NightOwl eliminates the most annoying thing about Mac’s new Dark Mode

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It took a third-party developer to improve the all-new Dark Mode on macOS Mojave. Say hello to the must-have app, NightOwl.

One of the most popular features of macOS Mojave is Dark Mode, which allows you to change much of what you see on the screen to a darker hue. Along with Dark Mode, Apple has also introduced dynamic wallpapers that automatically switch from light to dark, depending on the time of day.

Sounds great, no? It is until you realize that Dark Mode doesn’t actually adjust according to the time of day. Instead, you much switch it on/off manually. NightOwl is a small, light-weight app that toggles macOS Mojave’s dark mode, depending on the time of day. Best of all: the app is free.

According to the NightOwl website, the app does use Google Analytics to collect statistics. The tracked data “helps to enhance” the app “by analyzing how features are used and which bugs appear.”

You can opt-out of this, however, by unchecking “Send Statistics” in the settings section of the app.

Installation and use of Nightowl

Image: Mashable

Once NightOwl has been installed on your Mac, it resides on the Toolbar at the top of the screen. You can manually set the times you want your Mac’s Light and Dark Mode to take effect. You can also have it adjust automatically based on the sunrise and sunset times in your location. That’s how I have it set on my MacBook Pro.

Honestly, I’m surprised Apple didn’t build something like this into Mojave in the first place, especially with the introduction of dynamic wallpapers. Regardless, this omission has now been corrected.

You can download NightOwl online.

Do you plan on using NightOwl? Let us know below. 

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Bryan M. Wolfe

Bryan considers himself a well-rounded techie, having written articles for MakeUseOf, KnowTechie, AppAdvice, iDownload Blog. When he's not writing, he's being a single dad and rooting for his alma mater, Penn State, or cheering on the Patriots.