diff --git a/common/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/common/domain/theme/AppTheme.kt b/common/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/common/domain/theme/AppTheme.kt
index d7ced4ebd4..230af7338b 100644
--- a/common/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/common/domain/theme/AppTheme.kt
+++ b/common/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/common/domain/theme/AppTheme.kt
@@ -27,10 +27,8 @@ import javax.inject.Inject
 class AppTheme @Inject constructor(
     private val appPrefRepo: IAppPreferencesRepository
 ) {
-    val preferredTheme: Single<ColorTheme> = Single.just(ColorTheme.LIGHT)
-        /* TODO: uncomment the line below when dark mode is supported:
-         * // get() = preferredTheme()
-         */
+    val preferredTheme: Single<ColorTheme>
+        get() = preferredTheme()
 
     private fun preferredTheme(): Single<ColorTheme> {
         return appPrefRepo.appTheme()
diff --git a/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/components/drawer/SettingsView.kt b/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/components/drawer/SettingsView.kt
index dae5eea34a..a82f76de2d 100644
--- a/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/components/drawer/SettingsView.kt
+++ b/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/components/drawer/SettingsView.kt
@@ -149,8 +149,15 @@ class SettingsView : View() {
                 vbox {
                     addClass("app-drawer__section")
 
-                    label(messages["playbackSettings"]).apply {
-                        addClass("app-drawer__subtitle--small")
+                    hbox {
+                        spacing = 10.0
+                        label(messages["playbackSettings"]).apply {
+                            addClass("app-drawer__subtitle--small")
+                        }
+                        progressindicator {
+                            prefWidth = 25.0
+                            prefHeight = 25.0
+                        }
                     }
 
                     combobox(viewModel.selectedOutputDeviceProperty, viewModel.outputDevices) {
@@ -174,8 +181,15 @@ class SettingsView : View() {
                         }
                     }
 
-                    label(messages["recordSettings"]).apply {
-                        addClass("app-drawer__subtitle--small")
+                    hbox {
+                        spacing = 10.0
+                        label(messages["recordSettings"]).apply {
+                            addClass("app-drawer__subtitle--small")
+                        }
+                        progressindicator {
+                            prefWidth = 25.0
+                            prefHeight = 25.0
+                        }
                     }
                     combobox(viewModel.selectedInputDeviceProperty, viewModel.inputDevices) {
                         addClass("wa-combobox")
@@ -415,9 +429,7 @@ class SettingsView : View() {
         // Devices are refreshed on dock and on drawer event otherwise it is not loaded the first time.
         subscribe<DrawerEvent<UIComponent>> {
             if (it.action == DrawerEventAction.OPEN) {
-                viewModel.refreshDevices()
-                focusCloseButton()
-                resetUpdateLanguagesStatus()
+                openDrawer()
             }
         }
     }
@@ -466,8 +478,16 @@ class SettingsView : View() {
         }
     }
 
+    private fun openDrawer() {
+        viewModel.refreshDevices()
+        focusCloseButton()
+        resetUpdateLanguagesStatus()
+        viewModel.watchForNewDevices()
+    }
+
     private fun collapse() {
         fire(DrawerEvent(this::class, DrawerEventAction.CLOSE))
+        viewModel.onDrawerCollapsed()
     }
 
     private fun initChangeLanguageDialog() {
diff --git a/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/viewmodel/SettingsViewModel.kt b/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/viewmodel/SettingsViewModel.kt
index 2b53a24dc8..86ae63a0dc 100644
--- a/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/viewmodel/SettingsViewModel.kt
+++ b/jvm/workbookapp/src/main/kotlin/org/wycliffeassociates/otter/jvm/workbookapp/ui/viewmodel/SettingsViewModel.kt
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ package org.wycliffeassociates.otter.jvm.workbookapp.ui.viewmodel
 
 import com.github.thomasnield.rxkotlinfx.observeOnFx
 import com.jthemedetecor.OsThemeDetector
+import io.reactivex.Observable
+import io.reactivex.disposables.CompositeDisposable
+import io.reactivex.rxkotlin.addTo
 import io.reactivex.schedulers.Schedulers
 import javafx.beans.property.SimpleBooleanProperty
 import javafx.beans.property.SimpleObjectProperty
@@ -41,6 +44,7 @@ import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.jvm.device.audio.AudioDeviceProvider
 import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.jvm.workbookapp.di.IDependencyGraphProvider
 import org.wycliffeassociates.otter.jvm.workbookapp.ui.components.drawer.ThemeColorEvent
 import tornadofx.*
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit
 import javax.inject.Inject
 
 class SettingsViewModel : ViewModel() {
@@ -80,6 +84,7 @@ class SettingsViewModel : ViewModel() {
     val appColorMode = SimpleObjectProperty<ColorTheme>()
     private val osThemeDetector = OsThemeDetector.getDetector()
     private val isOSDarkMode = SimpleBooleanProperty(osThemeDetector.isDark)
+    private val disposableDeviceWatcher = CompositeDisposable()
 
     val orientationProperty = SimpleObjectProperty<NodeOrientation>()
     val orientationScaleProperty = orientationProperty.doubleBinding {
@@ -125,6 +130,7 @@ class SettingsViewModel : ViewModel() {
         loadCurrentInputDevice()
         loadLanguageNamesUrl()
         loadDefaultLanguageNamesUrl()
+        watchForNewDevices()
 
         supportedThemes.setAll(ColorTheme.values().asList())
         theme.preferredTheme
@@ -259,6 +265,21 @@ class SettingsViewModel : ViewModel() {
         loadCurrentInputDevice()
     }
 
+    fun watchForNewDevices() {
+        disposableDeviceWatcher.clear()
+        Observable
+            .interval(2, 2, TimeUnit.SECONDS)
+            .subscribeOn(Schedulers.io())
+            .observeOnFx()
+            .subscribe {
+                refreshDevices()
+            }.addTo(disposableDeviceWatcher)
+    }
+
+    fun onDrawerCollapsed() {
+        disposableDeviceWatcher.clear()
+    }
+
     fun updateLanguage(language: Language) {
         logger.info("Selected app language: ${language.slug}")
         localeLanguage.setPreferredLanguage(language)