| Cult of Mac

Why Noir is my all-time favorite Safari extension [Awesome Apps]

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Meet my favorite Safari extension.
Meet my favorite Safari extension.
Screenshot: Joe White/Cult of Mac

There are loads of Safari web extensions in the App Store, all of which pimp out Apple’s mobile browser in interesting and exciting ways. But the very best Safari web extension is called Noir. This must-have extension brings Dark Mode support to every website you visit.

Here’s why you should download it immediately.

Full-on ‘Dark Mode’ brings creativity into focus [Setups]

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The setup proper in
The setup proper in "Dark Mode." Atmospheric, eh? It's a space dedicated to creativity, but it also helps with focus.
Photo: Chris Denbow

Photographer and writer Chris Denbow puts an interesting twist on his computer setup. He credits its “Dark Mode” — which is obvious in the photographs of the desk and the room, but extends to the machines and the software he uses — for boosting his focus and creativity. He said the dark theme gives him a “space dedicated to creativity.”

“Introducing ‘Dark Mode,’ a minimal, monochromatic home office/workspace that helps eliminate distractions, [and] allows focus and productivity,” Denbow told Cult of Mac.

Toggle Dark Mode with a tap using Control Center on iOS and Mac [Pro tip]

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There's no need to dig around inside the Settings app to activate dark mode on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
There's no need to dig around inside the Settings app.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Control Center Pro Tips WeekWe want to help you master Control Center, one of the most powerful and underutilized features on Apple devices. Cult of Mac’s Control Center Pro Tips series will show you how to make the most of this useful toolbox on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.

There’s no need to dig around inside the Settings app to activate Dark Mode on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Simply add the Dark Mode button to Control Center and you can quickly toggle it on or off in just a tap.

We’ll show you how in this Control Center pro tip.

Shop in the inky shadows of Apple Store’s new Dark Mode

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Apple Store’s new Dark Mode
Look for a new Mac or Apple Watch while in a darkened room without being blinded with the latest version of the Apple Store app.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Any developer taking flack for not yet adding Dark Mode to their software can take solace in the fact that the Apple Store app for iOS only now adopted this alternate look.

Shop for a new device or look for Today at Apple sessions in the dark more easily, thanks to this new version.

The great Dark Mode delay [Cult of Mac Magazine 348]

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Why so seriously slow? Adding Dark Mode is no cakewalk.
Why so seriously slow? Adding Dark Mode is no cakewalk.
Cover: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

If your favorite apps don’t yet support Dark Mode, there’s a good reason. Making their apps work with Dark Mode can be a total pain in the butt for devs.

Get an inside look at the travails of adding this popular feature in this week’s free issue of Cult of Mac Magazine. Download it now for that story, plus the rest of the week’s top Apple news, reviews and how-tos. (There’s plenty on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, too.)

Why it’s taking so long for apps to add Dark Mode

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Has your favorite app embraced the dark side yet?
Has your favorite app embraced the dark side yet?
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

This week, I finally got around to adding Dark Mode support to Reps & Sets, the iPhone bodybuilding app I develop as a side hustle. That’s almost a year after Apple first announced the feature at its Worldwide Developers Conference.

What took me so long? Supporting Dark Mode is not as simple as it seems. It’s not just indie devs like me who have struggled with it, either. WhatsApp only recently added Dark Mode support, and Facebook is still beta-testing it.

So if you’re waiting for your favorite app to switch to the dark side, here’s why it might be taking so long.

WhatsApp’s long-awaited dark mode finally on its way to iPhone

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WhatsApp-dark-mode
It's in beta testing now!
Photo: WhatsApp/Cult of Mac

Being blinded by WhatsApp’s bright white interface when replying to a late-night text will soon be a thing of the past. The messaging app’s long-awaited dark mode is finally on its way to iPhone.

Beta testers already have access to the new look, which means we should all be able to enjoy it soon.

Mode sombre: Google Translate app finally gets Dark Mode option

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Mode sombre: Google Translate app finally gets Dark Mode option
Five months after Dark Mode debuted on iOS 13.
Photo: Google

Google has finally given its Translate app for iPhone and iPad a Dark Mode overhaul, adding a stylish graphical overhaul that’s also easier on your eyes (and, theoretically, your battery life.)

The update comes five months after Apple officially joined the dark side by adding a much anticipated Dark Mode feature for iOS 13.