Here’s the crux of the article in video form:

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on June 21, 2023) follows:

Snapchat, the wildly popular social media platform with its unique blend of ephemeral content and quirky filters, has long been a favorite among millions of users worldwide.

Developers have finally answered the prayers of several users by introducing the highly sought-after ‘Dark Mode’ feature for iOS and Android.

Snapchat ‘Dark Mode’ Android kept behind a paywall

However, the way this feature is being made available to users has caused quite a stir within the Android Snapchat community (1,2,3,4,5,6).

Snapchat dark mode
Source

Dark Mode has become increasingly popular in recent years, as it offers a more visually appealing and comfortable viewing experience, especially in low-light conditions.

When the news broke that Snapchat was finally adding Dark Mode, users across both iOS and Android platforms were ecstatic. It seemed like a step towards providing an equal experience for all Snapchat users.

But, the subsequent revelation that Android users would have to pay for this feature dampened the excitement and led to an outpouring of disappointment and anger.

iOS users can enjoy Dark Mode for free, Android users are being asked to pay a monthly fee of $4 for access to the feature through Snapchat+.

Snapchat putting dark mode on Snapchat + but not giving it to the rest of us is actually evil. @Snapchat
Source

Really @Snapchat?? You’re trying to convince us to upgrade to snapchat+ with dark mode? Literally a system setting for every app…..
Source

News of this discrepancy leaked back in April, and some Android users dismissed it as a mere rumor.

Nonetheless, recent developments have confirmed the truth behind the leak, leaving Android Snapchat users feeling frustrated and neglected.

How to enable ‘Dark Mode’

Nevertheless, Android users can enable this feature officially by following these steps. Alternatively, here are some other third-party apps

Snapchat support
Source

Android Snapchat community feel it is unfair that iOS users can access Dark Mode for free while they are being forced to pay a monthly fee.

In response to the backlash, Snapchat has remained relatively quiet, which has only frenzied Android users further.

We only hope that the company takes users concerns seriously and works towards finding a solution that satisfies all parties involved.

Update 1 (June 23, 2023)

04:54 (IST): There are users who even paying for Snapchat+ and being part of the beta program do not have the ‘Dark Mode’ option available, which is especially frustrating.

Hey @snapchatsupport, I have an android and I recently got snap plus so I could use dark mode, but it’s not showing up anywhere in my app like it’s supposed to, and I’m also a beta tester. Is there a reason I’m not seeing the toggle button to switch modes?
Source

Update 2 (July 5, 2023)

09:26 am(IST): According to one of our readers, Snapchat ‘Dark Mode’ is reaching some Android users without paying the ‘Plus’ subscription.

Pennsylvania, got an update today (dated June 29th) then got dark mode via app appearance, not a Snapchat+ user
Source

Thanks for the tip, Matthew Reiter!

Update 3 (August 8, 2023)

05:27 pm(IST): It seems that Snapchat has finally stopped charging for Dark Mode on Android as more users (1,2) have confirmed getting the option to enable it without a Plus subscription.

NOTE: We have more stories like this in our Snapchat section. So make sure you’re following them as well.

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Karanjot Sidhu
1024 Posts

A computer science engineer who loves tech and won't stop talking about it. Here at Piunikaweb, I mostly cover Google Pixel deals and how-tos, though you may find me covering Pixel news as well sometimes. Apart from being a nerd, i love gaming and watching movies in my free time.

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