diff --git a/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterView.java b/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterView.java
index 2d10a20dba1..1412d9daaa8 100644
--- a/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterView.java
+++ b/shell/platform/android/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterView.java
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 package io.flutter.embedding.android;
 
-import android.annotation.TargetApi;
 import android.annotation.SuppressLint;
+import android.annotation.TargetApi;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.res.Configuration;
 import android.graphics.Insets;
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ import io.flutter.embedding.engine.FlutterEngine;
 import io.flutter.embedding.engine.renderer.FlutterRenderer;
 import io.flutter.embedding.engine.renderer.FlutterUiDisplayListener;
 import io.flutter.embedding.engine.renderer.RenderSurface;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.systemchannels.SettingsChannel;
 import io.flutter.plugin.editing.TextInputPlugin;
 import io.flutter.plugin.platform.PlatformViewsController;
 import io.flutter.view.AccessibilityBridge;
@@ -761,10 +762,19 @@ public class FlutterView extends FrameLayout {
    *
    * FlutterEngine must be non-null when this method is invoked.
    */
-  private void sendUserSettingsToFlutter() {
-    flutterEngine.getSettingsChannel().startMessage()
+  @VisibleForTesting
+  /* package */ void sendUserSettingsToFlutter() {
+    // Lookup the current brightness of the Android OS.
+    boolean isNightModeOn = (getResources().getConfiguration().uiMode & Configuration.UI_MODE_NIGHT_MASK) == Configuration.UI_MODE_NIGHT_YES;
+    SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness brightness = isNightModeOn
+        ? SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness.dark
+        : SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness.light;
+
+    flutterEngine.getSettingsChannel()
+        .startMessage()
         .setTextScaleFactor(getResources().getConfiguration().fontScale)
         .setUse24HourFormat(DateFormat.is24HourFormat(getContext()))
+        .setPlatformBrightness(brightness)
         .send();
   }
 
diff --git a/shell/platform/android/test/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterViewTest.java b/shell/platform/android/test/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterViewTest.java
index fe87fc8954d..239045b07d4 100644
--- a/shell/platform/android/test/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterViewTest.java
+++ b/shell/platform/android/test/io/flutter/embedding/android/FlutterViewTest.java
@@ -1,12 +1,30 @@
 package io.flutter.embedding.android;
 
+import android.content.Context;
+import android.content.res.Configuration;
+import android.content.res.Resources;
+import android.support.annotation.NonNull;
+
+import static junit.framework.TestCase.assertEquals;
+import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.reset;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 import io.flutter.embedding.engine.FlutterJNI;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.dart.DartExecutor;
 import io.flutter.embedding.engine.loader.FlutterLoader;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.plugins.activity.ActivityControlSurface;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.renderer.FlutterRenderer;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.systemchannels.AccessibilityChannel;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.systemchannels.LifecycleChannel;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.systemchannels.LocalizationChannel;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.systemchannels.NavigationChannel;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.systemchannels.SettingsChannel;
+import io.flutter.embedding.engine.systemchannels.SystemChannel;
 import io.flutter.plugin.platform.PlatformViewsController;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -14,10 +32,14 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.MockitoAnnotations;
 import org.mockito.Spy;
+import org.mockito.invocation.InvocationOnMock;
+import org.mockito.stubbing.Answer;
 import org.robolectric.RobolectricTestRunner;
 import org.robolectric.RuntimeEnvironment;
 import org.robolectric.annotation.Config;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
+
 import io.flutter.embedding.engine.FlutterEngine;
 
 @Config(manifest = Config.NONE)
@@ -44,15 +66,88 @@ public class FlutterViewTest {
     verify(platformViewsController, times(1)).attachToView(flutterView);
   }
 
-   @Test
-   public void detachFromFlutterEngine_alertsPlatformViews() {
-     FlutterView flutterView = new FlutterView(RuntimeEnvironment.application);
-     FlutterEngine flutterEngine = spy(new FlutterEngine(RuntimeEnvironment.application, mockFlutterLoader, mockFlutterJni));
-     when(flutterEngine.getPlatformViewsController()).thenReturn(platformViewsController);
+  @Test
+  public void detachFromFlutterEngine_alertsPlatformViews() {
+    FlutterView flutterView = new FlutterView(RuntimeEnvironment.application);
+    FlutterEngine flutterEngine = spy(new FlutterEngine(RuntimeEnvironment.application, mockFlutterLoader, mockFlutterJni));
+    when(flutterEngine.getPlatformViewsController()).thenReturn(platformViewsController);
 
-     flutterView.attachToFlutterEngine(flutterEngine);
-     flutterView.detachFromFlutterEngine();
+    flutterView.attachToFlutterEngine(flutterEngine);
+    flutterView.detachFromFlutterEngine();
 
-     verify(platformViewsController, times(1)).detachFromView();
-   }
+    verify(platformViewsController, times(1)).detachFromView();
+  }
+
+  // TODO(mattcarroll): turn this into an e2e test. GitHub #42990
+  @Test
+  public void itSendsLightPlatformBrightnessToFlutter() {
+    // Setup test.
+    AtomicReference<SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness> reportedBrightness = new AtomicReference<>();
+
+    // FYI - The default brightness is LIGHT, which is why we don't need to configure it.
+    FlutterView flutterView = new FlutterView(RuntimeEnvironment.application);
+    FlutterEngine flutterEngine = spy(new FlutterEngine(RuntimeEnvironment.application, mockFlutterLoader, mockFlutterJni));
+
+    SettingsChannel fakeSettingsChannel = mock(SettingsChannel.class);
+    SettingsChannel.MessageBuilder fakeMessageBuilder = mock(SettingsChannel.MessageBuilder.class);
+    when(fakeMessageBuilder.setTextScaleFactor(any(Float.class))).thenReturn(fakeMessageBuilder);
+    when(fakeMessageBuilder.setUse24HourFormat(any(Boolean.class))).thenReturn(fakeMessageBuilder);
+    when(fakeMessageBuilder.setPlatformBrightness(any(SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness.class))).thenAnswer(new Answer<SettingsChannel.MessageBuilder>() {
+     @Override
+     public SettingsChannel.MessageBuilder answer(InvocationOnMock invocation) throws Throwable {
+       reportedBrightness.set((SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness) invocation.getArguments()[0]);
+       return fakeMessageBuilder;
+     }
+    });
+    when(fakeSettingsChannel.startMessage()).thenReturn(fakeMessageBuilder);
+    when(flutterEngine.getSettingsChannel()).thenReturn(fakeSettingsChannel);
+
+    flutterView.attachToFlutterEngine(flutterEngine);
+
+    // Execute behavior under test.
+    flutterView.sendUserSettingsToFlutter();
+
+    // Verify results.
+    assertEquals(SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness.light, reportedBrightness.get());
+  }
+
+  // TODO(mattcarroll): turn this into an e2e test. GitHub #42990
+  @Test
+  public void itSendsDarkPlatformBrightnessToFlutter() {
+    // Setup test.
+    AtomicReference<SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness> reportedBrightness = new AtomicReference<>();
+
+    Context spiedContext = spy(RuntimeEnvironment.application);
+
+    Resources spiedResources = spy(spiedContext.getResources());
+    when(spiedContext.getResources()).thenReturn(spiedResources);
+
+    Configuration spiedConfiguration = spy(spiedResources.getConfiguration());
+    spiedConfiguration.uiMode = (spiedResources.getConfiguration().uiMode | Configuration.UI_MODE_NIGHT_YES) & ~Configuration.UI_MODE_NIGHT_NO;
+    when(spiedResources.getConfiguration()).thenReturn(spiedConfiguration);
+
+    FlutterView flutterView = new FlutterView(spiedContext);
+    FlutterEngine flutterEngine = spy(new FlutterEngine(RuntimeEnvironment.application, mockFlutterLoader, mockFlutterJni));
+
+    SettingsChannel fakeSettingsChannel = mock(SettingsChannel.class);
+    SettingsChannel.MessageBuilder fakeMessageBuilder = mock(SettingsChannel.MessageBuilder.class);
+    when(fakeMessageBuilder.setTextScaleFactor(any(Float.class))).thenReturn(fakeMessageBuilder);
+    when(fakeMessageBuilder.setUse24HourFormat(any(Boolean.class))).thenReturn(fakeMessageBuilder);
+    when(fakeMessageBuilder.setPlatformBrightness(any(SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness.class))).thenAnswer(new Answer<SettingsChannel.MessageBuilder>() {
+      @Override
+      public SettingsChannel.MessageBuilder answer(InvocationOnMock invocation) throws Throwable {
+        reportedBrightness.set((SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness) invocation.getArguments()[0]);
+        return fakeMessageBuilder;
+      }
+    });
+    when(fakeSettingsChannel.startMessage()).thenReturn(fakeMessageBuilder);
+    when(flutterEngine.getSettingsChannel()).thenReturn(fakeSettingsChannel);
+
+    // Execute behavior under test.
+    flutterView.attachToFlutterEngine(flutterEngine);
+    flutterView.sendUserSettingsToFlutter();
+
+    // Verify results.
+    assertEquals(SettingsChannel.PlatformBrightness.dark, reportedBrightness.get());
+  }
 }