QuickBooks Online has gone dark!

"This is really exciting" at least in my way of thinking, "QuickBooks Online has gone dark!" After years of staring at the blinding white screen, QBO has launched dark mode. The QBO dark mode is a way to view your monitor and work without killing your eyes. Another awesome reason to go dark is that it looks cool, and well, that’s a totally acceptable reason to transition to 'the dark side'.

QuickBooks Online has released Themes within the QuickBooks Online Labs. Themes are an enhancement to the visuals for QBO. In other words, they alter they way the GUI (the graphic user interface) appears, not the way it works, just the way it looks. They are designed to personalize your experience while working. Our biology tells us that staring at a white screen can strain our eyes based on human behavior. White screens also have an opportunity to create glare by reflecting light off walls and surfaces.

[Comment from Murph: Don't know if you recall but QuickBooks for Mac 2020 had a new look last year that was also a 'dark side' compatible with the newest Mac-OS. Typically QB-Mac is trying to catch-up to QuickBooks for Windows, but it appears in this case QB-Labs is doing their best to emulate QB-Mac when it comes to QBO, "very interesting" as Arte Johnson would say on 'Laugh-in' during the late 1960's, early 1970'.]

Tips for reducing eye strain:

If you are experiencing eye strain minimizing glare and changing your display will help your eyes. Brightness can cause fatigue. 

  • Adjusting the brightness of your monitor display to match the brightness of the surrounding work area will help your eyes to regulate more easily. 
  • Text size also plays a role in eye comfort. In Chrome, it’s easy to adjust your text size of a given screen by clicking the three dots at the top right of your display under the exit. (did you know if you adjust your text size on a company in QBO, it will stick?)
  • Contrast and color temperature Reducing the amount of blue light emitted also helps viewing comfort. The best color combination to reduce eye fatigue is black and white. 

Trying the black and white color combination is reverse order might be a refreshing adjustment. Most phones now can apply dark modes making the background black or dark-blue and the letters and graphics a soft or bright white. 

What about Dark Mode for QuickBooks Online:

You have to access this feature from QuickBooks Labs...

1) Click the QBO Gear icon

2) Select QuickBooks Labs

3) Slide QuickBooks Themes to ON (as shown below)

4) Click Done

5) Edit your themes, click the QBO Gear icon

6) Select Themes under your Company

7) Slide the Dark Mode slider to On (as shown below)

8) Now, refresh your browser.

Honestly, "I love the alternative look and feel." The new QBO dark mode is mind-boggling magnificent. But, if it’s not for you, then just use the same slider to turn off dark mode, or simply never turn it on.

Make sure to check out other astounding QBO Labs features like Tags, and Cash Flow Dashboard Widget. 

I know a lot of you have been asking "when are tags going to get here", well they are still in 'Labs', but you can check them out, just make certain you 'read all about them, before you turn them on.'