You Can Get Dark Mode On Instagram With Android 9 With These Easy Steps

As Android 10 slowly rolls out to new devices, many Android users are still waiting. When it comes to cool features like Dark Mode, there's actually a loophole available to those who have Android 9 Pie. Here's how to get Instagram Dark Mode with Android 9, so you can finally enjoy nighttime scrolling.

TBH, the ins and outs of Android 10 phone updates can be a bit confusing. While iPhone's iOS 13 update rolled out in one fell swoop on iPhone 6S and above last fall, Android 10's roll out has been slower. And those waiting on the update have been missing out on features like Dark Mode for Instagram. However, some phones with Android 9 have been using the 9 Pie update for quite a while now, which actually offers a feature that is comparable to Dark Mode. Since all phone models and carriers receive these phone updates at different times of the year, it's possible you've missed some of the new features. Fortunately, the Dark Mode feature, called "Night Mode" on Android 9 Pie, is easy enough to use and does work with several social media apps.

It works really well with Instagram, and does look similar to iOS 13's Dark Mode. There is no way to toggle the feature on and off within the Instagram app, though, so you'll need to follow the steps below to get it.

How to get Instagram Dark Mode with Android 9.

1. Make sure your phone has the latest version of Android 9. Do this by going to Settings > Software Update > Check for updates. This step ensures you haven't missed anything.
2. Next, go to your Settings > Display > Night Mode > Toggle On.
3. Close Settings and open your Instagram app.
4. You should see Dark Mode on Instagram, instead of the usual white background.

When you open Instagram, you should see a similar Dark theme like you'd see with Apple's Dark Mode:

You can also choose to toggle Night Mode on and off through the Quick Settings pull down menu. To do so, just swipe down for Quick Settings and look through the options. Night Mode shows up with a half-moon icon.

There's also an option to schedule your Night Mode with an automatic start time and end time:

The Dark Mode feature doesn't work with every app, as there are still limitations to Android 9's Night Mode. However, it does work with Instagram, Kik, Messenger, Twitter, and WhatsApp. Some of these have the ability to toggle Dark Mode on and off within the app, so if it is still appearing with a white screen, check the settings first before giving up.

Although Night Mode isn't quite Dark Mode across the board — lots of things still appear with a white screen — this version for Android 9 will definitely make scrolling through Instagram easier at night.