Microsoft open sources dark mode solution used in Outlook for iOS

Outlook and Edge on iOS
Outlook and Edge on iOS (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Microsoft open sourced its Outlook for iOS dark mode solution with developers.
  • The solution is available on Github.
  • The solution allows developers to create dynamic colors within an app easily and to create a dark mode.

Microsoft open sourced its solution for supporting dark mode for Outlook on iOS today. The solution gives developers an easy way to create dynamic colors and create a dark mode for their apps. The solution works with iOS 11 and up and can be found on Github. The solution works for apps developed with Swift 5 or later in Xcode 11 or later.

Microsoft recently went all-in on the dark mode train, releasing dark modes for Microsoft To Do, the Office suite, and OneDrive. Dark mode for Outlook on iOS shipped just before iOS 13 came out. Now, developers can use the same solution Microsoft used for Outlook within their own iOS apps.

OnMSFT points out that Microsoft's dark mode solution involves an API that doesn't require a lot of code changes. It also allows the dark mode to apply without requiring a person to restart an app.

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This is just the latest example of Microsoft open sourcing code. Microsoft continues to show its newer, more open, nature regarding coding.

Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.