YouTube bug makes the app appear in half dark mode, half light

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YouTube bug makes the app appear in half dark mode, half light

Nov 5, 2026 — 12:14 PM ET

- YouTube viewers are reporting an issue with using the app in light mode and dark mode.

- The issue causes the playback area and comments section to be displayed in dark mode, while the rest of the screen is in light mode.

- Both Android and iOS users are experiencing the bug.

Some YouTube viewers are reporting a display issue with the mobile app. The top half of the screen, where the player and comments section are located, is displayed in dark mode. Meanwhile, the rest of the UI is displayed in light mode.

According to the reports (1, 2, 3, 4), the bug happens regardless of whether you have dark mode or light mode enabled. Switching Ambient mode on or off reportedly doesn’t have an effect either. Users have tried restarting the app, restarting their phones, clearing cache, uninstalling and reinstalling the app, and adjusting accessibility settings. Despite taking these measures, the effected users claim that the issue persists.

A majority of the reports come from Android users, but the problem is not exclusive to one platform. We also spotted at least one report from an iPhone user. While there are plenty of new reports, it appears that some viewers have been experiencing this issue for a while.

It’s understandable why such a bug would be irritating. If you want apps to be in dark mode, then you want the entire app to be dark and vice versa. A screen split into half dark mode and half light mode kind of defeats the purpose.

Android Authority has reached out to Google for comment. We will update this article when new information becomes available. If you’re experiencing this glitch, let us know in the comments section.