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Apple testing 'dark mode' for iOS 10

Michelle Avenant
By Michelle Avenant, portals journalist.
Johannesburg, 17 Jun 2016
Developer Andrew Wiik tweeted screenshots of the "dark mode" he found on a beta version of iOS 10.
Developer Andrew Wiik tweeted screenshots of the "dark mode" he found on a beta version of iOS 10.

Apple appears to be testing a dark mode for iOS 10, report a number of developers tinkering with a beta version of the mobile operating system.

The dark mode inverts the colours on users' smartphone and tablet screens, making bright white backgrounds black and dark text and symbols more brightly-coloured, so users' eyes are not bamboozled by brightness when checking their phones in the dark. The feature could also reduce eye strain for those using devices in dimly-lit settings, such as bars.

While dark mode is not a complete feature across the iOS 10 beta, it can be found in apps including Alarm, iBooks, iTunes and Safari "with a little code trickery," according to ZDNet.

Siri has also been noticed to tacitly acknowledge the feature. When asked to turn on dark mode, Siri responds, "Sorry, but I'm not able to change that setting," whereas the voice-activated digital assistant usually says "I don't understand" when asked to configure an unsupported function.

Dark mode for iOS 10 was not announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco earlier this week, although the tech company did introduce a dark mode for Apple TV, noting that some users prefer a darker background when watching TV in dark rooms.

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