- The Gemini shortcut, part of the Google app, on Android now uses a true black background instead of gray.
- Google moves away from the previous “eerie black,” which is a very dark shade of gray with hints of blue.
- The change is already live in the latest version of Google’s Android app.
Android has offered a native dark theme since Android 10. Over these last six-plus years, the implementation has both matured significantly, and an aspect that most dark theme enthusiasts, including me, have come to cherish is the use of a true black background instead of a gray one. True black is pleasant to the eye and is believed to be slightly better at conserving your phone’s battery — at least with AMOLEDs. And while many manufacturers, such as OnePlus and Samsung, have adopted it for their menus and apps, Google still appears to have a soft heart for dark gray backgrounds — yes, it defends using a dark gray over black.
But if you despise the use of gray over an actual black, you’ll be relieved to know that at least one Google app is moving towards a black aesthetic. The Gemini interface for Android is now moving from dark gray to a truly black background in dark mode. The shift appears to be recent and is already going live for users, including Telegram user MK, who first tipped us about the change. We were also able to corroborate it on our own devices.