What Is Force Light Mode?
Force Light Mode gives your team more control over how emails display in supported apps when a recipient’s device is using Dark Mode.
When the feature is turned on, Knak adds an instruction to the email that tells supported apps to keep the message area in Light Mode instead of automatically changing its colours.
This can help to:
Prevent unexpected colour changes
Reduce contrast and readability issues caused by automatic Dark Mode transformations
Make email rendering more predictable
Note: Force Light Mode does not create a custom Dark Mode design. It tells supported apps to display the email’s Light Mode design.
Supported Apps
Force Light Mode prevents supported email apps from automatically changing an email’s colors when a recipient’s device is using Dark Mode.
It applies to:
Gmail for iOS when viewing a Google account
Gmail for Android when viewing a Google account
Apple Mail and iOS Mail when custom Dark Mode styles have not been added using Knak’s Dark Mode Editing controls
When Force Light Mode is on, the email app’s interface can remain dark while the message area displays the intended Light Mode design.
Apple Mail and iOS Mail already display the Light Mode design in most cases when an email does not include custom Dark Mode styles. However, they may automatically darken some emails, particularly layouts with a white or transparent body background and mostly text-based content. Force Light Mode prevents this automatic adjustment and keeps those emails light.
Google is rolling out this behavior gradually across Gmail app installations worldwide. As a result, some recipients may not see the updated behavior immediately, even when using a recent version of the app.
Gmail devices available through Email Testing may also require additional time to reflect the update.
Force Light Mode does not affect Dark Mode Editing
Force Light Mode and Dark Mode Editing can be used together, but they affect email clients differently:
In supported Gmail apps, Force Light Mode keeps the email’s Light Mode design in Dark Mode. Gmail does not support the custom styles created with Dark Mode Editing.
In Apple Mail and iOS Mail, custom Dark Mode styles take precedence over Force Light Mode. If no custom Dark Mode styles have been added, Force Light Mode keeps the email’s Light Mode design.
Force Light Mode | Custom Dark Mode styles | Supported Gmail apps in Dark Mode | Apple & iOS Mail in Dark Mode |
On | Added | Displays the Light Mode design | Displays the custom Dark Mode styles |
On | Not added | Displays the Light Mode design | Displays the Light Mode design |
Off | Added | Applies Gmail’s automatic Dark Mode changes | Displays the custom Dark Mode styles |
Off | Not added | Applies Gmail’s automatic Dark Mode changes | May apply Apple’s automatic Dark Mode changes |
If you want to create a separate Dark Mode experience for Apple and iOS Mail, see Dark Mode Editing.
Set the Default Force Light Mode Setting
If you are an administrator, choose the default setting for emails in your workspace.
Click Admin in the left navigation.
Click Settings.
Find the email editor settings.
Find Force Light Mode.
Turn the setting on or off.
Your selection becomes the default Force Light Mode setting for emails in your workspace.
Default On
Turn the administrator setting on when you want emails to use Force Light Mode by default.
You can still change the setting for an individual email.
Default Off
Turn the administrator setting off when you want emails to allow Gmail’s normal dark-mode behavior by default.
You can still turn Force Light Mode on for an individual email.
Turn Force Light Mode On or Off for an Email
Change the setting when one email needs different behavior from your workspace default.
Open your email in the builder.
Open Settings.
Find Force Light Mode.
Turn the setting on or off.
Preview your email.
Test your email in Gmail before sending.
When to Use Force Light Mode
Consider turning on Force Light Mode when Gmail’s automatic color changes affect your design.
This can help when your email contains:
Brand colors that need to stay consistent.
Logos that become difficult to see after colors change.
Buttons that lose contrast.
Text and background combinations that become difficult to read.
Designs created specifically for a light background.
Gmail on iOS can invert email colors in dark mode. Gmail on Android can darken bright colors and lighten text. These changes can affect your original design.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Force Light Mode work with Apple and iOS Mail?
Yes. When Force Light Mode is enabled, Apple Mail and iOS Mail display the email’s Light Mode design if you have not added custom Dark Mode styles.
If you have added custom Dark Mode styles, those styles take precedence over Force Light Mode and display when the device is using Dark Mode.
Does Force Light Mode affect my Dark Mode Editing styles for Apple and iOS Mail?
No. If you have applied Dark Mode styles using Dark Mode Editing, these will take precedence over the Force Light Mode setting and continue to display in Apple and iOS Mail in Dark Mode, even when Force Light Mode is turned on.
This allows you to use Dark Mode Editing to display in Apple Mail while using Force Light Mode to display your light mode styles in supported Gmail apps in Dark Mode.
Does Dark Mode Editing work with Gmail?
Gmail on iOS and Android does not support Knak's custom Dark Mode Editing styles.
Gmail can apply its own dark-mode color changes instead.
Use Force Light Mode if you want to keep your light-mode design in Gmail.
Does Force Light Mode work with Outlook?
No. Force Light Mode does not apply to Outlook.
This feature uses functionality provided by Gmail. Outlook does not currently support this functionality.
Can I preview Force Light Mode with Email Testing?
Not yet. The provider used by Knak's Email Testing feature does not currently support previews for Force Light Mode.
Gmail devices available in Email Testing may require additional time before they support this update.
For now, test your email directly in Gmail before sending it to your recipients.
Need more help? Contact support via live chat using the chat bubble in the bottom right corner or email support@knak.com.