How to turn on dark mode in Google Maps on Android

By Abu Bakar Saadat · Reviewed by Saadat Rafiq · 2 min read · 4 steps · Published 7 October 2026

Device

Android

Shown on

Samsung Galaxy A57 5G (SM-A576B), One UI 8.5, Android 16

App

Maps

Path

Maps › Settings › App & display › Theme: Always in dark theme › Save

Real screenshots

4 of 4 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open App & display

   Tap your profile picture, Settings, then App & display.

   Done

2. 

   Tap Theme

   It shows the current choice.

   Done

3. 

   Choose dark and tap Save

   Always in dark theme keeps Maps dark. Same as device theme follows the phone's dark mode. The dialog also points to navigation settings, where the map's colours during driving are set separately.

   Done

4. 

   Check the setting

   Theme now says Always in dark theme and the screens turn dark straight away.

   Done

About this guide

Maps has its own theme setting, so it can stay light even when the phone is in dark mode. Ours did: the phone was dark, Maps was set to Always in light theme, which is why the first screens below are light.

The screenshots are from Google Maps 26.31.02 on a Samsung Galaxy A57 5G with Android 16 and One UI 8.5, in dark mode. Maps looks the same on other Android phones; only the phone's own Settings screens differ by brand.

Good to know

We switched ours back to light afterwards; the setting changes instantly either way.

In short: Maps, Settings, App & display, Theme: Always in dark theme, Save.