The popularity of dark mode surged with the introduction of AMOLED displays several years ago, prompting many web developers and app management teams to swiftly incorporate this feature. It significantly improves readability, and some argue it also reduces power consumption on AMOLED screens. However, Google was not among the early adopters. Even today, the majority of Workspace apps lack dark mode support in their web versions. However, this is beginning to change, starting with Drive.
Google’s Material Design principles for Android have mandated system-wide dark mode for most Android apps, but managing a multitude of apps means some details may be overlooked. As a result, only a few services like YouTube and Search have dark mode support on the web, while others such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides are still missing it. Some exceptions like Google Chat and Gmail have partial support, with email contents displaying against a white background.
The introduction of dark mode for Drive marks a promising start. This feature aims to reduce eye strain while browsing through cloud storage and organizing Workspace documents. According to reports from 9to5Google, the rollout of dark mode for Drive is currently underway. Users may encounter a pop-up notification alerting them to the change, but if not, they can access the toggle under Settings → General → Appearance. The dark mode in Drive utilizes a deep gray shade for the search bar background and sidebar, with a slightly lighter shade for the search bar itself.
It’s worth noting that this toggle primarily affects the file management view. When users switch to Workspace utilities like Sheets or Slides to edit documents, they will still encounter light mode on the web.
Although the rollout of dark mode for Drive has begun, it is currently only available to a limited number of users. Hopefully, it will soon reach a wider audience, setting a precedent for dark mode implementation across other Workspace apps on the web. This would eliminate the need for cumbersome browser extensions and Android emulators solely for accessing dark mode.
