An Apple Music design update in iOS 26.4 that adjusts interface colours to match album artwork is causing problems for dark mode users, with albums featuring predominantly white covers producing sudden, intense bursts of bright light on screen.
The issue has generated sustained criticism on the Apple Music subreddit since the update's release, with some users describing the effect as "flash bangs," according to 9to5Mac.
The behaviour is a consequence of the new adaptive theming system, which dynamically shifts interface colours based on the dominant tones in album artwork, a feature that works as intended for colourful or dark covers but becomes jarring when bright or white artwork triggers a near-white screen in an otherwise dark interface.
No official fix is available yet, as resolving the issue permanently would require Apple to release a software update, either by introducing a darker adaptive palette or adding a toggle that preserves dark mode when artwork is bright.
In the meantime, 9to5Mac recommends enabling the Increase Contrast accessibility option, which keeps the song list background black in dark mode while allowing the top portion of the screen to still reflect the album art colours.
To apply the change system-wide, go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Display and Text Size, and enable the Increase Contrast toggle.
Users who want the change to apply only within Apple Music can use per-app accessibility settings instead: go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Per-App Settings, add Apple Music, and enable Increase Contrast for that app alone.
To revert the change, return to Per-App Settings and delete the Apple Music customisation.
The recap
- Apple Music now adapts interface colors to album artwork.
- Feature rolled out with iOS 26.4, per 9to5Mac report.
- Users can enable Increase Contrast or set per-app customization.