GoKawiilAndroid 17 is making its way to Tensor-powered Pixels, and Google has packed in plenty of new features. While app bubbles and Gemini enhancements are great, the company added some not-so-flashy improvements you can easily overlook.
Google has made improved customization a priority over the last year, adding settings to give you more control over the look of your phone. It’s also included fun icon packs and other ways to customize. Unfortunately, there was one glaring issue that needed to be addressed: dark mode.
Google has done that with Android 17. Here’s how you can make the most out of the improved expanded dark mode (and why you should).
What's your favorite new feature in Android 17? 1831 votes Multitasking app bubbles 32 % New screen recording UI 6 % Hide app names 17 % Expanded dark theme controls 13 % Temporary precise location access 5 % Split Wi-Fi/data quick settings toggles 11 % Satellite quick settings tile 9 % Assistant volume 7 %
How to use Android 17’s new dark mode setting
Stephen Radochia / Android Authority
Dark mode is nothing new on Android phones, but it’s always been a mixed bag. Supported apps look fine, but others stuck out like a sore thumb. There is nothing more jarring than using dark mode on your phone only to open up an app that makes you feel like you’re staring at the surface of the sun. Android 16 QPR2 introduced an expanded dark mode, but forcing a dark theme across all apps wasn’t an ideal solution.
If an app isn’t designed with a dark theme in mind, it may look terrible or not display properly at all. That’s the beauty of Android 17’s expanded dark mode. If there are one or two apps that you hate when they’re turned on, you can switch those apps off while leaving the rest unaffected. How does it work? Just follow these steps: Open the Settings app. Tap Display. Tap Dark theme. Ensure Expanded is selected. Tap the gear icon next to Expanded.
From here, you’ll see a list of all installed apps on your phone, allowing you to enable/disable expanded dark theme on a per-app basis. It works well enough, and it helps with continuity. After all, it’s hard to fully theme out your Pixel experience if certain apps aren’t playing nice with dark mode. It’s a much-needed improvement from Google, and I’m glad it’s a new Android 17 feature.
There are other benefits to dark mode
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