App Appearance is a new setting within the Snapchat app and one that’s directly tied to the ability to enable dark mode. For those interested in using a dark theme on Snapchat, understanding where the App Appearance setting is located and how to switch themes is crucial. Likewise, so is understanding why App Appearance is not automatically available to everyone with the Snapchat app downloaded on a smartphone.

Dark mode has become increasingly popular in recent years with a number of high profile apps having been updated with the feature. In fact, mobile operating systems as a whole also now tend to offer more of a system-wide ability to darken the theme and benefit from the health and battery-related benefits that are on offer. Still, the ability within an app to turn on dark mode will typically result in a more polished experience, and this includes Snapchat.

Related: How To Turn On WhatsApp Dark Mode On Android and iOS

To activate dark mode on Snapchat, the user needs to locate the App Appearance section of the settings. To do this, open the Snapchat app and tap on the profile icon in the top left corner of the screen and then on the Settings (cog) icon in the top right corner. This will open a long list of settings options, but the App Appearance tab will be displayed at the bottom of the My Account section. Click on App Appearance to open a secondary menu and choose between either Match System, Always Light and Always Dark. Always Light is enabled by default and is the normal Snapchat theme. Switching to Always Dark will permanently enable dark mode while switching to Match System will defer the theme decision to whichever theme preference is decided at the operating system level.

Why App Appearance Is Missing

Snapchat dark theme

Although the App Appearance section is easy enough to find within the Snapchat settings menu, not everyone will have access to it. As Snapchat has only rolled out dark mode under a testing status, the service is controlling how many have access to the feature. For example, preference has so far been given to iPhone users, and those based in the United States and Australia. Essentially, if App Appearance is not displayed under the My Account section of the settings, then it is likely the user is not currently eligible to access dark mode.

One point to be aware of is app updates. Just like any other app, Snapchat routinely rolls out updates to the app, adding features and fixing bugs in the process. To ensure a device is ready to receive dark mode when eligible, it is important to make sure the app is up to date. Users can check whether there are any outstanding updates for Snapchat by searching for the app in their app store.

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Source: Snapchat