With the launch of Android Q, the introduction of Dark Theme has raised a storm in the app development world. Android app design professionals have anticipated that users will start embracing the Dark Theme in future apps. Dark Mode has now become available to both Android apps and system UI.
As themes play an important role in engaging app users, developers focus on the newly released theme. Over time, Dark Theme has become a popular choice for Android users of different age groups. Before guiding you to building this interesting theme for the Android app, we have shown the reasons for preferring it.
Learn about the Dark Mode for an Android app design
Google has added the user-selectable Dark Mode to its Android platform with the latest Android version 10. However, it never means that it is new to developers. Android Lollipop (5.0) is available with the default Dark Theme.
Then, what is the difference in Google’s new announcement? It has included a device-wide setting, and users will have better control of the device themes and app themes. Moreover, Google has released Material Design guidelines for app developers.
Why do you prefer a Dark theme for your Android app design?
There are some strong reasons for which Android app users and developers desire Dark Theme in their apps. Most importantly, Dark Theme helps in minimizing the luminance produced by device screens. It also ensures visual ergonomics, as it reduces eyestrain and adjusts the brightness level to the lighting conditions.
Besides, it enables users to use the screen in some dark environments. Finally, the most notable advantage is that it helps in saving battery power.
Thus, to give users convenience, the Android team has added a dark theme as the system-wide feature. Likewise, developers have also started creating their apps with this theme.
To introduce a dark theme to the app using Material Design Components, developers have to modify it.
Choose the app mode and test the theme
It is optional to choose the theme mode. However, it helps in enabling the device to run the latest version. Most of the Android phones with an older version have no settings for the system-level dark themes. Thus, developers create the app to offer an in-app setting, and users can select the right theme based on their preferences.
After creating the basics of Dark Theme, the Android app development company will test out every part of the app. They will analyze both Dark and Light theme modes. At the time of testing, they will also focus on dark backgrounds. The major aim is to find out hardcoded colors having no good contrast against the dark app background. App designers list the chosen app colors in the colors.xml file, and then they set their theme attributes.
Dark Theme- With distinct characteristics
When we refer to a theme as the Dark One, the black color comes to our mind. However, by having a close analysis of the default app backgrounds, you will find that it is a dark grey shade.
However, you may find some conflicts in deciding between black and grey, as Android 10 has a black background. This issue is something about power savings and usability.
If developers have chosen a pure black tone, the app will use the lowest amount of power. Icons and fonts will also be very simple. However, developers will need to solve contrast problems by adjusting icons and font colors to make a perfect match.
In any Android app, the interface may have vibrant imageries, colorful animations, and other complicated elements. If they combine with the black background, you will find a higher contrast. Ultimate, there will be a strain on your eyes. The color of some app elements is not adjustable, and thus, we cannot decrease the contrast. Hence, developers choose a lighter background color for those elements.
Color scheme and Material color system
What should be the main color combinations of the app? Most developers assume a light device background to choose the color scheme of the app. Thus, they will make a few adjustments to the palette while the app has a dark theme.
It is also essential to deal with proper color tones. The Material color system presents us with several tones of every color. With every tone, there is a numbering system. For instance, the number 50 indicates the least saturated color tone, while 900 refers to the most saturated one.
Deciding between primary and secondary colors
The primary one is viable only for Dark Theme, and it is something different from surface colors and background colors. Conversely, developers create a secondary color by combining the most luminous and less saturated tones.
However, the processes for producing primary and secondary colors have no difference. A professional Android app developer relies on Material Color Tool to play with colors.
Integrating surface colors into the app
Surface colors with bold tones can be the best ways of revealing your brand theme with some components, like cards. Although bold and vivid colors blend perfectly with light/white background, they are not the right choice for the Dark Theme.
When users have not set their device and app to the Dark Theme, the mobile app will interpret it as their major preference. The app will assume that the user prefers less bright colors.
Based on this preference and taste, developers choose muted color shades for the branded surface colors. Still, those shades are highly bold and produce intense light for your Dark Theme.
Dark Themes- Testing elevation overlays
You may have wondered- What does this elevation refer to? Obviously, it indicates the act of raise surfaces to form a shadow.
In the Material Design system, different light sources can cast shadows. As we elevate surfaces, we lift them towards the source of light. It is a scientific fact that any surface blocks the light source, and we find shadows. When the surface is closer to the light source, it will differ in the perceived color.
If the surface color is light, the change is not perceptible. On the contrary, you can notice a high effect on the dark surface. To solve this problem, developers deal with elevation overlays. With the higher elevation, the overlay will be more opaque. They conduct testing at a variety of elevations to find outcomes on the visual surface. They make sure that foreground shades present us with the right amount of contrast. It is best to set one surface color perfect for any elevation used in the Android app.
Now, you can start thinking of creating an Android app with Dark Themes. Make your app more engaging by integrating this Dark Theme into your app. With Material Design Components and best-in-class design tools, the Android app design company will offer the ultimate solutions. The integration of Dark Themes does not raise your app development cost. However, you can create your app based on the latest features of the Android OS.
Author Bio:
Rushabh Patel is the Founder and CEO of Siddhi InfoSoft, a Android app development company focused on creating experiences that connect, perform & inspire. We believe in delivering perfect business solutions by adopting the latest.