So you enable DARK MODE on Facebook and it either doesn’t work at all, or it randomly switches back to bright white mode after a few hours or days?? You keep turning it on but Facebook refuses to stay in dark mode…
What the hell is going on?!
And the frustrating part? Dark mode works FINE in every other app, but Facebook specifically keeps glitching back to light mode. Your eyes are burning from the bright white screen at night 🙁
I’m not gonna lie, Facebook’s dark mode implementation is buggy as shit and has been broken for years across iPhone and Android.
Why Facebook Dark Mode Isn’t Working
Facebook’s dark mode has multiple failure points. Sometimes it won’t turn on at all, sometimes it turns off randomly, sometimes it’s stuck halfway between light and dark.
Common reasons dark mode breaks:
- App needs updating – Old versions have broken dark mode code
- Phone’s system dark mode conflicts – Facebook’s setting vs device setting clash
- Cache is corrupted – App data glitched, theme settings broken
- Facebook servers glitch – Your theme preference isn’t saving server-side
- Auto dark mode scheduling issues – Timing conflicts cause flickering
- iOS/Android bugs – System-level theme bugs affect Facebook
Let’s fix these no cap.
Force Enable Dark Mode in Facebook
First, make sure you’re actually turning it ON correctly. Facebook hides the dark mode setting.
iPhone: Open Facebook app → tap Menu (three horizontal lines, bottom right) → tap Settings & Privacy → tap Settings → scroll to Display & Accessibility → tap Dark Mode → select On.
Android: Open Facebook app → tap Menu (three horizontal lines, top right) → tap Settings & Privacy → tap Settings → tap Dark Mode → select On.
Make sure it’s set to ON not “Use device settings”…
If it’s set to “Use device settings,” Facebook follows your phone’s system dark mode. This can cause conflicts where Facebook randomly switches themes when your phone does.
Set it to On permanently so Facebook ignores your system settings and STAYS in dark mode deadass.
Turn Off “Use Device Settings”
This is the #1 reason dark mode randomly turns off. If Facebook is set to follow device settings, it’ll switch themes whenever your phone does.
Go back to the dark mode setting (steps above) and make sure it’s set to On, NOT Use device settings or Automatic.
Your phone might have dark mode scheduled (like auto-enabling at sunset). If Facebook follows that schedule, it’ll keep switching back and forth. Forcing Facebook to On overrides this.
This fixes it immediately for most people…
Update the Facebook App
Old Facebook versions have bugs that break dark mode. Meta patches these in updates.
iPhone: Open App Store → tap profile icon (top right) → scroll to Updates → find Facebook → tap Update.
Android: Open Google Play Store → tap profile icon (top right) → tap Manage apps & device → find Facebook → tap Update.
After updating, go back into Settings → Dark Mode and turn it on again. Updated app code usually fixes theme glitches bet.
Clear Facebook App Cache
Corrupted cache can lock Facebook in the wrong theme or prevent dark mode from saving properly. Similar to Facebook taking up too much storage, cache needs clearing.
iPhone: iOS doesn’t have cache clearing. You have to delete and reinstall the app (explained below).
Android: Go to Settings → Apps → Facebook → Storage → tap Clear Cache (NOT Clear Data, that logs you out).
After clearing cache on Android, open Facebook and enable dark mode again. The fresh cache should save the setting properly.
Delete and Reinstall Facebook App
When nothing else works, a fresh install fixes broken theme settings.
iPhone – Offload method (keeps login): Go to Settings → General → iPhone Storage → Facebook → Offload App → tap Reinstall App.
iPhone – Full delete: Long-press Facebook app → Remove App → Delete App → reinstall from App Store.
Android: Long-press Facebook app → Uninstall → reinstall from Play Store.
After reinstalling, log back in and enable dark mode. Fresh installs eliminate corrupted settings that prevent dark mode from working fr fr.
Usually fixes it…
Check Your Phone’s System Dark Mode
Even if Facebook is set to ignore device settings, sometimes phone-level bugs affect app themes.
iPhone: Go to Settings → Display & Brightness → make sure Dark or Light is selected (not Automatic). Then go back to Facebook and force dark mode on again.
Android: Go to Settings → Display → Dark theme → toggle it however you want, then force Facebook’s dark mode on separately in the app.
Sometimes toggling your phone’s system theme OFF then back ON resets theme glitches affecting Facebook.
Disable Automatic Dark Mode Scheduling
If your phone auto-switches to dark mode at certain times, this can conflict with Facebook’s settings.
iPhone: Go to Settings → Display & Brightness → turn OFF Automatic. Manually set it to Dark or Light permanently.
Android: Go to Settings → Display → Dark theme → tap Schedule → turn it OFF or set to None.
Scheduling causes Facebook to flip between themes even when you’ve forced it to stay dark. Disabling the schedule stops the conflict.
What If Dark Mode Still Won’t Work?
Okay so you’ve tried EVERYTHING and Facebook STILL refuses to stay in dark mode… what the fuck?
Check if it’s a widespread bug. Search “Facebook dark mode not working” on Twitter or Reddit. If thousands of people report the same issue today? It’s a server-side bug on Facebook’s end. You have to wait for them to fix it lowkey. Similar to when Facebook isn’t loading properly, sometimes it’s their servers not your device.
Try the mobile web version. Go to m.facebook.com in your phone’s browser. Tap Menu → Settings → enable dark mode there. If it works in browser but not the app? The app is broken and you need to wait for an update. And if you’re having other Facebook app crashing issues, reinstalling usually helps.
Use a third-party wrapper app. Apps like “Friendly for Facebook” or “Swipe for Facebook” are alternative Facebook clients that might have more reliable dark modes. But you’re trusting third parties with your login no cap. And make sure your Facebook notifications still work if you switch apps.
Why Facebook’s Dark Mode Is So Broken
Real talk? Facebook’s dark mode has been buggy since they first launched it. They half-assed the implementation and never properly fixed it.
This is absolute bullshit…
Dark mode randomly turns off, doesn’t apply to all screens (some pages stay white), and the setting doesn’t sync properly across devices. Meanwhile apps like Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube have flawless dark modes that actually WORK.
Facebook just doesn’t prioritize fixing it because it’s not a “critical” feature. So users are stuck dealing with broken themes that randomly revert to blinding white mode at 2am.
And the setting is buried deep in menus where most people can’t even find it. They could make it a toggle in the top menu bar for easy access, but instead you have to dig through Settings → Display & Accessibility → Dark Mode. Terrible UX design for real.
Alternative: Use Browser Dark Mode Extensions
If Facebook’s built-in dark mode won’t work, force it using browser extensions (desktop only).
Chrome: Install “Dark Reader” extension → go to facebook.com → extension automatically applies dark theme.
Firefox: Install “Dark Reader” add-on → works the same way.
Safari: Install “Noir” extension from App Store → enables dark mode on Facebook.
These extensions force dark mode on ANY website including Facebook, overriding Facebook’s broken theme system entirely. Works way better than Facebook’s official dark mode.
Final Thoughts
Facebook’s dark mode breaks constantly because of app bugs, conflicting device settings, and poor implementation by Meta. But forcing it to On (not “Use device settings”), updating the app, clearing cache, and reinstalling fixes it for most people.
It shouldn’t be this hard…
If it still won’t work? Use the browser version with dark mode extensions, or just accept that Facebook’s theme system is garbage until they decide to actually fix it properly.
And honestly, Meta needs to stop ignoring this issue. Dark mode has been broken for YEARS and they keep releasing updates that don’t address it. Fix your shit, Facebook.
If this helped you fix Facebook’s broken dark mode, share it with anyone else squinting at a bright white Facebook screen at night… because this problem is ridiculously common and Facebook’s help docs are useless!!
