The Apple Watch SE is one of the most popular smartwatches in Apple’s lineup, offering users a blend of essential features at a more affordable price than its higher-end counterparts, such as the Apple Watch Series 6 or Series 7. Released in 2020, the Apple Watch SE provides a variety of health and fitness tracking features, seamless integration with the iPhone, and more. One question many Apple Watch users often ask is whether the Apple Watch SE supports dark mode, a feature that has become increasingly popular across many devices, especially smartphones and wearables.
In this article, we’ll delve into the details of dark mode on the Apple Watch SE, examining how it works, whether the Apple Watch SE supports it, and how to enable or adjust dark mode for a more personalized experience.
What is Dark Mode?
Dark mode is a popular feature that changes the user interface of a device from a bright, predominantly white background to a darker one. The main benefits of dark mode include reducing eye strain in low-light environments, saving battery life on OLED screens, and simply providing a more aesthetically pleasing look for many users.
On devices with OLED displays like the iPhone and certain Apple Watch models, dark mode can be especially beneficial. OLED screens use less power to display dark colors since black pixels are turned off entirely, making the device more energy-efficient.
Apple Watch SE Display Overview
The Apple Watch SE features a Retina display that uses an OLED panel. OLED technology is known for producing deep blacks and vibrant colors, making it an ideal candidate for dark mode, where black backgrounds and white or light-colored text dominate the screen. The Apple Watch SE’s display is bright, clear, and can be customized for different lighting conditions, providing a satisfying user experience in both daylight and low-light environments.
Does Apple Watch SE Have Dark Mode?
Apple Watch SE does not have a built-in, system-wide “dark mode” feature in the same way that iPhones, iPads, and Macs do. This means that you cannot enable dark mode for the entire interface of the watch through a single toggle. However, the Apple Watch SE offers certain settings and features that provide a similar experience, allowing users to adjust the display settings for comfort in different lighting conditions.
Using Nightstand Mode
While Apple Watch SE lacks a full dark mode toggle, one feature closely related to dark mode is Nightstand Mode. When the Apple Watch SE is charging and placed on its side, it automatically switches to Nightstand Mode. This mode dims the display and shows a large clock face, making it less intrusive in a dark room, which is particularly useful when using the watch as an alarm clock at night. The display will dim significantly, but the background is still not a full black, as it’s more of a muted color.
How to Enable Dark Mode-Like Settings on the Apple Watch SE
Although the Apple Watch SE doesn’t have a global dark mode toggle, there are ways to make the display more visually comfortable in low-light conditions. Here are a few adjustments you can make to get a similar experience to dark mode.
1. Adjust Brightness and Text Size
You can adjust the brightness of the Apple Watch SE’s display through the watch’s settings to reduce the glare in low-light environments. You can also change the text size for easier reading.
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap Display & Brightness.
- From here, you can adjust the brightness and change the text size for a more comfortable viewing experience in darker settings.
2. Enable Always On Display (If Applicable)
The Apple Watch SE doesn’t have an always-on display feature like the Apple Watch Series 5 and later models. However, it still features a high level of display customization, especially when adjusting settings for when the watch is in use.
3. Use the Invert Colors Feature
Although this isn’t a true dark mode, inverting the colors on the Apple Watch SE can create a dark mode-like effect with white text on a black background. This setting is often used for accessibility purposes, but it can serve as an alternative for those who prefer dark backgrounds.
To enable this:
- Open the Settings app on your Apple Watch.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Select Display & Text Size.
- Turn on Invert Colors.
4. Use Watch Faces with Dark Themes
Some watch faces on the Apple Watch SE include dark themes. These faces show black backgrounds with bright text and icons, providing a dark mode-like experience. Popular watch faces with darker aesthetics include:
- Infograph Modular: You can select a dark background for this face.
- Modular: Another customizable face that can feature a darker background.
- Simple: Features a minimalistic design with darker elements.
To switch or customize a watch face, you can:
- Press firmly on the display of your Apple Watch.
- Swipe left or right to browse available watch faces.
- Customize the watch face by tapping Edit and adjusting its features.
Does Dark Mode Impact Battery Life on the Apple Watch SE?
Since the Apple Watch SE uses an OLED screen, enabling darker backgrounds (such as through dark-themed watch faces or using the invert color option) can contribute to longer battery life. OLED screens only illuminate the pixels that are needed for the display, so when the background is black or dark, less power is used, leading to energy savings.
However, since there is no true “dark mode” toggle for the entire interface, the battery-saving effects are mostly dependent on how you customize your watch face and the settings you choose.
The Difference Between Apple Watch SE and Higher-End Models (Series 6 and Later)
Apple Watch Series 6 and later models, including the Series 7, have an Always-On display feature that allows users to keep certain watch face complications visible at all times, even when the wrist is lowered. This feature contributes to a better dark mode experience, particularly when the screen dims at night. The Apple Watch SE lacks this feature, meaning the display turns off when not in use, but it does wake up when you raise your wrist.
While Apple Watch SE doesn’t provide all of the dark mode capabilities seen in higher-end models, the watch’s flexibility with watch faces and other display settings gives it a degree of customization that can be tailored to personal preferences.
Can You Expect Dark Mode in Future Updates?
As of now, Apple has not officially announced a global dark mode feature for the Apple Watch SE. However, Apple frequently updates its watchOS operating system with new features and optimizations, including improvements for accessibility, display customization, and power efficiency. It’s possible that future updates could introduce more dark mode-like features, whether through expanded watch face options, system-wide dark themes, or improvements to the current accessibility settings.
For now, Apple Watch SE users can enjoy the available customization options to create a visually comfortable experience.
Conclusion
While the Apple Watch SE does not currently feature a global dark mode toggle, it offers a variety of customization options to achieve a similar dark mode experience. Adjusting brightness, using watch faces with dark backgrounds, enabling accessibility features like inverted colors, and managing battery life can help create a more comfortable and energy-efficient experience on the watch.
For users who prioritize dark mode, these options can provide significant comfort, especially in low-light environments. However, Apple may introduce additional features in future updates that bring a true dark mode experience to the Apple Watch SE, so it’s always worth keeping an eye on new watchOS releases.