outlook
If your work explicitly requires to use Outlook then it’s not the end of the world. Outlook now comes with a dark mode that automatically syncs with the iOS theme. Cool.
Install Outlook (free)
13. Reddit
Even though there are plenty of Reddit clients, the official app has a well-executed dark mode with customizable options for both dark and light mode. You can choose to manually trigger the dark mode or sync it with iOS. The day theme has four options and you can choose between a darker AMOLED night or Night as the Night theme.
Install Reddit (free)
14. Skype
If you’re an iOS user then you probably already use FaceTime, however, if you want a platform-independent solution for video conferences then Skype is the most popular option. It is popular, works well across platforms, has nifty features like screen blur and has a dark mode. The theme has two modes; Light and dark and each mode has a high contrast option. If you turn it on, you’ll get a completely black theme that looks amazing on OLED screens.
Install Skype (free)
15. Slack
Slack is the most popular messaging app for work and it comes with a dark mode that actually works. Earlier you could just change the theme to dark which only changed a few elements while leaving the chat threads white. This has been fixed since then and now the dark mode envelops the entire app. It works in sync with iOS so that’s a big plus.
Install Slack (free)
16. Swiftkey
Swiftkey is yet another keyboard that supports the dark theme and one reason to use it over Gboard is the 3D touch support. Gboard doesn’t let you seek the cursor by 3d touching the keyboard whereas Swiftkey does and along with it, you can also get more useful stats such as keystrokes saved, typos corrected and not to mention support for regional languages.
Install Swiftkey Keyboard (free)
17. Telegram
The dark mode is one of the many reasons to start using the Telegram messenger on iOS. It is safe, reliable, supports plenty of apps and bots, and offers strong encryption among other features. I like that Telegram offers you multiple themes to customize the appearance and even change the app icon to fit the dark iOS layout. The only thing missing is the native dark mode sync with iOS, however, Telegram lets you schedule the dark mode based on time of day within the app which is close enough.
Install Telegram (free)
18. Todoist
If you want to get things done, you need an app that like Todoist. It lets you organize your thoughts and tasks in a dark theme which lets you focus more on the task at hand rather than the app itself(which for the record is really well made).
Install Todoist (free)
19. Twitter
The Bird app goes dark in sync with the native dark mode on iOS 13. However, you can choose to keep it dark at all times with just a toggle in the Display Settings. You get to choose between two themes; Dim and Lights out which are just fancy words for dark gray and black respectively.
Install Twitter (free)
Best Dark Mode Apps for iOS 13
These were some of my favorites and essentials that support dark mode. Every app implements dark mode a little differently which means that your experience is always going to be different for every app. What do you think of these apps? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below.
