[Feature]: Dynamic/Automatic system-wide dark and light mode toggle

[TheDifferentOne]

Problem Statement

There isn't really a problem, but it would be a nice touch to have a feature that automates the system theme based on the environment. For example, when I am inside my home, I want dark mode, but the second I step outside into bright sunlight, it would be great if the phone adapted automatically without me needing to toggle it manually.

Proposed Solution

I would love to see a feature added to Essentials that automatically switches the global system between dark and light modes using the phone's ambient light sensor.

Since Essentials is all about display utilities, per-app controls, and handy system tweaks, adding this capability just perfectly suits the app's overall purpose 👌🏻

A great implementation example of this is the "Adaptive Theme" app, but that's an extra app to install 😅

Alternatives Considered

No response

Priority

Medium - Would improve my experience

Contribution

• I would be willing to implement this feature

Additional Context

No response

[sameerasw]

There's an issue with this... Android never had a smooth dark/ light mode switch experience. If you use the built-in dark theme schedule, you know that it only changes the theme once you turn the screen off not while using. Because it often resets the current app's state and also can cause lags and frame drops.

So when we think about a dynamic theme which reacts to ambient lighting and such, then it is not gonna be a practical implementation.

How does the app you mentioned handle this?

[TheDifferentOne]

Yeah thats a good point actually, having apps lag or reset while u r in the middle of using them would be a terrible UX

Thats why I think the "Adaptive Theme" app actually solves this by avoiding background monitoring entirely. According to their documentation I quote:

To avoid screen flicker and unnecessary background work, Adaptive Theme follows a strict, event-driven model:

• Screen-on trigger — The light sensor is only sampled right after the screen turns on, not continuously.
• Obstruction check — Validates that the sensor is not covered (e.g. by a hand or pocket).
• Instant apply — The theme is switched before you start interacting.

This design ensures mid-session theme changes never interrupt your use, since some apps handle live theme changes poorly.

Honestly, this seems like a perfect compromise. We don't really need the theme to dynamically change in the background while we are actively using the phone. Just sampling it once at screen-on completely protects the battery, stops background drain, and prevents any app crashes or frame drops

In fact, I actually simulated and implemented this exact behavior myself using MacroDroid without needing the 3rdparty app

The main reason I thought this would be a great addition to Essentials is for the clean UX that Essentials spoils us with 😂❤️🌟. An average, everyday user isn't going to download and configure MacroDroid just to get this working. Having it built natively into a clean display utility app like Essentials would make this seamless workaround accessible to everyone

[sameerasw]

I will look into this but if the switch is not possible with lags or apps beign reset it might not be idea.. will keep testing :)