How to automatically switch your iPhone from light to dark theme

The most noticeable new feature with iOS 13 has been its dark theme, which paints a darker hue across the interface and in many apps. It’s a stark difference from the bright white screens that have dominated iOS for years and it’s something that people have been wanting for a long time.

You can toggle between the themes manually through Control Center or by diving into the Settings app each time you want to change it, but thankfully Apple has provided a way for the phone to automatically switch between light and dark depending on the time of day or sunset and sunrise cycles. This way, you can have a lighter theme during the day when you’re in brightly lit areas and then an easier-on-the-eyes dark theme for the evening and night time use.

Setting up automatic switching is easy, though Apple doesn’t prompt you to do it when you first install iOS 13 or set up a new phone. Here’s how to get your iPhone to automatically change themes:

• Make sure your device is running iOS 13 or later (Settings > General > Software update on an iPhone 6S, iPad Air 2, or newer)
• Open the Settings app and navigate to Display & Brightness
• Toggle the Automatic setting under Appearance
• Tap the Options button to set the Appearance Schedule
• Choose either Sunset to Sunrise, which uses your phone’s location to change between light and dark appearance when the sun goes down, or set your own custom schedule
• That’s it, now your phone will automatically switch its appearance based on your schedule or the solar cycles.