Google is showing iPhone users a new popup on mobile web search that promotes Google auto dark mode on iPhone and nudges them toward the Google app, even when browsing in Safari or Microsoft Edge.
Google already offers an “Auto Dark Mode” feature in its Google Search app for iPhone and iPad. When enabled, the app follows the system dark theme and can apply dark styling to pages opened inside the app.
Dark mode is popular because it can feel easier on the eyes in low light, reduce screen glare, and in some cases help save battery on OLED iPhone displays. That’s why Google highlights Auto Dark Mode as a benefit inside its app, even though the feature does not apply to browsing in Safari or other iOS browsers.
Google now promotes Auto Dark Mode to iPhone users
Now, Google’s mobile web search on iOS browsers appears to be promoting that feature as a reason to switch to the Google app.
The message reads, “Keep things dark while you browse. Now when your device is in dark mode, websites can be too. Try auto dark mode in the Google app.” It appears with two buttons. One says Stay in browser. The other says Continue.
Tapping Continue does not change anything inside the current browser. Instead, it opens a Google Help page that explains how to turn on Auto Dark Mode inside the Google app on iPhone. The feature only works within the Google app, not in Safari or other browsers.
That makes the popup less about improving the current browsing experience and more about steering users toward Google’s own app.
The prompt appears inside regular web search, not inside the Google app. It showed up repeatedly in Microsoft Edge on iOS during testing. It also appeared immediately when opening Google Search in Safari on iPhone.
Google already uses banners and install nudges on mobile web. What feels different here is the framing. The message presents itself as a helpful dark mode tip, but the action leads users toward the Google app instead.
In our testing, the same prompt did not appear in Firefox, which suggests Google may be running a selective rollout rather than showing it to everyone.
It is not clear whether this new Auto Dark Mode promotion is part of a wider rollout or a limited experiment.
