Dark Mode is becoming increasingly popular as people are looking to be more environmentally friendly. But what exactly is Dark Mode? But is dark mode environmentally friendly?
Dark Mode is a feature that can be found in many software applications, such as iOS and Android. This mode allows the user to change the overall colour scheme of their phone or laptop from light to dark, making it easier on your eyes if you use your device at night.
However, this also has an environmental advantage because OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays generally require less power to use than LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) displays. This is because OLED pixels only need to be powered up when they are being used, whereas every pixel on an LCD display must be lit up at all times, whether or not it is in use. This means that when dark mode is enabled, your screen uses less power and battery life is extended. Since the release of the iPhone X in 2017, many smartphones have followed suit and adopted OLED screens.
Dark mode saves battery life
According to a study by Purdue University, switching from light mode to dark mode at 100% brightness saves an average of 39%-47% battery life. So turning on dark mode while your phone’s screen is that bright could allow your phone to last a lot longer than if you had stayed in light mode. But we need to consider the variable of screen brightness in the mix. Users require higher brightness in dark mode. This could potentially offset any environmental benefits of using dark mode.
Turning on dark mode does save you a bit of power, but it’s not a magic bullet that will save you a ton of money or help the environment in a significant way. In fact, according to Purdue researchers, switching from light mode to dark mode saves only 3%-9% power on average for several different OLED smartphones.
LCD computers are not as energy saving when it comes to dark mode. However, there is hope for those looking into laptop models with this feature! You can try out night light settings in Windows 10 which will help filter out blue light so you’re less likely to get a headache or eye strain later on.
Other benefits of dark mode
Improves User Experience
When applied in the right way, dark mode can look really appealing to the eye as it provides an opportunity for presenting a unique user interface. For data presentation on dashboards that contain graphs and charts this brings out the elegance of design because you have less distractions than with other color schemes or backgrounds which may disrupt your focus from what’s important – information!
Limits Eye Strain and Blue Light
Dark mode is an effective way to reduce eye strain and exposure by reducing the amount of blue light that’s seen. In addition, it can be helpful in low-light conditions as black backgrounds tend not to emit any colour into your vision than what we’re used to – so no more glowing screens!
Reduces Photophobia
Like moving to a dark room from working outside in bright sunlight, turning on dark mode reduces the discomfort of staring at light for long periods of time. So if you suffer from photophobia and have been reluctant to go online after sunset because the glowing white light hurts your eyes, then you’ll be happy to find out that there’s a simple way to keep browsing without feeling like you’re sitting in front of the sun!
So, what do you think? Are you turning on dark mode?