Dark Theme For iOS YouTube App Now Available To Some iPhone Users

Google has released version 13.01 of the YouTube app for iOS devices, and it looks like it’s packing a new feature. Some users have reported that a new “Dark Theme” mode is now available to turn on in the updated YouTube app for iPhones.

The new Dark Theme for the YouTube iOS app is only accessible to a limited number of users. 9To5Google believes this new theme for the app is part of a server-side A/B test, which may be the reason why not all iPhone users are able to access it. The version 13.01 update’s release notes only said that it includes “fixes and stability improvements.”

To check if Dark Mode is available on the YouTube app, users will have to go to the app’s settings by tapping their account icon on the top-right corner of the app. The Dark Mode toggle should be the first option listed under the YouTube settings banner. Turning this Dark Theme on will bring a new black/grey color scheme to the entire app. It perfectly matches the Dark Theme of the YouTube desktop site.

Since this is part of an A/B test, not all iOS users who have updated to version 13.01 will be able to try out the new Dark Theme. Some users on Reddit have already posted screenshots of the new Dark mode for the YouTube iPhone app (the option is available to me, too).

Last week, 9To5Google found evidence of the Dark Theme’s existence from its YouTube Android APK teardown. This may mean that the new Dark Theme might also be made available to Android users in the near future as part of an A/B test.

Google may simply be testing the new theme out to know for sure if its ready for all users. It’s very likely that the new Dark Theme will be made available to all users at some point. For now, users should exercise patience as it may be rolled out in waves, as pointed out by Neowin.

Another feature that’s expected to arrive to the YouTube app is an Incognito Mode. Code related to this feature was also discovered last week by 9To5Google’s APK teardown. Like in the Chrome web browser and Google’s Gboard app, Incognito Mode for YouTube will stop storing histories of user’s searches. The mode is expected to halt saving the user’s watch history, as well.

The YouTube app’s Incognito Mode will use the same Incognito icon that’s on the Chrome web browser and the Gboard app. There’s no word yet on when Google is planning to make this new feature available to users.