The benefits of dark mode: Why you should dim the lights

Most applications come with a white background and dark-colored texts and icons on the top. It has been going on since the ’90s and has become “normal” for people. However, this “normal” seems to be changing for many people. You may start to see people using their phones, PCs, and applications on dark themes or dark mode.

Most likely, you are one of the people because the numbers are many and it’s growing. It is for a reason, of course: Dark mode brings comfort. In this article, you will learn what dark mode is, if it is effective at all, and how you can use it on forms.app. Let’s start with a basic definition.

What is dark mode?

Dark mode inverts the color scheme and replaces lighter backgrounds with darker ones. So, instead of seeing black text on a white background, people will be seeing white text on a dark background. It has become popular after smartphones found their way into people’s life.

Creating online forms on dark mode

Is dark mode really effective?

Many people like the looks of dark mode and say that they are better for their eyes and more energy efficient. But is it really? The answer is yes. According to a study from Purdue University, using dark mode can be more energy efficient, especially for OLED screens. 

The same study suggests that by switching to the dark mode while the brightness is at %100, people can save up to %47 battery life.

The dark mode also reduces the blue light. If you’re having problems with dry eyes or getting asleep at night, blue light may be the cause (or your habits, you can’t lay it all to blue lights here). Now, let us go deeper and explain the effects of dark in more detail.

Is dark mode better for your eyes?

As mentioned earlier, dark mode help you get exposed to less blue light. Blue light has short waves and high-energy color, which makes it tiring for your eyes. It is also a cause of macular degeneration, which leads to sight loss in older ages. Plus, being exposed to blue light in the evenings results in lower melatonin production and disrupts sleeping cycles. But it isn’t all bad; blue light also helps you stay alert and boosts some cognitive functions. So to answer the question, it depends.

Depends on what?

Enabling dark mode (or night mode) in low-light environments reduces eye strain and helps you get quality sleep. In daylight, however, you may not need to turn on dark mode; it can even make it harder to focus. So, having both options on an application makes a difference. This way, you are able to choose between light mode or dark mode whenever you want.

Using dark mode to save battery life: Is it real?

In addition to health benefits, there is another catch in using dark mode: Energy saving. The difference is not very noticeable on led and LCD screens, but you can see the change on OLED displays. On OLED screens, pixels are lit only when it’s necessary. So, if you have an OLED phone or laptop, you can save battery life and save energy in the long term by turning on dark mode. 

For example, at full brightness on Google’s Pixel phones, YouTube draws %43 less power in the dark mode.

Dark mode on forms.app

Dark mode has become a necessary setting for many applications, and this includes form builders. Thus, forms.app offers a choice to its users. Depending on your preferences, you can easily put the lights on dark or keep them on. Here’s how:

For desktop users:

1  - Click on your profile at the right-upper corner of the screen:

Click on your profile

2  - Choose your preferred theme (and change it whenever you want):

Enable or disable the dark mode

For mobile users:

1  - Press on your profile picture at the top of your screen:

Touch your profile picture

2  - Select a theme you want:

Select a theme

That’s all it takes! You can easily dim the lights or get them back on in two simple steps. If you are still wondering, “is dark mode worth it?” then give it a try today. Register or sign in to your forms.app account today, and create powerful forms without straining your eyes and save battery life at the same time!