Ask HN: What's your opinion on automatic light/dark mode switching on websites?
What’s your opinion on automatic light/dark mode switching on websites? Don’t you think it would be better to let the user choose the mode manually by clicking?
30 comments
IMO if a website supports both light & dark themes, it should _by default_ switch automatically. If the site wants to allow overriding that, that's fine, but I hate having to constantly go into the settings of sites to switch it to "Use System Default" instead of "Light theme". Especially when sites don't store the data very long, or it's a site like AzureDevOps/Jira/etc which is deployed across multiple instances and therefore has a setting per-instance.
Depending on the device I'm using and where I am, I either let my computer automatically switch based on time of day, or keep it on dark theme. Sites that have manual toggles that don't default to respecting system settings make automatic system-wide dark/light mode an absolute pain.
Depending on the device I'm using and where I am, I either let my computer automatically switch based on time of day, or keep it on dark theme. Sites that have manual toggles that don't default to respecting system settings make automatic system-wide dark/light mode an absolute pain.
To add the counter: A website shold always have a manual control and not try to guess my timezone or preferences based around that. Since I typically use a device in well lit conditions and detest dark mode as it is, not having a manual switch for when things go wrong kicks off a bad experience.
To clarify, I was referring to it just respecting the OS's day/night cycle settings. I definitely agree a website shouldn't be trying to do anything fancy like that, I was just saying that websites by default should respect whatever the OS/browser is listing as the preference
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Sometimes when I'm browsing at night, and have the OS/browser set to dark mode, it's really annoying when one website suddenly defaults to light mode instead of respecting my settings. The only thing more annoying is to have to do this repeatedly for multiple websites. In fact, when I'm working/browsing at night (without the lights) I enable an extension which will forcibly render all pages in dark mode, using some pre-specified heuristics to convert colors.
This. It literally is like flash night when lights out and it is really annoying.
I prefer sites follow my OS, and if I want to manually change light/dark mode, I do it at the OS level.
I strongly believe it should be the default everywhere.
IMO, you can even skip having a theme switch—that's how native stock OS apps behave (calculator, notepad, settings, etc.).
For websites, I think that should be enough. For web apps however, you might want more control over the theme somewhere in the settings page, as people are more likely to spend a lot of time in your app and may want to customize it a bit more.
IMO, you can even skip having a theme switch—that's how native stock OS apps behave (calculator, notepad, settings, etc.).
For websites, I think that should be enough. For web apps however, you might want more control over the theme somewhere in the settings page, as people are more likely to spend a lot of time in your app and may want to customize it a bit more.
- I designed https://zz.leftium.com/ to default to the system preferences ("auto").
- Clicking the button switches between manual light and dark modes.
- Double-clicking resets it to "auto" mode.
- Clicking the button switches between manual light and dark modes.
- Double-clicking resets it to "auto" mode.
I like the feature if it can be switched off. Having the site auto adjust based on the system settings is great, but I really dislike any system that tries to enforce certain options on me with no way to change them.
write code to support both, then let the user agent decide
I think it’s best to have it, and be automatic as well.
It’s particularly useful at night when you navigate to a website that blinding you with white for no reason.
It’s particularly useful at night when you navigate to a website that blinding you with white for no reason.
Let users choose, don't require it. They've already expressed a preference... it might change depending on your style.
Tbh, the preference may work for one set of things but not for the other. It should be a per-app per-site setting with a system default. But not in-the-site, obviously.
This is not a realistic change though, cause systems and browsers vendors are absolutely deaf to this and don’t let users choose. In contrast to Dark Reader extension, which does the thing for all sites, light and dark.
This is not a realistic change though, cause systems and browsers vendors are absolutely deaf to this and don’t let users choose. In contrast to Dark Reader extension, which does the thing for all sites, light and dark.
I don't think I phrased this well, I agree. Things should follow what the system reports, but still permit switching should things not be suitable for whatever reason
I dont have an opinion - I make the site and if the user wants to print it out to view it with 3D glasses they have my blessing.
that being said the OS just switched to dark here because time of day and HN is still a nice bright white light at the end of the tunnel.
that being said the OS just switched to dark here because time of day and HN is still a nice bright white light at the end of the tunnel.
If it is a new site, you can automatically choose.
If it is a site that already existed, do not make it automatically switch. Consider adding the option to switch instead.
If you insist nevertheless, then the ability to select the color scheme explicitly is absolutely mandatory.
If it is a site that already existed, do not make it automatically switch. Consider adding the option to switch instead.
If you insist nevertheless, then the ability to select the color scheme explicitly is absolutely mandatory.
My opinion of all non life critical products is: ask me don't second guess and definitely don't recommend.
It's definitely a nice to have. My personal wordpress blog is white background, occasionally when I open it at night it blinds me.
Strong dislike. The way a site looks is very important for me in identifying what it is.
You can auto detect it but please provide a way for the user to override it
I don't care as long as I can choose one that doesn't change.
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Personally I consider it as a useful thing.
It’s terrible
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