Its 2025 people, come on! It’s really not that hard to change some ui colors. Or at least expose them so that user’s can do it.
3 Likes
every time someone asks for a dark mode, the devs postpone it one extra month.
thanks, you just cost us a month. 
7 Likes
Good thing I don’t pay them.
using a craked version ? because there was no classic 22 
I am floored that Dark Mode isn’t part of this release. I’ve been asking for it for a decade. The UI still looks like it’s the net from 2003… but yet DM is part of SketchUp for iPad…I’m done.
1 Like
What’s wrong with that? To me dark mode looks even older, like a DOS machine from the mid-1980s. Research has shown that most people find it easier to read dark text on a light background. So when the Macintosh was released in 1984 that is what they went for.
3 Likes
Many modern UI designs incorporate dark mode, and it is often associated with sleek, high-end aesthetics (e.g., macOS, Windows, Adobe, and many other professional applications. If SketchUp for iPad has dark mode, why not the desktop version?
The key issue isn’t whether dark or light mode is better—it’s about giving users the option. Plenty of software allows users to choose based on personal preference and needs.
While some studies suggest that black text on a white background is easier to read in bright conditions, others indicate that dark mode reduces eye strain, especially in low-light environments. Many users prefer dark mode for prolonged screen use.
1 Like
I’m going to respectfully disagree with that. I find dark mode SO much easier on my 54 year old eyes ANY day than normal mope. Also that Adobe AND Apple offer dark mode shows that people and research wants it.
3 Likes
You forget one major thing that makes dark mode in SketchUp more difficult to implement is the extension icons of many developers. When changing from light theme to dark theme, I believe many extension toolbar icons may “disappear”. Therefore, to be able to implement darkmode successfully, many plugin developers have to update all their published code, and I think, this is not easy because some plugins may have stopped development but are still widely used.
1 Like
Yah think!? In 2025!?..So easily dealt with by most programmers. And introduced as a standard feature to so many software’s over the years and which all continued to work fine. You’re handing out Get-Out-Of-Jail cards way too easily.
The big challenge is ‘Trimble Blue’…it’s so dark to begin with it nearly disappears against black. Typography I imagine is an easier fix. I’m also not a big icon guy so while I agree with the premise that there would be an ‘icon ripple effect’ for developers, it wouldn’t change how I experience the app.
1 Like
I wish we could get access to those icons (in iPad). I just opened up the App, on Mac, under ‘Show Package Contents’…is where you can find the icons…changed a few to white just as a test. Obviously that method forces you into an ‘either or’ as it only looks to load one set of icons 
Edit, I used ‘Grey’ app on Mac that allows for ‘mixing and matching’ light and dark modes, thus overriding SketchUp’s native light.
Annnndd…now I’m stuck with light icons in reg mode. Oh well, fun experiment. Good thing I backed up my default icons before changing them ;)…Perhaps this warrants a color study where we find a color, like Cyan, that reads on both dark and light so one persistent set of icons can handle both modes. Or we cant wait 10 more years for SU to provide. JK, nothing but love SU team. 
2 Likes
The dark mode is already for ipad version from 2024, which platform cannot use any extensions. The main problem is the developer and their extensions, although some of my extension is ready for this. But I think not all developers are ready, too. A huge works not only for icons, but the UI.
1 Like
I am not against dark mode as an user choice and yours is a valid reason for wanting it (My 70 year old eyes can cope well without, but that is a different story). I just disagree with those whose argument depends on things like “style” or “modernity”.
A printed book is generally an example of a good and time-tested user interface. Books aren’t printed white on black paper.
2 Likes
The monitor screen generate the light to the eye, and the book don’t, so the book can be an example. That’s why the phone and the computer have function to allow choosing a warm color space to protect our eyes.
1 Like
Reasons for Implementing Dark Mode
- Accessibility and Reduced Eye Strain: Dark mode can reduce eye strain, especially in low-light environments. It enhances visual ergonomics by minimizing screen glare and blue light emission, which can be beneficial for users with visual impairments
- Battery Savings: On devices with OLED or AMOLED screens, dark mode can significantly prolong battery life by using less energy to display dark colors compared to bright ones
- Improved Focus and Immersion: Dark mode can help users focus on content by reducing distractions from other UI elements, enhancing the immersive experience in applications like video streaming and gaming
2 Likes
It’s not black or white.
For example, when I draw with AutoCad, I can’t imagine the background being anything other than black. I sometimes change the UI color when I feel like it.
On the iPad, Sketchup has a choice of Light or Dark, I don’t use it much, but if I do, I prefer Light, but it’s nice to be able to switch to Dark sometimes.
When I write code on Notepad++, light colors are preferred everywhere. However, I always have Windows Notepad open, where I put temporary texts, write notes…etc., and it’s always in Dark mode.
I tried MS Word and Excel in Dark mode, I didn’t like it.
In Sketchup, I like the gray(ish) background of the Woodworking style, even when I’m drawing the interior of a building. Nowadays, they’ve started using such washed-out colors that I’m starting to hate the UI.
So, maybe (or rather: it would be good) to change the UI color to get a regular, contrasting Light and Dark UI. But at least the horrible new icons could be changed back to the old ones…optionally.
I would like it that way. 
4 Likes
I don’t think that’s a good comparison to be honest. I myself and had seen more than many reading a book outside in the sun and struggle with the glare off the page.
Indeed, it works here and yet…