What Is Dark Mode?
Dark mode changes your device interface from light colors to dark colors. Many users enable dark mode to reduce eye strain. Some devices also use less battery power in dark mode.
Email clients often adjust your email colors automatically when dark mode is enabled. These changes can affect:
Text colors
Background colors
Borders
Buttons
Images and logos are usually not modified.
Dark Mode Best Practices Video Demo
Why Use Dark Mode?
Dark mode offers several benefits:
Reduced eye strain in low-light environments
Improved readability for some users
Better battery efficiency on OLED screens
Modern user experience across devices and apps
How Dark Mode Affects Emails
Different email clients handle dark mode differently. Some clients only darken backgrounds. Others invert all colors automatically.
For example:
Gmail on iOS may invert all colors
Outlook on Windows may fully reverse light and dark elements
This can change the appearance of:
White backgrounds
Dark text
Borders
Buttons
Brand colors
Email client | Default behavior in dark mode |
Apple Mail (iPhone & iPad) | May darken some elements, particularly white backgrounds |
Apple Mail (Mac) | May darken some elements, particularly white backgrounds |
Outlook (Mac - latest version) | Darkens bright colors and backgrounds, lightens text |
Outlook (Mac - older versions) | Darkens bright colors and backgrounds, lightens text |
Outlook (Windows 365 & 2021+) | Inverts all colors (white becomes black, black becomes white) |
Outlook App (Android) | Darkens bright colors and backgrounds, lightens text |
Outlook App (iOS) | Darkens bright colors and backgrounds, lightens text |
http://Outlook.com (Browser) | Darkens bright colors and backgrounds, lightens text |
Gmail App (iOS) | Inverts all colors (white becomes black, black becomes white) |
Gmail App (Android) | Darkens bright colors and backgrounds, lightens text |
Yahoo App (iOS) | Darkens bright colors and backgrounds, lightens text |
Yahoo App (Android) | Darkens bright colors and backgrounds, lightens text |
Customize Emails for Dark Mode
Some email clients support custom dark mode styling through Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Knak supports dark mode editing for supported clients.
Dark mode editing helps you:
Optimize text colors
Replace images for dark mode
Improve contrast
Reduce unwanted color inversion
Learn More
Email client | Supports dark mode editing |
Apple Mail (iPhone & iPad) | Yes |
Apple Mail (Mac) | Yes |
Outlook (Mac) | Yes, in some versions. (Support can vary between installations. Still darkens elements that are considered too bright, click here to learn more) |
Outlook (Windows) | No |
Outlook App (Android) | No |
Outlook App (iOS) | No |
http://Outlook.com (Browser) | No |
Gmail App (iOS) | No |
Gmail App (Android) | No |
Yahoo App (iOS) | No |
Yahoo App (Android) | No |
Preview Your Assets
Use the Preview tab in Knak to test your content in both light mode and dark mode.
Preview Light Mode
Open your asset in Knak
Click the Preview tab
Select Light Mode
Preview Dark Mode
Open the Preview tab
Select Dark Mode
Review your text, backgrounds, borders, and images
Test Across Email Clients
Use the Email Testing Feature to preview your email in different inboxes and devices.
This helps you identify:
Color inversion issues
Poor contrast
Image visibility problems
Border visibility issues
More Help for Dark Mode Emails
Dark Mode for Landing Pages
Landing pages are easier to manage in dark mode. Most browsers do not automatically invert landing page colors. All major browsers support dark mode editing.
Learn more about Dark Mode Editing
Need more help? Contact support via live chat within Knak using the chat bubble in the bottom right corner or email support@knak.com