Pokémon GO has grown massively since its launch in 2016, gaining over 166 million users in 2020 according to stats published by Business of Apps. That’s a lot of users! And while Niantic make regular updates to the game, adding new mechanics, UI improvements and fixing bugs — they’re a bit of a Slowpoke when it comes to creating a dark mode.

Why we need a dark mode in Pokémon GO?

Dark mode made its debut on iOS and Android in 2019. As a general feature, the benefits are twofold. Firstly, it saves power on OLED screens, since dark pixels produce less light or can be switched off. Secondly, it’s much easier on your eyes when using in the dark.

Despite this, many mobile apps have taken a long period of time to gain a dark mode. Realistically, from a development perspective, work will be prioritised based on what will be most profitable, i.e. in-game events and new game mechanics, as well as general bug fixes and minor UI improvements.

But spending time on creating dark modes shouldn’t be underestimated. Anything that makes your apps more usable would be very well received by users — who may even use the app more as a direct result.

Since I love the game myself, I’ve been dreaming of a dark mode in Pokémon GO for some time. So here are some mockups of what we could expect based on existing screenshots. I think it’s a big improvement and look forward to see what Niantic comes up with. Hopefully very soon!

Pokemon GO Dark Mode Concept
Pokémon GO dark mode concept