Bold claim first: Android’s Expanded dark mode finally makes your whole phone look cohesive, even when apps don’t play along, and that changes how you use your device. But here’s where it gets controversial: not every app looks perfect, and some UI elements can suffer in the push to a universal dark theme.
Sanuj is a tech enthusiast who loves testing smartphones, tablets, and wearables. He began with a Lumia and Windows Phone, later switching to Android and enjoying ROM tweaks. Since 2018, he has been active in tech and recently served as Managing Editor at Pocketnow before moving to Android Police. He has also contributed to Pocket-Lint, MakeUseOf, and Android Central.
When he’s off the clock, you’ll likely find him sipping chai, following football, or playing cricket. You can reach him via Twitter DMs or at sanujb6 [at] gmail [dot] com.
Android has offered dark mode for years. On Google Pixel devices, you can even let your system theme derive from your wallpaper—the system analyzes colors from your wallpaper and applies them across menus, settings, and supported apps.
Despite that, many users still default to the classic dark mode. Not everyone loves Material You themes, and the light theme can be harsh on the eyes. If you’re like me and prefer built‑in dark mode, you may notice a common frustration: not all apps support dark mode natively.
Fortunately, Android includes a hidden setting that forces all apps to adopt dark mode. Here’s how I fully switched my Android experience to dark mode and how you can replicate it.
Related
- How to enable expanded dark mode on Android
- A hidden toggle that forces dark mode across system and apps
What you’re about to enable is Expanded dark mode. Google added it to Pixel phones with the December 2025 Android 16 QPR2 update.
Before enabling, ensure your Pixel is up to date. Check Settings > System > Software updates and install any pending updates.
To enable Expanded dark mode on your Pixel:
1. Open Settings and go to Display & touch.
2. In Display settings, scroll to Dark theme and tap the arrow next to it.
3. Turn on Use dark theme.
4. Select the Expanded option below.
Once enabled, dark mode applies across your Pixel instantly.
Note: If you’re using Material 3 Expressive, you may not notice an immediate shift, since Android still draws colors from your wallpaper. If you prefer a traditional dark mode without wallpaper influence, go to Settings > Wallpaper & style > Home screen > Colors > Other colors, and choose the darkest option. This reverts to classic dark mode and disables Material 3 Expressive theming.
Expanded dark mode is powerful yet surprisingly underrecognized. It makes Android push dark themes to apps that don’t natively support it. Apps like Amazon, Airbnb, and even Fitbit (previously) can switch to dark mode via this feature, even if they haven’t built native support.
In testing, Expanded dark mode works surprisingly well and delivers a dark-mode experience closer to a true native implementation. It isn’t as polished as apps that are built with dark mode in mind, but it’s a meaningful improvement.
There are trade-offs: some UI elements may become hard to read or less visually refined because the forced dark palette uses standard dark colors rather than the softer grays some apps prefer. Google acknowledges that forcing a theme can cause issues in apps that don’t officially support dark mode.
For example, during testing the Amazon app had some UI elements that were less visible under Expanded dark mode. That’s the inevitable compromise when you force a theme on apps that don’t opt in.
I’d love to see Google add a way to adjust the intensity of the forced dark mode or fine‑tune how it’s applied, but that option isn’t available yet. Still, Expanded dark mode is a cool feature that lets you tailor your device to your preferences rather than the developer’s default design.
Expanded dark mode isn’t the only hidden Pixel feature worth exploring. There are more tricks worth trying, such as swiping to start a search from the app drawer and Private Space, which many people overlook but can be genuinely enjoyable to use.
