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OS X 10.11 System-wide Dark Mode?

redheeler

redheeler

macrumors G3
Original poster
Oct 17, 2014
8,745
9,472
Colorado, USA
The current Yosemite implementation of dark mode for just the menu bar and dock seems incomplete and doesn't match the rest of the UI very well. Does anyone think 10.11 will come with a system-wide dark mode, and if so what apps will it be compatible with?
 
I'd really like to see this. Right now, I don't use Dark Mode because it only changes the menu bar and dock, while everything else stays white. It just looks really weird seeing the menu bar and dock dark, while safari, messages, etc. are all white. Doesn't mix well.
 
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Screen capture from QuickTime showing actual Dark Mode. The text non-retina MBP.

JJXFTkD.png
 
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Two things I would really like UI-wise for 10.11

▹ Ability to have dark menu bar and light dock combination, or dark dock and light menu bar. Honestly the former as I use dark mode primarily for the menu bar / bezel with MBP and the light dock looks fresh.

▹ The ability finally to customize the Close-Minimize-Zoom buttons to any color of my choosing, instead of blue/multicolor and gray.​

With my iMac G4 OS X 10.4.11 (that I still have) I had ShapeShifter by Unsanity and it was literally simple to use the color I chose. I know there is Flavors for full customization but for color of Appearance buttons and Close-Minimize-Zoom Apple should really provide the ability for us in Preferences.

Highlight is color wheel customizable; Appearance should be, too.

JVVGv2Z.png

​
 
Last edited:
Jess13 said:
Screen capture from QuickTime showing actual Dark Mode. The text non-retina MBP.

JJXFTkD.png
Click to expand...

QuickTime X has always had a dark theme to it. Even without dark mode unable it should still look like that. Just like iMovie. I think it looks really good though. Apple needs to implement it system wide.
 
iamMacPerson said:
QuickTime X has always had a dark theme to it. Even without dark mode unable it should still look like that. Just like iMovie. I think it looks really good though. Apple needs to implement it system wide.
Click to expand...

I don't have any other broken QuickTime file to try this error with light mode. It is possible you're correct, but I had dark mode enabled and pre-Yosemite error box was white. I agree with you, Apple system-wide!
 
April Knight said:
I'd really like to see this. Right now, I don't use Dark Mode because it only changes the menu bar and dock, while everything else stays white. It just looks really weird seeing the menu bar and dock dark, while safari, messages, etc. are all white. Doesn't mix well.
Click to expand...
Current dark mode is specially prepared for developers because developer tools have already implemented dark mode on the interface.
For normal user, this is fairly not enough.
 
I like dark mode not just aesthetically, but it help increase contrast and usability in some places (white menubar translucency on a dark background leads to black text on a murky grey background.).

I'd like to see it implemented for app UIs like in Finder and Safari.
 
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Shirasaki said:
Current dark mode is specially prepared for developers because developer tools have already implemented dark mode on the interface.
For normal user, this is fairly not enough.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. "Pro" tools already utilize dark UIs: Photoshop, Lightroom, Final Cut, and even Photos' edit mode! Everything went white with iOS 7 and while I don't necessarily hate it, I do wish I had a better option. Running Yosemite in a dark room can be shocking. :)

Still, it's a trend. Look at the latest versions of Office and IE (Edge browser.)
 
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Traverse said:
I agree with this. "Pro" tools already utilize dark UIs: Photoshop, Lightroom, Final Cut, and even Photos' edit mode! Everything went white with iOS 7 and while I don't necessarily hate it, I do wish I had a better option. Running Yosemite in a dark room can be shocking. :)

Still, it's a trend. Look at the latest versions of Office and IE (Edge browser.)
Click to expand...
Even office 2013 is implemented dark theme as well.
IOS 7 prior uses a not so bright theme throughout the system.
IOS 7 brings a much brighter theme, overall theme.
To be honest, I think a darker theme could help saving our eyes from being hurt.
I of course can use both invert color and grey scale to achieve system wide dark mode, but this is not a good idea.
 
I don't think dark mode is incom
redheeler said:
The current Yosemite implementation of dark mode for just the menu bar and dock seems incomplete and doesn't match the rest of the UI very well. Does anyone think 10.11 will come with a system-wide dark mode, and if so what apps will it be compatible with?
Click to expand...

It's not just on the dock and menu bar. It's also on spotlight, cmd/tab switching between apps, and maybe another i forget right now.

The only thing I'd like to see added is a dark right click menu like the one is Photos edit mode.

I don't see why every app needs to be dark, that would just be overkill. No one ever complains that the dark UI from apps like iTunes doesn't match the normal white menu bar and dock...
 
Or use the better version of Atom: Visual Studio Code. Most of those programmer editors and IDEs have both light and dark themes. Not all of them have it throughout the interface like Atom, VS Code and PyCharm have (to give some examples). A good example of an IDE that only comes with a dark theme for the code is Xcode. Since code is what you are looking at the most of the time in those tools that's fine. I don't think that's the point the OP is trying to make. Currently dark mode in OS X is only done for a few components and thus not true dark mode. It would be nicer if it did something like Ubuntu does (it has both a dark and a light theme): apply it to the entire interface (and thus all widgets aka window borders). It's not so much about the content but about what's around that content.
 
I've been running the dark mode since day 1, just because I like the black color a lot more. And yes, we definitely need a system-wide dark mode. I was surprised when I found out only the menu bar and the dock got black yet every app stayed the same white.
 
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Jess13 said:
Yes, that isn't dark mode, though. It is similar to any other App with dark UI. I had thought you meant there is dark mode for Finder, etc. :)
Click to expand...
Oh, sorry. That was my fault not specified what that mode was. Maybe in my eyes, dark theme was another type of dark mode. Well.......
Currently there is no dark mode across the system. We may use invert color and grey scale to simulate a dark mode, but that would lose all colours.
I also want a dark mode to reduce the potential hurt of my eyes when using phone in dark environment.
 
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I like the suggestion for a system-wide dark mode. Right now I think dark mode contrasts too much with the white everywhere else for it to be pleasing on the eye. OS X is beautifully designed, I don't think the current dark mode does it justice.
 
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redheeler said:
Well, it appears we won't get a system-wide dark mode in 10.11. Disappointing, I was really hoping for this :(
Click to expand...

Dark mode aside, the widely reported system-wide font switch from Helvetica Neue to San Francisco - I don't see any sign of it...
 
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