So in your app’s ‘resources’ folder, create a file named attrs.xml and add these lines ( these are styleable attributes): This is much better than including two sets of resources in your APK for two different themes, and thus bloating your APK size, as Android can natively change colors on attributes through this XML. If you’d like to easily add a toggleable dark mode to your Android app, follow this Appuals guide and comment if you run into any issues! Creating the XML Attributesįirst you need to create an XML attributes file that will handle the theming. Thus, a dark background with lighter text is much less stressful and harmful to the eyes, which is why many popular apps have started including a dark theme – YouTube and Reddit most recently, although Facebook still hasn’t published theirs after promising one back in May. A white background on black text, or any combination of ‘bright’ colors in your UI, is really stressful on the eyes, particularly at night.

In that guide we briefly mentioned adding a dark / night mode theme to your apps, and in this guide we will walk you through it.Īdding a dark / night mode theme to your app can be a great option for your users – it saves battery life, and is much easier on the eyes at night. That’s why we wrote the guide “How to Design an Android App UI That Doesn’t Suck”, for developers who need some inspiration in creating simple yet appealing UIs. For developers, creating an Android app is an easy process – designing an appealing UI is what’s actually difficult.

Android studio theme appcompat