Dark Mode Style

General
6

I am new to the forum so this topic can also serve as my hello :waving_hand:t2:

To get ahead of this, I have read the previous discussions on dark mode for iNaturalist. I am familiar with the request from February 2019 as well as the more recent discussion from September 2024.

* Initial request for dark mode

* Subsequent request in 2024

Many websites and apps now offer a dark mode feature for people who prefer it. It is even possible to automatically detect your device settings and match whether you are in light or dark mode. Ironically, even the iNat Forum implements this:

https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/forum-now-matches-system-dark-mode-by-default/33114

I am unsure why the forum has this feature and the main website does not, but I suspect it has to do with open and closed requests. It seems that when the issue was first raised in 2019, several people provided alternatives in the form of browser extensions, which developers found satisfactory, and closed the topic. That thread was later invoked, as if it were legal precedent, when the issue of dark mode was raised again in 2024. That argument rings hollow to me and I think iNat dark mode warrants more serious consideration.

  1. Accessibility should be one of iNaturalist’s goals as a site dedicated to citizen science.
  2. Dark mode is a part of digital accessibility. For many, it is simply more comfortable to use versus light mode. For people with vision impairments, dark mode is one way of increasing contrast and reducing bright lights. (I have read some disputes over whether dark mode helps people with astigmatism, but the feature can usually be toggled on or off).
  3. Browser extensions fall flat. I have tried multiple, and they all break websites in one way or another. At best, it is necessary to adjust a myriad of settings for each website to which a dark mode extension is applied. The most user-friendly dark mode experience is always site-implemented, in my opinion.
  4. In 2025, most apps and community websites feature a dark mode. It’s long past time for iNaturalist to do the same.
  5. The iNat Forum already has dark mode and has had it since 2022. It was pointed out by suntooth below that dark mode on the iNat Forum is a default part of the existing software; it is not something that iNat developers added.

Unknowns

  • Is there a backlog of features to be implemented? If so, how long before dark mode would be brought to the top of the list?
  • Would it be costly to implement a dark mode feature? I do not think it would impose an additional burden once added. However, I would be willing to put my money where my mouth is, and make an additional donation, or go up to monthly donations, to see this implemented. Perhaps others may feel the same?

I am very curious to hear other people’s thoughts on this. Thank you!

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