What is dark mode in email?

Dark mode is a display setting that inverts or adjusts interface colors-light text on dark backgrounds instead of dark text on light backgrounds. When users enable dark mode on their devices or email clients, emails may be automatically transformed, often with unpredictable results.

Email clients handle dark mode differently: some fully invert colors, some partially adjust, some leave emails unchanged, and some give users control. A white background might become black; black text might become white; colored elements might shift unpredictably. There's no universal standard.

Dark mode is a design reality, not an option. With 30-50% of users on dark mode depending on audience, ignoring it means your email may look broken for a significant portion of recipients. Test emails in dark mode. Use transparent PNGs where possible. Consider color choices that work in both modes. The email that looks great in light mode but terrible in dark mode fails half your audience.