diff --git a/app/index.tsx b/app/index.tsx
index c52b0ef..f17fe96 100644
--- a/app/index.tsx
+++ b/app/index.tsx
@@ -1,17 +1,20 @@
-import { useCallback, useContext, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useContext, useEffect } from 'react';
 
-import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
+import { SplashScreen } from 'expo-router';
 import { StatusBar, View } from 'react-native';
 import { ThemeContext } from 'react-native-ficus-ui';
 
-import theme, { THEME_KEY } from '@/theme';
+import useAuthStore from '@/modules/auth/auth.store';
+import theme from '@/theme';
+
+// Prevent native splash screen from autohiding before App component declaration
+SplashScreen.preventAutoHideAsync();
 
 const Index = () => {
   const { setTheme } = useContext(ThemeContext);
-
-  const loadTheme = useCallback(async () => {
-    const themeValue = await AsyncStorage.getItem(THEME_KEY);
-    if (themeValue === 'dark') {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const appMode = useAuthStore.getState().appMode;
+    if (appMode === 'dark') {
       setTheme(theme.dark);
       StatusBar.setBarStyle('light-content');
     } else {
@@ -20,10 +23,6 @@ const Index = () => {
     }
   }, []);
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    loadTheme();
-  }, [loadTheme]);
-
   return <View></View>;
 };
 export default Index;
diff --git a/src/modules/auth/auth.hook.ts b/src/modules/auth/auth.hook.ts
index 8587561..555ed8d 100644
--- a/src/modules/auth/auth.hook.ts
+++ b/src/modules/auth/auth.hook.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
-import { useLayoutEffect, useMemo } from 'react';
-
-import { useRootNavigationState, useRouter, useSegments } from 'expo-router';
+import { useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
+
+import {
+  SplashScreen,
+  useRootNavigationState,
+  useRouter,
+  useSegments,
+} from 'expo-router';
 import { useShallow } from 'zustand/react/shallow';
 
 import useAuthStore from '@/modules/auth/auth.store';
@@ -11,7 +16,7 @@ const useProtectedRoute = () => {
   const router = useRouter();
   const isAuthentificated = useAuthStore(useShallow((state) => !!state.token));
   const isHydrated = useAuthStore(useShallow((state) => state.isHydrated));
-
+  const currentRouteRef = useRef<'auth' | 'tabs' | null>(null);
   const navigationKey = useMemo(() => {
     return rootNavigationState?.key;
   }, [rootNavigationState]);
@@ -22,11 +27,18 @@ const useProtectedRoute = () => {
     if (!navigationKey || !isHydrated) {
       return;
     }
+    SplashScreen.hideAsync();
 
-    if (!isAuthentificated && !inAuthGroup) {
+    if (
+      !isAuthentificated &&
+      !inAuthGroup &&
+      currentRouteRef.current !== 'auth'
+    ) {
       router.replace('/onboarding');
-    } else if (isAuthentificated && inAuthGroup) {
+      currentRouteRef.current = 'auth';
+    } else if (isAuthentificated && currentRouteRef.current !== 'tabs') {
       router.replace('/(tabs)/home');
+      currentRouteRef.current = 'tabs';
     }
   }, [isAuthentificated, segments, navigationKey, isHydrated]);
 };
diff --git a/src/modules/auth/auth.store.ts b/src/modules/auth/auth.store.ts
index 1997e42..4ba387a 100644
--- a/src/modules/auth/auth.store.ts
+++ b/src/modules/auth/auth.store.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
+import { Appearance } from 'react-native';
 import { create } from 'zustand';
 import { createJSONStorage, devtools, persist } from 'zustand/middleware';
 
@@ -8,16 +9,26 @@ import { AUTH_STORAGE_KEY } from '@/modules/auth/auth.constants';
 type AuthState = {
   token: string | null;
   setToken: (newToken: string | null) => void;
+  appMode: 'light' | 'dark';
+  setAppMode: (newAppMode: 'light' | 'dark') => void;
   logout: () => void;
   isHydrated: boolean;
   setIsHydrated: (isHydrated: boolean) => void;
 };
 
+// Apperance is a React Native API that allows you to determine if the user prefers a dark or light mode
+const DEFAULT_SYSTEM_MODE =
+  Appearance.getColorScheme() === 'dark' ? 'dark' : 'light';
+
 const useAuthStore = create<AuthState>()(
   devtools(
     persist(
       (set) => ({
         isHydrated: false,
+        appMode: DEFAULT_SYSTEM_MODE,
+        setAppMode: (newAppMode: 'light' | 'dark') => {
+          set({ appMode: newAppMode });
+        },
         token: null,
         setIsHydrated: (isHydrated: boolean) => {
           set({ isHydrated });
@@ -33,13 +44,14 @@ const useAuthStore = create<AuthState>()(
       {
         name: AUTH_STORAGE_KEY,
         storage: createJSONStorage(() => AsyncStorage), // Specifying the storage
-        partialize: (state) => ({ token: state.token }), // Persist only the token
-        onRehydrateStorage: () => (state, error) => { // Called when the storage is rehydrated
+        partialize: (state) => ({ token: state.token, appMode: state.appMode }), // Persist only the token and app mode
+        onRehydrateStorage: () => (state, error) => {
+          // Called when the storage is rehydrated
           if (error) {
             console.error(error);
           }
           state?.setIsHydrated?.(true);
-        }
+        },
       }
     )
   )
diff --git a/src/theme/useDarkMode.ts b/src/theme/useDarkMode.ts
index ea66650..dccc7c1 100644
--- a/src/theme/useDarkMode.ts
+++ b/src/theme/useDarkMode.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 import { useCallback } from 'react';
 
-import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
 import { StatusBar } from 'react-native';
 import { useTheme } from 'react-native-ficus-ui';
 
-import ficusThemes, { THEME_KEY } from '@/theme';
+import useAuthStore from '@/modules/auth/auth.store';
+import ficusThemes from '@/theme';
 
 export const useDarkMode = () => {
   const { theme, setTheme } = useTheme();
+  const setAppMode = useAuthStore((state) => state.setAppMode);
 
   const colorModeValue = useCallback(
     <Value = unknown>(lightValue: Value, darkValue: Value) =>
@@ -18,14 +19,14 @@ export const useDarkMode = () => {
   const setColorMode = async (colorMode: 'dark' | 'light') => {
     setTheme(ficusThemes[colorMode]);
     StatusBar.setBarStyle(`${colorMode}-content`);
-    await AsyncStorage.setItem(THEME_KEY, colorMode);
+    setAppMode(colorMode);
   };
 
-  const toggleColorMode = async () => {
+  const toggleColorMode = () => {
     const newTheme = theme.name === 'dark' ? 'light' : 'dark';
     StatusBar.setBarStyle(`${theme.name as 'dark' | 'light'}-content`);
     setTheme(ficusThemes[newTheme]);
-    await AsyncStorage.setItem(THEME_KEY, newTheme);
+    setAppMode(newTheme);
   };
 
   const getThemeColor = (color: `${string}.${ColorShade}`) => {