Apple Maps Stuck In Dark Mode? Find The Light In 4 Steps

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Are you having trouble disabling dark mode on Apple Maps?

Unfortunately, I’ve been there too. I know how annoying it can be to have this happen, especially when it’s not nighttime.

But the good news is that you’ve come to the right place to get this problem fixed.

If Apple Maps is stuck in dark mode, you’ll need to adjust your display and brightness settings and check your accessibility settings. But if that doesn’t solve the issue, you’ll need to restart and update your device.

Keep reading to turn on the light mode in Apple Maps!

#1 Adjust Your Display & Brightness Settings

Enabling your device’s dark mode is a great way to prolong battery life, and protect your eyesight.

But, I’m sure you’ll agree that sometimes it’s better to have certain apps, such as Apple Maps in light mode, since it’s easier to focus on the directions and map.

Sadly, I hate to be the one who breaks the news, but you won’t be able to find a setting in the Apple Maps app that allows you to change the map’s appearance.

If you’re using your iPhone or iPad, the only way to turn on the light mode in Apple Maps is by adjusting your display and brightness settings.

Follow these simple steps to do it:

  1. Go to the Settings menu and tap on “Display & Brightness”.
  2. Check the circle under “Light”.
  3. Make sure the switch next to “Automatic” is turned off. This will prevent your phone from switching to dark mode at night.
Turn on light mode on iOS devices

But, if you’re using your Mac, you’ll need to turn on dark mode to tweak Maps’ appearance. I know, it sounds weird, but believe me, it works. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Click on the Apple icon at the top of your screen to open the Apple menu. Then, choose “System Settings” from the list.
  2. Click on Appearance and select “Dark”.
  3. Go to Apple Maps and click on “View” at the top of your screen.
  4. Click on “Show Dark Map” to uncheck it and show the map in light mode. Please note that if your computer wasn’t in dark mode before completing this step, you won’t be able to find this option.

Bear in mind that if you’re using CarPlay, you won’t be able to enable light mode. This is why I recommend going to CarPlay Settings, tapping on “Appearance” and selecting “Automatic”.

This way, you’ll avoid having Apple Maps in dark mode during the day. Unfortunately, if you’re underground, or it’s late at night, Maps will automatically enable dark mode.

#2 Check Your Accessibility Settings

If you were not able to turn on light mode on your device, you might want to check your accessibility settings.

Apple’s “Smart Invert” and “Classic Invert” features reverse the colors of your display so that the light colors that many apps use become black.

Although these accessibility features can protect your eyesight, they may be the reason Apple Maps is stuck in dark mode.

Try disabling them to solve the issue. Follow these simple instructions to do it:

iPhone and iPad:

  1. Go to the Settings menu and tap on “Accessibility”.
  2. Choose “Display & Text Size” from the options.
  3. Turn off the switch next to “Smart Invert” and “Classic Invert”.
How to disable "Smart Invert" and "Classic Invert" accessibility features

Once you completed the steps above, please open Apple Maps to see if it’s in light mode.

Mac:

  1. Click on the apple icon at the top of your screen. Then, choose “System Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
  2. Click on “Accessibility” and select the “Display” option from the sidebar.
  3. Uncheck the box next to “Invert colors”.

#3 Restart Your Device

If Apple Maps is still stuck in dark mode after trying the fixes above, please restart your device.

Sometimes doing this is the best way to get rid of any temporary bugs or glitches that were causing the issue.

Moreover, you’ll be able to unload your RAM and restart every process that was running in the back from scratch.

Follow these simple instructions to restart your device:

iPhone:

  1. Press one of the volume buttons and the side button at the same time. Wait until the power-off slider pops up.
  2. Drag the power-off slider to turn off your phone.
  3. Press and hold the right-hand side button of your device for three seconds to turn your phone back on.

iPad:

  1. Press and hold the top button for three seconds. If your iPad doesn’t have a home button, please press the top and volume buttons (either one) at the same time.
  2. Drag the power-off slider.
  3. Press and hold the top button to turn your iPad back on.

Mac:

  1. Save any documents you’re working on.
  2. Go to the Apple menu by clicking on the apple icon at the top of your screen.
  3. Select “Restart” from the options.

#4 Update Your System

Finally, I want us to install any available updates on your device.

As you may already know, bugs can cause multiple performance issues and could be the reason your device (thus Apple Maps) is stuck in dark mode.

Luckily, software updates are usually released to get rid of these errors and improve your device’s and installed apps’ performance.

Follow this quick guide to update your system and stop Apple Maps from being stuck in dark mode:

iPhone and iPad:

  1. Open the Settings menu and choose “General”.
  2. Tap on “Software Update”. Your device will search for any available updates.
  3. Tap on “Download and Install” and enter your passcode.

Mac:

  1. Click on the Apple menu in the corner of your screen and select “System Preferences” from the options.
  2. Click on “Software Update”.
  3. If there’s an available update, click on “Update Now”.
  4. You may be asked to enter your administrator password.

Tip: If Apple Maps keeps saying “Server Not Found” try this fix.

Once you’ve updated your device, try enabling light mode on your device.

Conclusion

That about covers it! I hope that this article has helped give you some more confidence in solving the issue.

If you take anything away, remember that if Apple Maps is stuck in dark mode, you’ll need to adjust your display and brightness settings and make sure the “Smart Invert” and “Classic Invert” accessibility features are disabled.

But if that didn’t solve the issue, don’t forget to restart and update your device.

Thank you so much for reading this quick article. If you found the four fixes above helpful, please check out our site. We love solving all sorts of tech issues, so you don’t have to.

Have a great rest of the day!