Samsung users report dark mode glitch in Google apps post One UI 8.5 update

Several Galaxy smartphone users are reportedly facing broken dark mode colours and inconsistent grey tones inside Google apps after installing Samsung's stable One UI 8.5 update

Samsung rolled out its stable One UI 8.5 update recently, which has reportedly been causing visual issues for several Galaxy smartphone users, particularly inside Google applications running in dark mode. According to a report by Android Headlines, users across Samsung community forums and social media platforms have complained that after updating to One UI 8.5, Google apps such as Gmail, Google Messages, Google Keep, and Google Fi started displaying inconsistent dark themes with washed-out grey tones and unusually high contrast backgrounds.

 

The issue appears to be affecting multiple Galaxy devices, including flagship smartphones such as the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S25 series. As per the report, some users have said that the visual inconsistency makes Google apps look dull and poorly optimised compared to the rest of Samsung’s interface. 

 

Google apps showing inconsistent dark themes

As per the report, the issue mainly impacts dark mode inside Google’s applications. Instead of showing balanced dark colours similar to previous One UI versions, affected apps are reportedly displaying awkward combinations of pitch-black elements mixed with aggressive grey or bluish-grey backgrounds.

 

Several users have reportedly pointed out that menus, search bars, and interface elements inside Google apps now appear visually inconsistent compared to Samsung’s own system UI. Some users also noted that reading text has become uncomfortable because of the stronger contrast and unusual grey tones appearing across the interface.

 

The report further states that Samsung’s Theme Park customisation app does not appear to fully fix the problem. Even after changing themes or colour palettes, many Google apps reportedly continue showing the same washed-out dark mode appearance.

Samsung’s design clashing with Google's?

The issue may be linked to a compatibility conflict between Samsung’s One UI 8.5 software and Google’s Material Expressive design language that allows app interfaces to change colours based on wallpapers and system themes.

 

The report suggests that Samsung’s implementation inside One UI 8.5 may be incorrectly overriding some of these styling values, forcing harsh grey colours onto Google apps instead of allowing the colours to blend naturally with the selected theme. Since these system-level values are not easily adjustable through standard settings, many users reportedly feel stuck with the issue after updating.

No official fix available yet

As per the report, Samsung has not yet acknowledged the issue officially, nor has the company announced a software patch timeline. Users are currently being advised to submit bug reports through Samsung’s feedback channels so that the company can investigate the issue further.

 

Until Samsung releases an official fix, affected Galaxy users may continue experiencing inconsistent dark mode colours across several Google apps after updating to One UI 8.5.