Many people enjoy using dark mode options in software to save their eyes from strain. Unfortunately, even if you tell Windows 10 to use dark mode, this doesn’t “transfer over” to other software. This means you’re always blinded by new software while you desperately hunt for the dark mode toggle!
If you dislike having to turn dark mode on and off in every program you use, Chrome may soon make that a thing of the past. While it’s not on the main browser update branch as of yet, an exciting update has hit Chrome’s beta branch. This update allows Chrome to look at what the dark mode settings of Windows 10 are and replicates them as closely as possible within the browser itself.
What the Update Does
The update shows off a new feature that Google hopes to integrate further with Chrome in the future. Chrome will soon have the ability to monitor whether the user has dark mode enabled in Windows 10 or not. If it sees that the user has activated dark mode, it automatically activates its dark mode to save the user’s eyes.
This toggle is also done on the fly, meaning it’s not something that only happens when you boot up Chrome for the first time that day. It will continuously monitor Windows’s settings and update itself whenever it detects the parameter has changed. This feature makes it very useful for people who like to flit between the two modes throughout the day.
What this Might Mean for the Future
This new feature in Chrome seems very promising. Something as small as a toggleable dark mode may seem trivial now, but the implications of having a browser obeying the wishes of the operating system are quite significant. If a browser obeys the operating system’s settings, it allows for users to establish a universal ruleset in the OS which the browser uses.
For example, imagine if someone didn’t want their location shown to any websites. They can tell the operating system that they don’t want it to use its location services. Then, when Chrome is used, the browser hears the operating system’s request not to trace the user’s location. Not only will Chrome stop asking you if you want to show your location to a site, but it will also inform the websites the user visits that they don’t want their location shown.
This could be the start of a browsing experience that better adapts to the user that’s using it. Instead of manually setting up options in Chrome to mirror your operating system, enable it in the OS and let Chrome do the rest!
While the future of an OS-abiding browser seems bright, this update will only start Chrome off with the simple dark mode feature. It’s still in beta for the time being, but Google hopes to roll out this Chrome update on the main branch by April 23rd.
The Dark Ages
If you prefer darker tones in your software, Chrome aims to make your life a little easier. By respecting the operating system’s dark mode setting, Chrome will adjust itself to match what you’ve set in Windows 10. What’s more, it can be done on the fly to adapt to the OS’s settings in real time.
Do you think this is the start of software respecting the operating system’s settings? Let us know below.
Simon Batt is a Computer Science graduate with a passion for cybersecurity.
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