Siri response raises hopes for 'dark mode' in iOS 10

A curious response from Apple's Siri indicates the virtual assistant will soon support "dark mode" settings, suggesting forthcoming integration with OS X, or a highly anticipated introduction of dark mode functionality on iOS.

Spotted by a number of intrepid AppleInsider readers, commanding Siri to enable "dark mode" on an iOS device elicits the response, "Sorry, but I'm not able to change that setting," an unexpected result considering the operating system contains no reference to such features.

Siri normally falls back on a generic "I don't understand" answer when asked to modify an unsupported function. Further, if Siri is unable to customize an existing user option, like powering down an iPhone, she will inform a user of the limitation and apologize.

Apple's iOS does not currently support dark mode, the closest facsimile being Night Shift in iOS 9. Mac users, however, can access a special system setting that changes the menu bar and application dock from light gray to black. The option for "dark" graphics debuted with OS X 10.10 Yosemite in 2014.

Apple in the past dabbled with low-light viewing options, including a nighttime mode for Maps, but has fallen short of introducing system-wide appearance customizations.

The discovery comes one day prior to Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, where the company is expected to show off the future of its core software platforms, iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS. Siri might have already spilled the beans on forthcoming Mac integration, as the virtual assistant was caught responding to queries referencing OS X file management app Finder on Saturday.

WWDC 2016 kicks off with a keynote presentation on Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific. AppleInsider will be covering the event live from San Francisco.

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16 Comments

mrdave79

said about 7 years ago

And I just asked it to turn on excitement mode and it returned exactly the same thing...
Can't wait for excitement mode.. Sounds far more interesting than dark mode.

mrdave79

said about 7 years ago

Just to clarify, I asked about excitement mode straight after dark mode and it gave the same response. If you do it as a stand alone response then it doesn't work... Strange.

brendan09

said about 7 years ago

mrdave79 said:

And I just asked it to turn on excitement mode and it returned exactly the same thing...
Can't wait for excitement mode.. Sounds far more interesting than dark mode.

Yeah, I just asked it to turn on "banana mode" and it said the same.

I think this article may have been a littl overzealous.

rogifan_new

said about 7 years ago

I just asked Siri to turn on dark mode and then turn on light mode and Siri replied sorry I'm not able to change that setting. Then I asked Siri to turn on blue mode and Siri said I don't know what you mean by... This along with all the banners at WWDC being black...I will be shocked if we don't get dark mode in iOS 10. Someone claiming to have insider information posted on a 9to5Mac story that there would be significant UI changes for iOS 10. John Gruber posted something similar on Twitter. Not a complete overhaul like iOS 7 but significant changes. How amazing if that's the case and Apple was able to keep it a secret (don't forget a lot of the iOS 7 home screen icons were leaked by 9 to 5 Mac right before WWDC).