Dark Mode is something that many have been wanting in stock Android for a while. Unlike in LCD panels where the illumination is done by a backlight, OLED panels display colour by illuminating each pixel individually. We got a glimpse of Dark Mode with the Oreo 8.1 developer preview, but the feature never made it to the actual update.
Besides, there are several benefits to using Dark Mode if your phone has an OLED panel. OLED panels have become a standard across all high-end smartphones and it can save a good amount of battery if the user interface is optimized for it. This is why dark and black themes are popular and why so many people have been looking for Google to implement a system-wide Dark Mode into Android.
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LWP+ lets you keep your wallpaper and UI colours separate
Currently, the only way to enable dark mode on Stock Android is to use a dark wallpaper. Instead of just switching the shade and menus back to grey, the system UI now takes advantage of WallpaperColors API and grabs colour from your phone’s wallpaper. It then switches aspects of the SystemUI such as the quick settings panel, the mini QS/notification shade, the volume sliders, the power menu and even the Pixel Launcher to a darker hue if the wallpaper is dark/black.
However, not everyone wants to use a dark wallpaper and would still want dark mode enabled. This is where the LWP+ application comes into play. Once the application is installed, you’re asked to pick a wallpaper that you want to apply while also having the option to choose a custom primary and secondary colour for the WallpaperColors API.
LWP+ is a simple application that does one specific thing well. The best part is, Android 8.0+ users can even install a dark theme without having root access to the device. For those who are just wanting to change the Quick Settings panel to dark no matter what wallpaper you choose, then LWP+ can do exactly that. You can download the app from the Play Store using this link. The app might not seem like much, but you’ll begin to notice a significant improvement in battery life after a while. Do try it out and let us know if you noticed any in the comments blow.
Source: XDA developers
