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Facebook Messenger on iOS testing hidden Dark Mode interface, here’s how to enable it

As iOS 13 is rumored to add long-awaited system-wide Dark Mode, Facebook is seemingly testing a dark interface for its Messenger app. As spotted by a user on Reddit, there’s a hidden way to enable Dark Mode in the Facebook Messenger app. Here’s how to do it.

There’s no setting of any sort for Dark Mode in Messenger by default. Instead, what you have to do is go to a chat thread, and send the person the 🌙 (moon) emoji. You can send it to someone else or directly to yourself.

Once you’ve sent the moon emoji, tap on it in the thread and a message should appear saying that “you found Dark Mode!” If tapping on the emoji doesn’t present such a message, you might have to force quit Facebook Messenger, then tap the emoji again to see the Dark Mode message.

From there, you can head into Facebook Messenger settings and toggle the Dark Mode switch to enable the new interface. Facebook Messenger’s Dark Mode is a true black interface, unlike some dark mode designs that are a dark gray. This means it looks pretty nice on the iPhone X/XS’s OLED display.

Bloomberg reported earlier this year that iOS 13 will add long-awaited support for a system-wide Dark Mode. While macOS Mojave added Dark Mode last year, iOS has been left out. As we inch closer to WWDC and the September public release of iOS 13, however, we should expect to see even more apps start testing Dark Mode.

Are you excited for iOS 13 to add Dark Mode or do you not think it’s worth the hype? Let us know down in the comments.

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com