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Google Contacts 3.2 adds dark theme, respects system Night mode in Android Pie

Following last week’s encouragement that apps adopt dark themes to conserve battery life, Google Contacts is the latest Android client to gain one. In recent weeks, the company has been updating its communication apps, with Google Phone’s dark look already announced and in-development.

Google Contacts 3.2 is rolling out this evening with a switch accessible in the navigation drawer. A force close after updating might be required before “Turn dark theme on” appears just above Settings.

Notably, on a Pixel device running Android 9 Pie, the app is aware if the “Dark theme in device Settings is on.” This is not referring to the “Device theme” in Display settings for the Pixel Launcher, but rather the Developer option to “Set Night mode” to Automatic, Always off, or Always on. If the latter is enabled, users cannot turn off the theme in Google Contacts, with it applied automatically at launch.

In Messages, Google refers to the look as a “dark mode,” with Google Phone release notes also referring to it in a similar manner. Despite the inconsistency, it is the same dark gray hue for the background, rather than an AMOLED black.

Messages and Google Contacts are thematically — and functionally — similar, with the same shade of blue adopted for UI elements like the FAB and as a color accent. This theme is applied everywhere from the main contacts list, Create contact screen, Settings, and search.

A dark mode for Google Phone is coming with our APK Insight noting that the darker look might be synced between the dialer and Contacts app.

Google Contacts 3.2 is rolling out now via the Play Store. Be sure to check our full rundown of all dark modes across Google’s applications on both Android and the web.


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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com