How to Use Google Maps Dark Mode for Better Navigation

Using smart devices in dark mode is becoming more common nowadays. Dark Mode can save your eyes from blue light, resulting in sleep disorder or insomnia. Moreover, it does reduce the battery consumption of your device. With the advent of night mode, many applications started rolling out the dark mode option. Using apps at night time can affect your eyes, especially while driving. If you use Google Maps to get the directions, it is better to enable dark mode on it at night. The app itself includes a dark mode option. Besides this, Google is still working on adding a dark mode toggle to the application. Learn to use Google Maps dark mode by getting into the section below.

How to Turn On Dark Mode on Google Maps?

Google is rolling out dark mode gradually for every application to a specific region. As of now, Google Maps do have dark mode settings. But then, the limitation here is the app will embrace dark mode only on the navigation screen.

Moreover, turning the system-wide dark mode wouldn’t enable dark mode on Maps. You need to enable the dark mode from the Google Maps Settings. They started rolling out the Appearance settings on Google Maps, by which you can enable the night mode that can be used throughout the app.

Tip: Check out What is Dark Mode and how to use it.

Enable Google Maps Dark Mode using Navigation Settings

Follow the below steps to enable Dark mode on Google Maps. The following method applies to both Android and iOS applications.

On Android mobile, the apps will be preinstalled. On the iPhone, you need to install Google Maps first from the App Store.

Step 1: Navigate on the apps section to launch the Google Maps app. Tap the Profile icon on the top-right corner.

Step 2: Then choose Settings.

Step 3: On the next screen, scroll down. Then tap Navigation Settings.

Step 4: On the navigation Settings page, scroll down and choose Night under Map Display.

Step 5: Now go to the Map home page and start directions for any location. And you can find the navigations screen in dark mode.

Enable Dark Mode on Google Maps on PC

Now, enabling system-wide dark theme on PC has got no effect with Google Maps dark mode. But you can use Dark theme extensions in Google Chrome, which will enable the dark theme on Google Maps. The following steps work when you use Google Chrome Browser on Windows PC and Mac.

Step 1: From your Google Chrome browser, go to the Chrome Web Store.

Step 2: Search for any of the dark mode extensions. Few extensions include Moonrise Dark theme, The Black Cat, Dark Mode, etc.

Step 3: Add any of the extensions to your Chrome. You can find the extension icon on the right corner of the Address bar.

Step 4: Toggle the switch to enable the Dark Mode.

Step 5: Visit https://www.google.com/maps using the browser, and you will find the Google Maps site to appear in night view.

Bonus! Using Appearance Settings

The feature has not been rolled out fully. If your Google Maps app got this update, then you can use it. If not, you have to wait for a few more updates as it is still in the testing phase. For those who have got the update, you can enable the dark mode in the Appearance Settings.

Step 1: Open the Google Maps app. Tap the profile icon.

Step 2: Choose Settings. Then Appearance.

Step 3: There choose any of the following options.

• Light Theme – The map will embrace normal day mode.
• Dark Theme – This is what you have been looking for. Tap it to enable. so that the whole map will appear on night mode
• Default – By choosing this option, you let the app use the system settings. If you enable system-wide dark mode, then your maps will also work in a dark theme.

Related: How to use Chrome Dark Mode 

The setting will turn on the night mode that could be embraced by the Google Maps app fully.

We hope this article has better guided you. Let us hear your queries or feedback in the comment section below.