Recently, it was reported that Google Drive for the web finally supports the long-awaited dark mode. Desktop She Web users will no doubt be thrilled that Google’s File Storage She app will no longer shine harsh white light into their eyes. Google has thankfully taken another app off its list, but there are still plenty of web apps that are desperately needed.
Google has been gradually adding dark mode support across its core apps. Over the years, products like Google Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Google News started offering dark mode options on both mobile and web. Research shows that due to the effects of strong white light on users and their eyes, many people are switching to dark mode to provide a low-light environment. I decided to use a third party he Chrome extension to avoid headaches and eye strain.
Now let’s take a look at five Google web apps that need dark mode support.
1 Google Docs
let me write in the dark
Among Google’s productivity and collaboration products, Google Docs is at the top of the list of tools that need dark mode on the web. All Google Docs pages are solid white, and there are very few gaps between pages. I spend a lot of his day writing and editing in Google Docs. After a full day of use, it’s easy to attribute eye strain and occasional headaches to a lack of a dark color palette.
It’s a little surprising that Google doesn’t support dark mode natively on the web. Microsoft Word has long offered its own dark mode feature. Some may wonder if this is a priority for Google since its direct competitors support dark mode. That being said, there are some unofficial ways to use dark mode within Google Docs. The first is a third-party Chrome extension. The other flag is experimental. Neither is entirely ideal, since if Google officially supports the feature, it would streamline the process of enabling or disabling dark mode on a whim.
2 google map
Please go in a darker and moodier direction.
Google Maps is also one of the company’s core products, but it lacks true dark mode support on the web. Google Maps has been offering a dark mode theme on Android devices since Android 10. iPhones and iPads also offer dark mode natively. It’s an unfortunate situation when a web user is once again faced with a strong blue light when looking for a new restaurant or directions.
I’ve grown to love the dark theme of Google Maps on mobile devices. Aesthetically, I like the way streets, landmarks, and pins stand out against dark backgrounds. The fonts are also cleaner and easier to read, in my opinion. Again, third-party Chrome extensions are available. However, it just inverts the color theme. I think it’s better than doing nothing, but it’s far from an ideal solution. The color palette probably looks bad. Also, the tabs and menus remain white, adding contrast during use.
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3 Google Meet
Teams calls are already a headache
Next up is Google Meet, which saw increased usage and adoption during and after the pandemic. Unfortunately, despite how popular the video conferencing platform is, Google hasn’t introduced a dark mode setting. So while we gathered for team meetings and virtual game nights, Google Meet illuminated our eyes with bright white light.
Not surprisingly, third-party developers are coming out with plugins that provide dark mode. Again, it works, but only sometimes. In my own experience, extensions sometimes fail to darken the page. In an era where Zoom and Microsoft Teams both support dark themes, this would be a glaring omission on Google’s part.
Four Google Sheets
Improved contrast in numerical processing
Another major example of Google’s workflow products omitting dark mode is Sheets. People who are forced to create, update, and maintain spreadsheets are forced to be exposed to all the harsh white light they have throughout the day. Like many other core Google apps, the company offers customization tools on his Android and iOS. However, Google Sheets is another neglected app on the web.
It’s easy to imagine how you can benefit from dark mode in Google Sheets. Like Google Docs, the spreadsheet page has nothing on it except harsh white light. By adding a darker palette, Google could help people who are struggling to crunch numbers with spreadsheets. What’s surprising is that there are no popular third-party Chrome extensions or software to add dark mode. Some people recommend using Chrome’s Experiments feature instead. However, it is far from convenient.
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Five Google Photos
Dark mode to make your photos pop
Google Photos may not be the most widely requested product for dark mode support. However, since it is an app that I often use to save photos, I will list it without permission. There are many other Google apps that support dark themes, so going back to white in Google Photos is frustrating. It’s probably just personal preference, but I think all photos look better on a dark background.
Currently, the only way to support dark mode in Google Photos is through the Night Eye app. Other Google apps may also be useful as it covers all web browsing. Unfortunately, it costs $9 per month.
A plea from a Google app user
It’s becoming increasingly common for users to adopt dark mode settings across their devices. Google continues to make progress toward support for many core apps. But the lack of attention to productivity apps is deafening. As someone who spends hours on Docs, Sheets, and Meets videos, I encourage Google to continue investing in dark mode options on the web.
