Having a dark mode option for apps and websites has become an increasingly popular feature that many users look for. The main appeal of dark mode is that it produces less strain on the eyes by using a dark background and lighter text, which can be especially helpful when browsing on your phone late at night. For avid LinkedIn users, the ability to toggle on a dark color scheme in the LinkedIn mobile app would certainly be a welcome addition.
What is Dark Mode?
Dark mode, also sometimes referred to as night mode, is a display setting that reverses the typical light background and dark text color scheme. Instead, dark mode utilizes a black or dark gray background with brighter text and interface elements. This mode has become a popular optional theme for many operating systems, websites, and mobile apps over the past few years. The high contrast helps content stand out against the darker backdrop and can reduce eye strain in low light environments. Dark mode is often praised for being easier on the eyes and battery life, especially for devices with OLED displays where black pixels do not need to be illuminated.
Benefits of Dark Mode
There are several key benefits that dark mode offers users:
- Reduces eye strain – Staring at bright screens in dark environments can strain your eyes. Dark mode alleviates this by flipping the color scheme.
- Less glare – The darker background cuts down on glare from device screens.
- Increased contrast – Light text stands out better against a dark background, so content is more legible.
- Improved battery life – Displaying black pixels uses less battery power, so dark mode extended battery life, especially for OLED screens.
- Easier nighttime use – Dark mode is much more comfortable to use at night or in dark environments.
For these reasons, the ability to enable dark mode has become a highly sought after feature for many popular apps. Users are increasingly expecting and requesting that apps integrate a dark color scheme option. LinkedIn adopting dark mode for their mobile app would certainly be welcomed by many professionals who regularly use the platform.
Does LinkedIn Have a Dark Mode?
Currently, LinkedIn’s mobile app does not have a built-in dark mode option. The app maintains LinkedIn’s usual minimalistic white and gray design scheme, which looks crisp and professional. However, the bright white background is far from ideal for browsing at night or in dark rooms. Enabling a manual dark mode or night mode would require accessing the device’s display settings, which isn’t always straightforward. So the short answer is no, LinkedIn’s mobile app does not yet include a toggle for switching to dark mode directly within the app itself as many users have requested.
LinkedIn Website Dark Mode
While LinkedIn’s mobile app lacks a dark mode, the LinkedIn website does offer users the ability to enable a dark theme. On the desktop site, simply click your profile photo in the top right corner then select Settings & Privacy > Preferences > Theme preference. There you can choose between Light or Dark themes. This will make the website backdrop dark while lightening the text. However, this setting does not carry over or sync to the mobile app. Dark mode must be enabled separately on each platform.
Why Doesn’t LinkedIn Have Dark Mode for Mobile?
With dark mode being such a popular user request and design trend over the past few years, why hasn’t LinkedIn implemented this feature in their mobile app yet? There are a few potential reasons why dark mode may not have been a priority for LinkedIn so far.
- Minimalist brand aesthetic – LinkedIn likely wants to maintain their trademark minimalist style which relies on white/gray colors.
- Accessibility – Dark mode could potentially reduce accessibility for some users like those with visual impairments.
- Development resources – Adding dark mode would require dedicating developer time and resources.
- Limited user demand – LinkedIn may feel other feature requests should take priority.
While these factors may explain the lack of dark mode so far, user demand does seem to be growing based on comments and reviews asking for a dark theme option. So there’s a chance LinkedIn may add dark mode in a future update.
How to Enable Dark Mode on LinkedIn’s Mobile App
Since LinkedIn’s mobile app currently does not have an integrated dark mode option, the only way to manually enable a dark theme is via your device settings. The steps vary slightly depending on whether you use iOS or Android.
Enabling Dark Mode on iPhone
For iPhones running iOS 13 or later:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Display & Brightness
- Select Dark under the Appearance heading
This will make LinkedIn and all other apps on your iPhone switch to dark mode. Be aware that this also changes your wallpaper to a dark color by default.
Enabling Dark Mode on Android
For Android 10 and higher:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Display
- Select Dark theme
For some Samsung Galaxy models, the steps are slightly different:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Display
- Tap Dark mode settings
- Choose Dark mode
The dark theme won’t apply universally to all Android apps, but should switch the LinkedIn app over to dark mode. Keep in mind that switching your device to the dark theme also changes the background of your home screens.
How to Give Feedback to LinkedIn
If you want LinkedIn to know that dark mode is an in-demand feature for their mobile app, there are a couple ways you can provide direct feedback to them:
- LinkedIn app store reviews – Leave a review for the LinkedIn mobile app requesting dark mode. This is public feedback.
- LinkedIn contact form – Use the LinkedIn contact form to request dark mode. You can choose Feedback as the topic.
The more LinkedIn users who take a moment to request a dark theme option, the more likely this is to become a priority for future app updates. So if you want to see dark mode added, let LinkedIn know!
Conclusion
While many popular apps now offer dark mode or night mode options, LinkedIn has yet to add this feature to their mobile app. Currently, the only way to manually switch to a dark theme is by changing the display settings on your iPhone or Android device. This enables a system-wide dark mode. For a true integrated dark color scheme, LinkedIn would need to push an app update that adds a dark mode toggle within the app itself. Hopefully based on user feedback they are considering doing so in the future, but for now adjusting your device settings remains the only workaround for viewing LinkedIn in dark mode on mobile.