Facebook releases test version dark mode for Messenger

Facebook has quietly released a test version of the dark mode for Messenger. To use the feature, users have to send a crescent emoji to another. The function does not yet work in all menus.

That writes reddit user FusionxGamerz. To activate the feature, users must send a crescent emoji in a chat and press the moon. A pop-up message will appear indicating that the user has found ‘dark mode’. After that, there will be an option in the settings to switch the mode on or off.

Some users do note that the process is not completely smooth. For example, the app sometimes has to restart before pressing the moon message does anything. The feature works on both Android and iOS, though some Reddit users say they don’t get the option. According to Android Police, there are certain menus where the night mode does not work.

Dark mode was announced at Facebook’s developer conference last year. The feature is especially useful for phones with OLED screens. To display black, those pixels go out, which saves energy. In addition, there is also a group of people who prefer to watch, for example when it is dark at night.

End of last year noted twitter user Jane Manchun Wongong that the option was released in ‘some countries’. The feature now appears to be available worldwide. At the time, Wong showed a collage of what the function looks like.

Jane Manchun Wong’s collage, taken in October 2018