How to Enable Dark Mode for TikTok on iOS

If you enjoy scrolling TikTok into the evening hours, you’ll love that it now has a dark mode feature on iOS devices (sorry, Android folks, it isn’t available yet). Dark mode can reduce uncomfortable eye strain and save battery life. Aside from the benefits, dark mode looks pretty cool, too.

There are a few ways to enable dark mode on TikTok. We’ll show you all of them and give you some helpful hints along the way.

What is TikTok’s Dark Mode?

As opposed to decreasing a screen’s brightness, dark mode turns the background black and the text white. Many people prefer dark mode for aesthetic reasons. Others prefer it because it seems to be gentler on the eyes.

How does dark mode work with TikTok? The social media platform is mostly videos, but don’t worry; dark mode won’t change those. It only changes the color scheme of the comments section, your profile’s background, the message page, and the settings.

So, if you’re ready to see TikTok in a new light, follow the tutorials below.

How to Enable Dark Mode for TikTok on iOS

You can enable dark mode on TikTok using the Tiktok app or the settings on your iPhone or iPad. We’ll show you how to do it in the app in this section.

Step 1: Tap Your Profile Icon

Open the TikTok app and tap the profile icon in the far bottom right corner.

Step 2: Tap the Menu Icon

The TikTok menu icon is in the top right corner. It looks like three lines. Tap the menu icon.

Step 3: Tap Settings and Privacy

A new window will open at the bottom of your screen. Tap Settings and Privacy to move forward.

Step 4: Tap Display

You can change many different settings on this page. The one we need is the display settings. Tap Display on the menu.

Step 5: Tap the Dark Mode Switch

You’ll see a few options at the top of this page. Tap the bubble under Dark Mode. Your screen will refresh in dark mode immediately.

How to Enable TikTok Dark Mode in the iOS Settings

TikTok will also mimic your iOS device’s settings. If you prefer to change your dark mode settings often, it’s better to change your iOS settings to dark mode, then set TikTok to follow. That way, you can add Dark Mode to your iPhone’s control panel and switch from light to dark mode with the flip of a switch.

Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Open Your iPhone Settings

We’ll start by adding the Dark Mode switch to your iPhone’s control panel. This means that rather than changing from dark to light mode by opening the settings, you can swipe down from the top right corner of your screen and tap the dark mode button.

If you’ve already done this, skip ahead to step 4. Otherwise, tap the Settings icon on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap Control Panel

Scroll down the menu and tap on Control Panel.

Step 3: Tap Dark Mode

Now you’ll see Dark Mode with a + symbol next to it. Tap the plus symbol to add dark mode to your device’s control panel.

Step 4: Open TikTok

Now, head over to your TikTok app to finish the process.

Step 5: Tap Your Profile Icon

Tap on your profile icon in the lower right corner.

Step 6: Tap the Menu Icon

Tap the three-line menu icon in the upper right corner of the app.

Step 7: Tap Display

Scroll about halfway down the page and tap Display.

Step 8: Tap Use Device Settings

Now you’ll see the light and dark mode options. But there’s a Use Device Settings option just underneath. Toggle the switch to use your device settings.

Anytime you want to change TikTok from light mode to dark mode, pull down from the upper right part of your screen, and tap the Dark Mode button in the control panel.

How to Schedule TikTok Dark Mode

If you want TikTok to switch from light to dark mode automatically, you can. This is helpful for those of us who like light mode throughout the day but prefer dark mode in the evening. You won’t have to open the settings or control panel to make any changes; your phone does it for you.

Note: Ensure that the Use Device Settings feature is turned on in the TikTok app (instructions shown above).

Step 1: Open Your iPhone Settings

Rather than opening the TikTok app, we’ll make these changes in the iPhone settings. Locate the settings app and tap on it.

Step 2: Tap Display and Brightness

Scroll down the settings page and tap on Settings and Brightness.

Step 3: Tap Automatic

Now, you’ll see a toggle switch to the right of Automatic (just under the dark and light mode options). Turn the toggle switch on to access the schedule.

Then, tap Sunset to Sunrise.

Helpful hint: You can leave the sunset to sunrise option checked, and your phone will automatically switch modes when the sun goes down and comes back up.

Step 4: Tap Custom Schedule

Tap the option to set a Custom Schedule.

Step 5: Set the Schedule

Select your AM and PM times. The first will turn the dark mode off; the second will turn it back on. As long as TikTok’s Use device settings feature is also enabled, your TikTok will display dark mode in the evening hours.

Hopefully the steps above are able to answer any questions you had about how to apply dark mode to your TikTok account. However, if you’d like a step-by-step tutorial, we found this quick, one minute video that may clarify any lingering curiosities.

Is Dark Mode Better?

The benefits of dark mode are still up for debate. Of course, we have to consider that everyone has a personal preference. In that sense, there’s no way to say that dark mode is better than light mode. However, we stumbled across some interesting information about the dark mode versus light mode debate and would like to share it with you.

It’s fairly widely accepted that dark mode emits less harmful blue light and saves battery life. However, there’s a little more to it. For example, those with astigmatism or myopia may find it difficult to see the text on the screen.

Also, dark mode may cause your pupils to dilate. When this happens, your vision can become blurry. Overall, the answer to “Is dark mode better?” depends on the person. If you have difficulty reading the screen or your vision becomes blurry, follow the instructions above in reverse to switch to light mode. If you’re unbothered, save the battery life and leave it on.

TikTok Dark Mode Wrap-Up

As stated above, it’s easy to enable dark mode on TikTok for iOS. However, did you know there were so many options to customize it? If you have issues seeing the white text on a dark screen, it’s probably best to use dark mode sporadically. That’s why scheduling the feature in the iOS settings is so great! However, if you want to use dark mode all the time, you can do that too.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Ti Vla/Shutterstock.com.