Dark mode might get even darker in macOS Sierra

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Apple is working on a better dark mode for macOS Sierra.
Photo: Apple

iOS 10 might not be not be the only Apple operating system set to get a darker coat of paint later this year.

After scouring through Apple’s first two betas of macOS Sierra, an OS X developer has discovered that Apple has hidden the ability to activate Dark Mode in a broader way on the Mac — and it’s making it easier for third-party developers to take advantage of the new feature.

Apple brought a darker theme to the Mac in 2014 with the release of OS X Yosemite. However, the feature only worked on a few components of the operating system, like the dock and menu bar.

Guilherme Rambo, a Mac developer at GitDo, discovered that the improved dark mode can be activated in various native apps like Safari, System Preferences, Finder and TextEdit, bringing Apple computers one step closer to a true dark mode.

Third-party apps may also be able to take advantage of the feature in the future, according to MacMagazine, which says Apple informed developers during a WWDC session last month that they should use native controls when crafting Cocoa apps.

By using native controls, Apple will be able to facilitate the adjustment to a dark mode that can be easily applied by all third-party apps. Apple didn’t list dark mode among the new features on macOS Sierra, so it’s possible it might not be ready in time for the public release of macOS Sierra this fall.

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