Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. This popular saying is clear evidence of people’s reverence for light.
But that is not the case anymore, and this dark mode usage statistics will show you why.
How many people use dark mode? Why do people use it?
And which counties have the highest number of top companies optimizing the benefits of dark mode? Let’s find out.
Key Statistics
- Today, more than 80% people use their devices in dark mode
- The term “dark mode” did not gain traction on Google Trends until October 2019
- Between 91% to 95% of all device users say they prefer dark mode over light mode
- Twitter is believed to have spearheaded the dark mode trend after offering it to its users seven years ago
- One in three Americans suffer from astigmatism, and dark mode’s alleged health benefits are a top reason why people turn to this default
- 283 top companies in the United States optimize dark themes in their UX design
- 70% of software engineers globally say they prefer coding on dark mode as it is easier for prolonged work period
Dark Mode Usage Statistics 2024
According to the latest dark mode usage statistics, there are currently more than 80% of device users, using their devices in dark mode.
This number speaks so much of the popularity of dark themes which was nearly nonexistent just a decade ago.
Today, people say they prefer browsing in dark mode due to a number of reasons such as increasing focus, protecting vision, and simply being cool.
Dark Mode on Google Trends
Since January 2014, Google Trends data shows that search interest in “dark mode” was nearly flat.
Dark mode usage statistics would not be a mainstream discussion until October 2019.
It was not until this time that the number of searches for the term on popular search engine sites suddenly hit 100% as people took interest in a new trend.
Today, between 91% to 95% of survey participants evaluating people’s preference between light and dark mode say they prefer the latter due to productivity, health, and trend reasons.
A Look at Dark Mode Rise to Fame
Not known to many, dark mode was the first default among devices long before light mode came into the picture.
The first computers were created in monochromatic themes given that only a black-and-white picture mode was available during that time.
But the real popularity of dark mode is attributed to Twitter way back in 2016.
The social media giant was the first to offer dark themes into its platform, not knowing this will spark a new trend of dark themes in the UX industry.
After Twitter’s lead, other companies started realizing the importance of this screen default and began offering this service to their users.
Reasons Why People Love Dark Mode
Dark mode usage statistics are on the rise and there are many reasons why people jump into this trend.
Some of these we will discuss below.
Alleged Health Benefits
According to eye health statistics released by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, more than 34 million Americans, aged 40 and older are diagnosed with myopia or nearsightedness.
Moreover, 14.2 million in the same age bracket have hyperopia, commonly known as farsightedness.
Astigmatism, which is a refractive error affecting one and three people in the country, is a growing concern.
It is a combination of near and farsightedness and causes blurry vision, with the cornea not being perfectly rounded as it should be.
Millions of people worldwide are concerned about their eye health.
And many scientific studies claim, but have not proven, say dark themes can help decrease comparison to bright themes.
It’s the Trend!
Nobody wants to be left out, especially in the 21st century where platforms like Twitter, glorify trends.
The dark mode is the new king in the street and there is no question about that.
People who are not optimizing their browsing mode in this setting, are sometimes laughed at by their peers.
It Allows Longer Screen Time Without Feeling Guilty
Dark mode is the greatest fallacy in history.
It allegedly protects the eyes from damage, but using it allows users to surf comfortably without feeling guilty because yes it’s on “safe” mode.
According to Axigen, 70% of software engineers say coding in dark mode is easier for their eyes for prolonged periods of coding, making their workload easier.
Dark Mode Usage Per County
Here is a look at how many of the top-performing sites in a country optimize ark mode in their UX design.
- United States – there are currently 283 websites optimizing dark themes on their UX design
- Switzerland – there are currently 24 websites optimizing dark themes on their UX design
- Germany – there are currently 11 websites optimizing dark themes on their UX design
- Japan – there are currently 7 websites optimizing dark themes on their UX design
- Australia – there are currently 5 websites optimizing dark themes on their UX design
- Russia – there are currently 5 websites optimizing dark themes on their UX design
Conclusion
The latest dark mode usage statistics show a growing interest in this kind of theme among internet users.
This is expected to carry on in 2023 as more people jump on the trend for varied reasons, such as protecting eye health, increasing focus, and jumping on the trend.