Dark mode was and continues to be one of the hip design trends in computing, be it on desktops but especially on mobile. Most major platform makers have already implemented system-wide support for dark mode but some apps just refuse to follow the rules or even give users the choice. Android 10 has a “forced” dark mode setting that flips the switch even for apps that don’t support a dark theme, sometimes with unpleasant results. It seems that OnePlus will take the middle path and let users pick which apps get a free pass out of the darkness.
Those who push for dark mode themes often cite the benefits to battery life and the eyes but some app developers just don’t buy into that. Some don’t see enough benefit to take the pains to implement a proper dark mode for their app. On the other hand, Android’s forced dark mode is also too heavy-handed, potentially making some apps visually unusable.
OnePlus may be implementing a tweak to that feature in its OxygenOS custom experience. The feature practically enables “dark tone” in all apps, including those that don’t support. The one catch is that users can select apps to exempt from this in case those break in the enforced dark mode.
The foundations for the feature are already in Beta 11 of OxygenOS for the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro. But while XDA was able to make the option appear, they were not able to make the app selection part work. There is also no indication yet of when the feature will even be enabled for beta testers but hopefully it will be soon.
