Google dark mode is coming to desktop – and you may already have it

Google is about to take a step further into the dark side, by implementing a dark mode setting on its desktop search page. If there's something we know for sure, it's that people (and vampires) love dark mode so this will go down a storm with the search engine's users (especially those who enjoy a late night Google).

In case you've been living purely in the light up until now, dark mode is a setting that turns an app or homepage from its usual colour profile into, you've guessed it, a dark version. Perfect for scrolling in low light situations, to alleviate eye strain or just for when you fancy a change, dark mode has become a staple function for many (including some of the best android apps and iPhone apps) – and Google's desktop version may be with you already. 

Google has started rolling out the test, which uses your display settings to turn your screen from white into a very dark grey (see above). It's only working for a limited number of users, but to see if you're one of them, try turning your display settings to 'night shift' on macOS and 'night light' on Windows. We're disappointed to report that it isn't yet working for us.

Unfortunately Google doesn't yet have firm details on when dark mode will be fully available, but given the stark whiteness of Google's desktop search page, it's one UI that will benefit hugely from the option to tone things down. 

According to the very lucky users sharing their screenshots on Twitter, on the search result page itself, the page names and links will be blue with the usually black text transformed to grey. Check it out below.

Though some reports indicate dark mode will automatically hit your screen when you're on night mode, according to some on Twitter, Google may ask you if you'd like to turn to dark mode with the following message. Be sure to look out for it.

You can already turn on dark mode on Google's apps, and use an extension to turn your Chrome browser dark, so this auto-detection on the desktop search page will be a nifty addition. We're looking forward to night-time Google sessions with eyes unblinded. 

Want to darken things up on your apps? Here's how to turn on Instagram's dark mode, and how to get dark mode working on Slack. And to learn a little more about inspirational UI, check out our ultimate UI design guide. 

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