Android UI so dark???

[iamchanel]

Perhaps it's because I am coming from 5 years as an iPhone user... transferring to the S4 hasn't been too easy. One big thing for me (maybe because I'm a girl) is that the over UI (no matter the launcher used) is so dark. Everything is black and monotoned and it doesn't appear that it can be changed. So things include... settings menu, notification center....multitasking....etc...

Is this something I just have to live with or can I change it like the photo attached?

 

[gnr_2]

Perhaps it's because I am coming from 5 years as an iPhone user... transferring to the S4 hasn't been too easy. One big thing for me (maybe because I'm a girl) is that the over UI (no matter the launcher used) is so dark. Everything is black and monotoned and it doesn't appear that it can be changed. So things include... settings menu, notification center....multitasking....etc...

Is this something I just have to live with or can I change it like the photo attached?

Welcome to Android and the AC. A few more girls and we can take over this place. Girl Power! LOL

Now, to answer your question, some things have an option to use a dark theme or light theme, but one of the main reasons for the dark is that you use less battery power with dark backgrounds than light. I think it's referred to as "Holo" style, but I'm not 100 percent sure about that.

Sent from the Superuser account on my newly rooted Sprint Galaxy Nexus

 

[tgp]

Now, to answer your question, some things have an option to use a dark theme or light theme, but one of the main reasons for the dark is that you use less battery power with dark backgrounds than light. I think it's referred to as "Holo" style, but I'm not 100 percent sure about that.

I've heard too that the reason for using black, or at least dark, is to conserve battery. I use no wallpaper, and one of the reasons is for battery conservation.

 

[abbott]

The dark UI serves a purpose on the Galaxy phones, they use AMOLED displays that only draw power for the pixels that have to be lit, so pixels left dark or black use little or no battery power, while white uses the most.

 

[paul-c]

Yeah, it's definitely for saving power. I always thought it looked slick, though. AMOLED does such a good job with blacks, it's a good opportunity to show that off.

Sent from my Sony Xperia P

 

[return_0]

Welcome to Android and the AC. A few more girls and we can take over this place. Girl Power! LOL

Now, to answer your question, some things have an option to use a dark theme or light theme, but one of the main reasons for the dark is that you use less battery power with dark backgrounds than light. I think it's referred to as "Holo" style, but I'm not 100 percent sure about that.

Sent from the Superuser account on my newly rooted Sprint Galaxy Nexus

You're mostly correct except on your definition of Holo, which is the app design style (with the action bar) designed for Android 4.0+:







Sent from my pure Google Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[gnr_2]

You're mostly correct except on your definition of Holo, which is the app design style (with the action bar) designed for Android 4.0+:

View attachment 69671

View attachment 69672

View attachment 69673

Sent from my pure Google Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

Ah. Thanks. I've been on Android for about 8 months and had yet to figure that out. Just always see people complaining that the "Holo" design isn't being followed by this app or that.

Sent from the Superuser account on my newly rooted Sprint Galaxy Nexus