# Dark mode override **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature Proposal\ **Tags:** ios\ **Created:** [June 30, 2025, 12:24pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865 "2025-06-30T12:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/fdms/32/2644_2.png) [@FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/u/FDMS)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 12:24pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865/1 "2025-06-30T12:24:59Z")
My highly subjective opinion is that DC on iOS looks great in light mode, but the colors feel somewhat off in dark mode – either way, I strongly prefer to read messages in light mode despite my OS being set to dark mode. A system setting override for dark/light mode (i.e. ‘Theme’ settings ‘Follow system settings’, ‘Light mode’, ‘Dark mode’) would be greatly appreciated 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/r10s/32/1513_2.png) [@r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/u/r10s)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 1:05pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865/2 "2025-06-30T13:05:54Z")
hm, not sure. in general, we are not up to add many options, esp. ones that are a bit nerdy or special. options come at high costs over time, even though they are usually cheap to add. therefore, we only add options that have a high impact for a large number of users, i do not see that there. afaik, esp. on iOS it is very usual to follow system settings here. anyways, if one wants the dark mode for _all_ apps _but_ Delta Chat, as the colors “feel off” there, the fix seems to improve that part, and not to add an option. maybe you can make concrete suggestions, and compare with whatsapp/telegram/signal ? ---
**Author:** ![FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/fdms/32/2644_2.png) [@FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/u/FDMS)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 1:16pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865/3 "2025-06-30T13:16:30Z")
I understand the settings creep concern but tbh it didn’t feel that nerdy of an option to me, eg my bank’s app has exactly two appearance settings with one of them being system/light/dark mode (Signal has it as one of its quite few appearance settings too – all anectotal “evidence”, I know, lots of other apps indeed don’t have such a setting). That being said, I love how native the app feels (and not just is) in terms of the overall UI, except for the chats themselves (that’s the only place where imo the colors feel off) – maybe the message bubble colors there could adopt the default blue from the rest of the DC UI (and e.g. SMS in iOS)? (But I guess that’s a different feature request from the dark mode setting) ---
**Author:** ![FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/fdms/32/2644_2.png) [@FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/u/FDMS)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865/4 "2025-06-30T13:18:37Z")
(And that being said I do have lots of other minor UI tweak suggestions, if you want to hear them please let me know the best place to put them) ---
**Author:** ![r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/r10s/32/1513_2.png) [@r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/u/r10s)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 1:24pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865/5 "2025-06-30T13:24:34Z")
you can post them here - i cannot promise to target them, it needs to fit to overall considerations and resources we have, however, i definitely will have have a look at them - in practise, we actually love hear from users - and also iterate, eg [A few small changes to make DC-iOS better](https://support.delta.chat/t/a-few-small-changes-to-make-dc-ios-better/3675) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/fdms/32/2644_2.png) [@FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/u/FDMS)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 1:47pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865/6 "2025-06-30T13:47:46Z")
Okay here goes 🙂 - Decrease overall message padding (within and around messages) to fit more messages on a screen - Ideally abbreviate time since message sent (e.g. “44m” instead of “44 min”, like in Signal) and put lock, time and read indicator in the last row (not a seperate one) of a message (like in WhatsApp) - Slightly decrease message font size and decrease read indicator size - Slightly decrease message compose bar height and increase its rounding (like in iOS Messages and WhatsApp) - Vertically center “Message” placeholder inside the message compose bar - Consider replacing the inactive send message button by a voice message button until a character has been typed into the message compose bar (like in iOS Messages and WhatsApp) - Video Chat and Voice Message don’t feel like they belong where they are in the attachment menu, either seperate them visually or better yet move the voice message button as described above and move video chat to the top bar (like in WhatsApp and Signal) - Increase padding for “You sent a video chat invitation” - Make received message bubble backgrounds grey instead of black (also so as to support plain black wallpapers) and sent messages iOS blue (like in iOS Messages and Signal) - Offer alternative default wallpapers that go well with the message bubble colors (static colors) ---
**Author:** ![FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/fdms/32/2644_2.png) [@FDMS](https://forum.delta.chat/u/FDMS)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865/7 "2025-07-02T19:09:42Z")
Regarding dark mode override, the suggested voice message / send message button behavior and the offer alternative default wallpapers suggestion, it would be cool and consistent if DC iOS just matched DC desktop which already has both 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/r10s/32/1513_2.png) [@r10s](https://forum.delta.chat/u/r10s)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2026, 3:19pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/dark-mode-override/3865/8 "2026-10-06T15:19:29Z")