There are several reasons for this. Some more important than others.
As mentioned by other commenters white UIs tend to be much more taxing on the eyes. It’s also much harder to find the things you’re looking for, especially in the complex interfaces.
Another big reason is the need for a fresh outlook and change. This often overlooked aspect of any product, people love to refresh even if it’s just the theme switch. I’ve seen a lot of users lose their minds over simple color inversion where previously white UI with black text/icons became dark grey with white text. Even if the interaction remained the same.
From extensive is qualitative research, none of these users had any preference for dark mode. What made the difference was simply an introduction of a different outlook to the same thing. It’s like when Apple introduced a limited edition black MacBooks back in the day - people lost their minds and wanted it. It’s exclusive, it’s the same but also new. Now Apple roles out colors not only to their hardware but also UI and people loved it. For some time at least.
Needless to say, the initial euphoria and joy subside really quickly, as people tend to get used to these changes very quickly. And I’ve seen users switch back white within days. Or lose their minds when a new version role out with another visual tweak.
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