Dark mode saves energy

iOS dark mode. © Apple.

If you’re one of those people who yawn at the sight of dark mode, wake up! On smartphones, dark mode combines form and function, potentially extending battery life by 30%. According to tests performed by PhoneBuff on the iPhone XS Max, dark mode can appreciably extend battery life: when your battery is close to done in standard mode, it could still have 30% charge in dark mode. The reason for this is simple: pixels consume energy; so the fewer are on, the lower the power consumption. That said, the savings only hold true for OLED displays. LCD displays, such as the ones on the iPhone 11 or XR, see no energy gain due to constant backlighting.

⇨ YouTube, “Dark Mode vs. Light Mode Battery Test.”

⇨ Mashable, Stan Schroeder, “Dark Mode on the iPhone can save massive amounts of battery life, test shows.”