How To Turn On Dark Mode On Instagram & Why You Should Use It

Dark mode on Instagram is one of the latest new features that Instagram released at the end of the last year.

In this article, you’ll learn why this feature can be useful for you and how you can get it.

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What is Instagram Dark Mode?

Instagram Dark Mode is an alternative appearance of the Instagram app with a different color scheme that replaces the usual white design with darker shades.

Why Use Instagram Dark Mode?

If you want to prolong your phone’s battery life, especially if you are a heavy user, using Instagram Dark Mode is a good idéa. White pixels consume so much more battery power than black pixels.

There are also benefits for your eyes. Most people experience that dark mode is more comfortable because of reduced eye strain, especially at night time, due to reduced uncomfortable harsh light.

Also, the dark mode has an aesthetically pleasing appearance, and when it comes to the apps we use daily, more options are always pleasing. Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp all can be used in dark modes, so it’s positive that Instagram is joining them.

How to turn Instagram to Dark Mode

So how do you get dark mode on Instagram?

Instagram announced when dark mode launched at the end of 2019, you need to be running Android 10 or iOS 13 as your version of mobile operating system.

You can’t switch to dark mode from within the Instagram app; you need to go into your phone’s settings on both Android and iPhone.

Instagram Dark Mode Android

To turn on Instagram’s dark mode for a phone running the latest version Android 10, follow these four simple steps:

Go to the ‘Settings’ on your phone
Click on ‘Display’
Turn on the ‘Dark theme’
Open Instagram and enjoy the new appearance!

Instagram Dark Mode iPhone

If you have an iPhone and running the latest version iOS 13 as your operating system, this how-to guide will help you to switch to Instagram dark mode.

Go to the ‘Settings’ on your phone
Tap ‘Display and brightness’
Select ‘Dark’ to change the theme. You can also choose the option to switch on and off automatically; either to match current daylight hours or to match your own customized scheme.
Open the Instagram app and enjoy your new theme!

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Other ways to save battery and data on Instagram

How do I stop Instagram from draining my battery? Here are some other simple hacks you can use to save both power and data.

Use the latest versions of mobile operative system

If you don’t have updated to Android 10 or iOS 13 yet, this is a switch you can make to reduce Instagram’s power usage.

Use less data

To keep you active on the platform, Instagram pre-loads photos and videos. There is a way you can limit this. Click on the ‘Profile menu’ icon at the top right of the app in your profile page, then click the ‘Settings’ icon at the top. Tap ‘Account’, and then ‘Mobile data use’ and turn the ‘Data saver‘ on.

This action will prevent photos and videos from loading in advance. which means they’ll only be downloaded when you want to view them. When you’re on Wi-Fi, nothing will change. But otherwise, Instagram won’t load videos until you try to play them and seems to load photos a little bit slower. Everything might take a little longer and this step might not have a major impact on your battery capacity, but if you often find your battery level is low, every little action can be helpful.

Turn off notifications

No matter your follower count, you should have a look at the notification settings in your Instagram app. There are a few options available. Tap the ‘Profile Menu’, followed by ‘Settings‘, then tap ‘Push Notification‘ settings. Pick whatever works for you. You can, either way, choose to turn off all notifications from Instagram or customize your own preferred choices.

Clean your camera roll

Instagram saves the photos you take by default and deposit them into your camera roll. You probably don’t need to keep those photos. Tap the ‘Profile Menu’, followed by the ‘Settings’ button, then tap ‘Original photos‘ and turn off “Save Original Photos“. With Android, you can also turn off videos, but with an iPhone it’s all or nothing.

If you are taking a photo that you might want to keep outside of Instagram, do it with your phone’s original camera and then upload it to Instagram from there. It will provide a better photo quality anyway.