[Mobile - Canvas Teacher] Add theme editor for dark mode

[patrickdorls]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

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Problem statement:

The new dark mode for the Canvas apps is a nice feature that allows users to customise their Canvas experience on the mobile devices. But it generates new dilemmas to apply accessible layouts: every organisation has the possibility to customise the Canvas layout, e.g. which colours are used as primary and secondary colours and for links. At our university, we focused on link colours that have a contrast ratio higher than 4.5:1. Our dark red links have a contrast ratio of 6.36:1 on white background. With the dark mode, new problems arise. For us, the contrast decreases to 3.29:1 for our dark red links on black background which is not compatible with the web accessibility standards. It's hard to find colours that have ratio higher than 4.5 on both white and black background.

Proposed solution:

In the theme editor for admins, add the possibility to adjust the colours for the dark mode in the apps. Add an accessibility checker when setting the themes. This will make it easier for more users to enjoy the dark mode and have accessible content.

User role(s):

admin,instructor,student,ta,designer,observer

[KatieDatko]

Thanks for posting! I don't see a way to vote, but I absolutely support this! 

[patrickdorls]

@KatieDatko  I'm glad to hear that you support my idea. You can vote by giving stars.

[jozsefdavid]

Hi @patrickdorls ,

Thank you for sharing your post. As the product manager for Canvas Mobile apps, I would like to inquire if the issue you mentioned is still ongoing. Since then, we have implemented a feature that allows users to switch the custom content back to its original state. To gain a better understanding of your specific situation, I'll be reaching out to you privately.

The feature I was mentioning should appear on the top of all user content as a button. Please check the screenshot.

[patrickdorls]

Hi @jozsefdavid ,

thanks for your reply. When I added my post, there was no "Switch to Light Mode" button yet. I think this solves the problem so that a specific theme editor for the apps is not necessary anymore.

Thanks for implementing that button to allow users to switch quickly between light and dark mode without having to go into the app-settings.

Have a nice day

Patrick

[KristinL]

Comments from Instructure

For more information, please see:

• Canvas APP Student Release Notes (iOS 6.16) 
• Canvas APP Teacher Release Notes (iOS 1.16) 
• Canvas APP Parent Release Notes (iOS 3.6) 
• Canvas Student Release Notes (Android 6.18) 
• Canvas Teacher Release Notes (Android 1.18) 
• Canvas Teacher Release Notes (Android 1.18)