iPhone stuck in Dark Mode? 8 Ways to fix it!

Has your iPhone gotten itself stuck permanently in dark mode? No matter what settings you try to change, it stubbornly remains in that black and gray dark theme. This can be super frustrating when you're trying to use your iPhone in bright daylight or low light conditions. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to coax your iPhone out of dark mode and get it back to the normal light theme we're all familiar with. In this article, we'll go through 8 methods to try to fix an unresponsive iPhone that is stuck displaying dark mode.

1. Check App Compatibility with Light Mode

Before assuming your iPhone is stuck, first check if the app you are using actually supports a light-color theme. Certain apps like Spotify, Netflix, and the default iPhone Stocks app so far only have a dark mode look. So switching your overall iPhone settings won't change the appearance of those apps.

Open up a variety of different apps and note if any lack a light mode option in their settings. If the app doesn't support light mode, that app will remain dark no matter what. But that doesn't necessarily mean your iPhone itself is stuck in dark mode.

2. Toggle Dark Mode Via Control Center

If you can't turn off dark mode in Settings, try using the Control Center instead. Here's how:

• Open Control Center and press and hold the brightness slider until you feel a haptic buzz.

• This will reveal additional options, including a Dark Mode toggle in the bottom left corner.

• Tap the Dark Mode toggle to turn it off which should switch your iPhone back to light mode.

3. Restart the iPhone

A simple restart is often all you need to clear up minor software glitches like an iPhone sticking in dark mode. Here's how to restart your iPhone:

Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button concurrently. Don't let go until the Apple logo pops up.

Give your iPhone a minute or two, after turning your device back on, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo. A restart clears out any memory issues and resets the current software state.

4. Check Display Accommodations Settings

It's possible your dark mode problem is being triggered by a display setting enabled in your Accessibility settings. Here's how to fix:

1. Open the Settings app and tap on Accessibility.

2. Select Display & Text Size.

3. Turn off the Smart Invert and Classic Invert toggles.

4. Returning these settings back to their defaults may fix the dark mode glitch.

5. Update iOS

Updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version can often resolve bugs that are causing issues like being stuck in dark mode. Here's how to update:

1. Go to Settings > General.

2. Tap on Software Update.

3. Your iPhone will check for available updates. Install any iOS update shown.

Apple is frequently updating iOS to fix bugs, so installing the newest update could address the dark mode problem.

6. Check Third-Party Apps

Some third-party apps from the App Store have options to enable dark mode or other appearance themes. Check the settings of any apps you've downloaded and turn off dark mode in the individual apps if the option exists.

For example, Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest, and other apps have their own dark mode settings. Toggle them off to see if that fixes the system-wide dark mode problem.

7. Unlink Dark Mode from Focus Filters

If dark mode only happens in certain Focus modes, unlink the dark mode filter:

1. Go to Settings > Focus and select the Focus mode.

2. Under Focus Filters, tap Dark Mode and toggle off Enabled or delete the filter.

3. Repeat for any other Focus modes that enable dark mode.

8. Factory Reset iPhone

The nuclear option is to completely erase and reset your iPhone back to factory default settings. This will definitely fix any lingering software issues causing the dark mode problem.

Before resetting, make sure to backup your iPhone to iCloud or iTunes so you don't lose data. Then do the factory reset:

1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone.

2. Scroll down and choose Reset.

3. On the Reset screen, select Reset All Settings.

4. Enter your passcode if prompted.

5. Tap Reset All Settings to confirm and reset your iPhone settings back to factory default.

Once your iPhone finishes resetting, you can then restore from your iCloud or iTunes backup to get your data back.

Resetting your iPhone back to factory settings should get it out of any stuck dark mode, but it also erases everything so try other troubleshooting steps first.

Conclusion

We hope these suggestions help get your iPhone out of persistently being stuck in dark mode. First, check for app compatibility issues, and try toggling dark mode off through Control Center. Restart your iPhone, verify accessibility settings, update iOS, and uninstall problematic apps. As a last resort, a full factory reset should definitely unstick any iPhone stubbornly staying in dark mode. With some trial and error, you should be able to get your iPhone back to the normal light theme that works best for your needs.