Google begins rolling out dark mode for Search on desktop
What's the story
Google had been working on implementing dark mode for its Search service for Windows and Mac machines for quite some time, after introducing the much-requested feature to Android devices last year. After what seems to be a fair bit of A/B testing through selective roll-out of the feature, Google is finally moving onto a global release of the dark theme for its Search service.
Browser support
Feature isn't restricted to Chrome; Also available on Edge, Firefox
Despite the global roll-out, the dark theme is being selectively made available to Google Search users accessing it from Windows and macOS devices. Most users who received the feature reported seeing a "Dark Theme is now available" notification upon navigating to Google Search for web. Interestingly, the feature isn't limited to the Chrome browser, but also extends to Mozilla's Firefox and Microsoft's Edge.
How to
Here's how you can enable dark mode for Google Search
Here's how you can check if you can enable the theme. Navigate to the Google.com home page and click on Settings button on the bottom right-hand corner. Now, select Search settings from the ensuing pop-up menu and click on the Dark theme radio from the Appearance section. Don't forget to click on the Save button at the bottom to store the change.
Twitter Post
The Next Web's Matt Navarra demonstrates the dark mode feature
Google Dark Theme: ON pic.twitter.com/fjSxnt1fcx
— 🟣 Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) May 12, 2021
Eyes and environment
What is the significance of dark mode?
Dark mode is essentially a UI/visual feature increasingly implemented in a wide range of apps, websites, or rather anything displayed on a screen. Instead of using black text over white background, dark mode inverts the color scheme to have blacks or dark greys as the dominant background, which is not only easier on the eyes but it also reduces power consumption on mobile devices.
Battery efficiency
It can conserve battery on mobile devices bearing OLED screens
While the Google Search update is targeted at desktop users, the Android version already has the dark mode. The UI tweak is especially useful for mobile devices bearing OLED displays due to the significant power savings. Comprehensive testing by Mobile Enerlytics recorded battery savings of up to a whopping 23.5 percent with dark mode enabled. Unfortunately, the power savings don't extend to LCD displays.