What you can change on your iPhone's display

Your iPhone lets you change colors in several places: the home screen background, the lock screen appearance, accent colors in apps, and the overall light or dark mode. The exact options depend on which iPhone model you have and which version of iOS is installed. You cannot change the color of the physical phone itself through settings — that requires a case or skin — but you can control nearly everything you see on the screen.

The most visible change most people make is switching between Light Mode and Dark Mode, which flips the background from white to black and adjusts text colors to match. You can also set a custom wallpaper, which changes the background behind your apps and on your lock screen. Some newer iPhones let you customize the lock screen clock color and notification style as well.

Key Takeaways

  • Light Mode and Dark Mode are found in Settings > Display & Brightness and control whether your screen background is white or black.
  • You can set different wallpapers for your lock screen and home screen by going to Settings > Wallpaper > Add New Wallpaper.
  • On iPhone 14 and newer, you can customize the lock screen clock color and widget colors by long-pressing the lock screen and tapping Customize.
  • Some apps let you change their accent color through their own settings, separate from your system-wide color choices.
  • You can schedule Light Mode and Dark Mode to switch automatically at sunrise and sunset.

Switching between Light Mode and Dark Mode

Light Mode shows a white background with dark text. Dark Mode shows a black or dark gray background with light text. To switch between them, open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, and select either Light or Dark. You can also set it to Automatic, which switches based on the time of day.

If you choose Automatic, your phone will switch to Dark Mode at sunset and back to Light Mode at sunrise, using your location to calculate those times. You can also set a custom schedule: tap Automatic, then tap Options at the bottom, and choose Schedule to pick exact times instead of sunset and sunrise.

Changing your wallpaper and lock screen colors

Your wallpaper is the background image you see behind your app icons and on your lock screen. To change it, open Settings, tap Wallpaper, then tap Add New Wallpaper. You can choose from Apple's built-in collections, use a photo from your camera roll, or create a solid color background.

On iPhone 14 and newer models, you can customize the lock screen further by long-pressing the lock screen itself (not in Settings) and tapping Customize. This lets you change the color of the clock, adjust which widgets appear, and set different styles for notifications. Tap and hold the clock to see color options — you can choose from preset colors or create a custom color by tapping the color wheel.

You can have different wallpapers for your lock screen and home screen. When you add a new wallpaper, you will be asked whether to explore it to the lock screen, home screen, or both. If you want them different, add one wallpaper to the lock screen, then add another to the home screen.

Customizing app accent colors

Some apps let you change their accent color — the color used for buttons, links, and highlights — through their own settings. This is separate from your system-wide color choices. Open the app, go to its settings (usually found by tapping a gear icon or your profile picture), and look for options labeled "Theme," "Appearance," or "Color."

Not all apps offer this feature. If an app does not have a color option in its settings, it will use whatever Light or Dark Mode your phone is set to, but you cannot change its specific accent color. Built-in Apple apps like Mail and Notes follow your system Light or Dark Mode setting but do not have separate color customization.

Using color filters and accessibility options

If you want to change how colors appear across your entire screen — for example, to reduce blue light before bed or to adjust for color blindness — you can use color filters. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, then Display & Text Size, and scroll down to Color Filters. Turn on the toggle and choose a filter type.

The available filters include Grayscale (removes all color), Red/Green (for red-green color blindness), Blue/Yellow (for blue-yellow color blindness), and Tint (lets you adjust the overall color tone). You can also set a schedule so the filter turns on automatically at a certain time. This does not change your actual settings — it is a visual overlay that affects only what you see on screen.

Scheduling automatic color changes

You can set your iPhone to automatically switch between Light and Dark Mode at specific times or based on sunset and sunrise. Open Settings, tap Display & Brightness, select Automatic, then tap Options. Choose Schedule and set the times you want the switch to happen.

This is useful if you prefer Dark Mode in the evening but Light Mode during the day. Your phone will make the switch at the times you set without you having to change it manually. You can turn off automatic switching at any time by going back to Display & Brightness and selecting either Light or Dark instead of Automatic.

What to do if color changes are not working

If you change a setting and the color does not update, try restarting your iPhone. Press and hold the power button and either volume button until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off the phone. Wait a few seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on.

If a specific app is not showing color changes, make sure you have the latest version installed. Open the App Store, tap your profile picture in the top right, scroll down, and look for the app in the list of available updates. If the app has an update waiting, tap Update. Some color customization features are only available on newer iOS versions, so check Settings > General > Software Update to see if your phone needs an update.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set different colors for different times of day?

You can schedule Light Mode and Dark Mode to switch at specific times or at sunset and sunrise. However, you cannot set the wallpaper or lock screen colors to change automatically on a schedule — those stay the same until you manually change them.

Why does Dark Mode look different on my iPhone than on my friend's?

Different iPhone models and iOS versions may display Dark Mode slightly differently. Older iPhones use pure black, while newer models use dark gray. Also, if you have a custom wallpaper set, it affects how the overall screen looks even in Dark Mode.

Can I change the color of the keyboard?

The keyboard color follows your Light or Dark Mode setting automatically. If you are in Light Mode, the keyboard is light; in Dark Mode, it is dark. You cannot set a custom keyboard color separate from this.

Does changing to Dark Mode save battery?

On iPhones with OLED screens (iPhone 12 and newer), Dark Mode uses slightly less battery because black pixels use less power than white ones. On older iPhones with LCD screens, the difference is negligible.