Warning: I think pure black backgrounds are a bad idea for most apps now

I mean, I used to make my dark themes with #000000 backgrounds because everyone said it saved battery. But after testing our app's redesign for 3 months, our user feedback showed a 15% increase in complaints about eye strain. The change came from swapping to a dark gray, like #121212, for the main surface. It just seems less harsh, especially in a dim room. Has anyone else found that pure black causes more problems than it solves?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseyward22d ago

Pure black feels like staring into a void after a while.

diana5522d ago

Totally get that, @caseyward. I used to love it.

averymitchell5d ago

Ever try switching to a really dark gray instead? I painted my whole living room black once and it was cool for like a month. Then it just started sucking all the light out of the room and felt super heavy. Now it's this deep charcoal color and it's way better, still feels dark but not like a black hole.