Do you offer a dark and light mode?

[Shawn Gossman]

I offer the default feature that XenForo has added. I use PixilExit themes, so they have a good setup on their themes for members to choose from.

For my two vBulletin forums, I have to have two different themes. I need to see if anyone has suggested a light/dark theme feature on VB6 yet. I feel like that's a feature they would be quick to implement.

I used to be strictly light themes, but it seems like people are choosing themes that are so light that I can hardly find buttons and text areas, LOL.

So, I switch to dark a lot of times.

Probably a sign of the times - that my eyes are old.

 

[Cory]

Userway is the most popular

Pretty awesome tool, but I think it was a different site. I'm not really sure, I just recall the icon being different.

 

[Bawse]

My forum started with a dark theme, and we transitioned to a light theme. Lighter themes are easier on the eyes.

 

[Arantor]

My forum started with a dark theme, and we transitioned to a light theme. Lighter themes are easier on the eyes.

I think that’s actually highly subjective and depends a lot on what device you’re using as well as whether your device is set to light/dark and/or you have natural tone shifting enabled or not, and also what time of day you’re visiting.

I definitely do not want to be looking at a lighter theme first thing in the morning or late at night.

 

[Bawse]

I think that’s actually highly subjective.

I think majority of users prefer a lighter theme. I don't have a dark theme available because I have additional pages with HTML that only work for lighter themes.

Obviously having a option between a light and dark theme would be a better solution.

 

[Cory]

I think majority of users prefer a lighter theme.

I've always tended to use light modes more than dark modes, but everyone is different: https://forms.app/en/blog/dark-mode-statistics

 

[CTS]

Thank you for that link @Cory

The numbers speak volumes and is interesting.

 

[Arantor]

Do also note that Windows 10 doesn’t support dark mode “system default” behaviour but Windows 11 does, so the numbers will under-report.

But all the programmer types have long since known that darker screens reduce eye strain - it’s something of a meme that we all gravitate by default to dark looks in editors, but it’s backed up by reality, because we spend so many hours staring at our screens.