After nearly 10 years, X has removed the blue-grey ‘Dim’ theme from the web version [U: Dark mode toggle added back]

Update 12/03/26 – 10:24 am (IST): After annoying thousands of users by removing the manual toggle to enable dark mode from within the app on iOS, X has finally added it back. Nikita Bier quoted a post saying, “We all make mistakes.”

Just keep in mind that the ‘Dim’ theme still isn’t available anymore.

Update 05/03/26 – 10:24 am (IST): Following the removal of the ‘Dim’ theme from the web version, X (formerly Twitter) has now yanked the feature from the latest iOS app. Reports about the feature missing have been flooding X and Reddit. In my testing, I can confirm it’s no longer available.

More importantly, the app doesn’t even provide an option to manually toggle from Light mode to Dark mode or vice versa. Instead, if you want the Dark Mode experience, you will have to change your System theme to dark mode.

At the moment, I still see the Dim mode option on the X app for Android (version 11.69.0), which is the latest update available on the Play Store on my end. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the next update removes it from Android too.

Update 12/02/26 – 02:10 pm (IST): X’s Director of Product Nikita Bier has responded to the backlash, and the explanation is… interesting. According to Bier, the platform doesn’t have the capacity to support more than two colors right now. Yes, you read that right. He did note the feedback and said the team is looking into lightening the black on web, though there’s no timeline for that.

The response has been met with a mix of confusion and mockery online. Users are questioning how a major social media platform can’t handle a third color option in 2026, with some joking that “the technology just isn’t there yet.” Others are genuinely concerned about eye strain from the pure black OLED mode, especially for nighttime browsing.

Original article published on February 12, 2026, follows:

X (formerly Twitter) has removed the dim theme after nearly 10 years, and the change is already noticeable to users on the web app. Instead of an intermediate dark mode, you only have the pure Lights Out option now, which makes the entire background completely black in color. This affects all users.

The ‘Dim’ theme was a mid-tone interface, which wasn’t fully pitch black, but wasn’t bright either. The background was a soft bluish gray color, and it was easy on the eyes. It’s no longer available in the latest web interface.

In 2023, after Elon Musk acquired the app, he mentioned some plans to remove the Dim mode entirely. It was a long time ago, and the change was never implemented, until today.

Many people are understandably unhappy because this intermediate mode offered a good contrast between the other two extreme options. As several users on Reddit have pointed out, you can still get the dim mode back if you use browser extensions.

If you’re on a browser that offers personalization, such as Arc, you can use the built-in themes to partly restore the effect. While removing the dim mode simplifies choices, it’s not exactly an improvement, since it’s removing a feature that millions of people use on a daily basis.

The mode was introduced in 2016, called ‘Night Mode.’ In 2019, it was renamed to Dim Mode after they introduced a fully dark theme for OLED screens.

Previously, in 2023, Elon Musk actually announced that Light Mode would also be removed entirely. However, after significant pushback from the community, it was announced that both light and dark modes would remain, but the Dim Mode would be removed.

At the time of writing, both of the modes are still present on the Android and iOS apps. It has only been removed from the web app.

Unfortunately, we can’t rule out the possibility of them removing it from the mobile applications eventually. There’s still a chance that X could keep the Dim Mode if there’s enough pushback from users.

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