Dark mode provides significant relief from eye strain, particularly for users navigating their smartphones in low-light conditions. The contrast between a dark display featuring light text versus a glaring white screen becomes profoundly clear when the smartphone is the only source of illumination—especially after just waking up.

Many Android users are fond of utilizing dark mode continuously, while others reserve it for nighttime use. This is where the “sunset to sunrise” feature becomes particularly valuable. On devices like Google’s Pixel smartphones, you can program dark mode to activate automatically from sunset until sunrise. After daybreak, your device defaults to light mode, complementing the brightness of the daylight outside. However, as the sun sets and darkness envelops the room, your device smoothly transitions to dark mode. It’s an ideal solution—when functioning properly.

Reports from 9to5Google indicate that users are facing difficulties with the scheduled theme feature on Pixel devices. These problems appear to have emerged following the March 2025 Pixel update and remain unresolved after the subsequent April update. Such issues can be vexing, especially when expecting the phone’s appearance to align with the time of day. While a few temporary fixes exist, they do not offer a lasting solution.

Solutions to the Dark Mode Glitch on Pixel Devices

Back in March, when users first encountered this glitch on their Pixel devices, they discovered a peculiar workaround: manually activating dark mode.

Normally, having a scheduled setting allows users to toggle between light and dark modes at will. However, Android typically overrides this manual selection at the next scheduled shift. For instance, if the light mode is set to engage with the sunrise but you prefer to continue using dark mode, manually switching it on should hold that preference until the next morning, at which point it would revert automatically.

The core of the issue appears tied to this manual adjustment. Manually enabling dark mode seems to prevent the device from reverting to light mode at sunrise. Conversely, if light mode is activated after sunset, dark mode does not activate with the onset of darkness.

Currently, the most effective workaround is to avoid toggling the theme setting if you wish to maintain an uninterrupted automatic schedule. This isn’t an ideal solution, but it has been noted to yield the best results.

Some users have had success by initially setting a custom schedule for dark mode (Settings > Display > Dark theme > Schedule) before reverting to the “sunset to sunrise” option. However, others have reported that the glitch returns after some time, indicating an issue with this specific scheduling function. Alternatively, you might consider setting up a Bedtime mode in place of the conventional scheduling, although this will affect additional device functionalities.