This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
Google has finally started rolling out dark mode in the Gmail app on Android 10, a feature that was teased along with other Google apps on the Android website when the operating system launched on September 3.
According to XDADevelopers, Reddit users were among the first to note that the app had been changed via a server-side update.
The dark theme is now available in the latest version of the Gmail app, version 2019.08.18.267044774, which is required for the feature and is now widely available via the Play Store.
The dark theme in Gmail features a dark grey background and navigation drawer, with a red accent color used to note the inbox being viewed. Other elements, such as the search bar, use a lighter shade of grey to provide a better visual distinction.
Avatars, labels, and other colors in the inbox view have been tweaked to be less bright and more muted, with a similar treatment applied to all icons and buttons throughout the Android app.
The dark theme also extends to the compose screen and messages, although the body of an email uses white text, making signatures harder to see.
With the release of Android 10, Google had planned to put up dark mode options for its first-party apps, although some features like Gmail and the Google Play Store weren't ready in time for the operating system's launch.
Android 10 will make its way to other Android phones besides the Google Pixel later this year, and the system-wide dark mode will also be available on iOS devices with the release of iOS 13, which is expected to bring a system-wide dark mode to iOS devices.
