Where to find text color options on your iPhone

Text color on an iPhone depends on what app you're using and what you're trying to change. The iPhone itself doesn't have a system-wide setting that changes all text everywhere — instead, each app handles its own colors. You can change text color in Notes, Messages, Mail, and some other built-in apps, but the steps differ for each one.

The most common place people want to change text color is in the Notes app, where you can highlight text in different colors or change the color of the text itself. Mail also lets you change text color when you're composing a message. If you're looking to change text color in a third-party app like Word or Google Docs, those apps have their own color tools buried in their formatting menus.

Key Takeaways

  • In the Notes app, select text, tap the paintbrush icon, and choose a color from the menu that appears.
  • In Mail, compose a message, select your text, tap the arrow icon, and look for text formatting options including color.
  • The iPhone does not have a master setting to change all text colors system-wide — each app manages its own colors.
  • Some third-party apps like Microsoft Word and Google Docs have color tools in their formatting menus, but the location varies by app.
  • If an app doesn't show color options, it may not support text color changes, and you may need to use a different app instead.

Changing text color in the Notes app

Open Notes and create a new note or open an existing one. Type or select the text you want to change. If you're selecting existing text, tap and drag to highlight it, or double-tap a word and then tap "Select All" if you want to change the whole note.

Once your text is selected, look for the paintbrush icon in the toolbar above the keyboard. Tap it, and a color palette will appear with options like yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, blue, and green. Tap the color you want. The selected text will change to that color when ready. You can change different parts of the same note to different colors by repeating this process.

If you don't see the paintbrush icon, swipe left in the toolbar to reveal more options. On older iPhone models or iOS versions, the icon location may vary slightly, but the paintbrush is always the tool for text color in Notes.

Changing text color in Mail

Open Mail and tap the compose button to start a new message. Type your message or select text you've already written. To select text, tap and drag to highlight it, or double-tap a word and use the handles to expand the selection.

With text selected, tap the arrow or formatting icon (it looks like "Aa" with lines) in the toolbar above the keyboard. A menu will appear with options for bold, italic, underline, and other formatting. Look for a color option — it may appear as a colored circle or "Text Color" label. Tap it to see the available colors, then choose the one you want.

Not all versions of iOS show the color option in Mail's formatting menu. If you don't see it, your iPhone's iOS version may not support text color in Mail, and you may need to update your device or use a different email app.

Changing text color in third-party apps

Apps like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Pages all have text color tools, but the location and name vary. In most of these apps, you select your text first, then look for a formatting menu — often labeled with an "A" or paintbrush icon, or hidden under a three-dot menu.

In Microsoft Word for iPhone, select text, tap the pen icon at the bottom, then look for "Text Color" in the formatting options. In Google Docs, select text, tap the three-dot menu, and choose "Text color" from the formatting submenu. In Pages, select text and tap the paintbrush icon in the toolbar.

If you can't find a color option in an app, check the app's help section or settings. Some apps don't support text color changes, or they may hide the feature in an unexpected location. You can also try updating the app to see if a newer version includes the feature.

Why some apps don't show text color options

Not every app on your iPhone lets you change text color. straightforward messaging apps, note-taking apps designed for plain text, and some older apps may not include this feature. This is usually a choice by the app's developer — they may want to keep the interface straightforward or may not have built the feature in.

If an app you use regularly doesn't support text color, you have a few options. You can switch to a different app that does support it, you can contact the app's developer to request the feature, or you can work around it by copying and pasting text into an app that does support color (like Notes) and then copying it back.

Using text color with accessibility settings

If you have vision accessibility settings turned on, text color options may appear or behave differently. The iPhone's "Increase Contrast" or "Reduce Transparency" settings can affect how colored text appears on your screen. If colored text is hard to read, check your accessibility settings under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.

You can also turn on "Bold Text" or increase the text size to make colored text easier to read. These settings work alongside text color and don't prevent you from changing colors — they just make the text more visible once you've changed it.

What to do if text color changes aren't working

If you select text and tap the color icon but nothing happens, try closing the app and opening it again. Sometimes the app needs to refresh to show the color menu properly. If that doesn't work, restart your iPhone by turning it off and back on.

If the problem continues, check that you're running the latest version of iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates. Outdated iOS versions sometimes have bugs that prevent formatting features from working. If you're still having trouble after updating, the app itself may have a bug, and you may need to wait for the developer to release a fix.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the color of text in iMessage or text messages?

The Messages app does not support changing text color in the traditional sense. You cannot make individual words or sentences appear in different colors. However, you can use emoji, stickers, and effects to add visual variety to your messages, and some third-party keyboard apps offer colored text options, though these are limited.

Will text color changes show up on the other person's phone?

It depends on the app. In Notes, if you share a note with someone, the colors will show up on their device. In Mail, colored text usually appears on the recipient's end, but some email clients may not display colors the same way. In Messages, colored text is not supported, so this question doesn't explore.

Can I change the default text color for all notes at once?

No, the iPhone does not have a setting to change the default text color for new notes. You have to change the color of each note or section individually. If you want all your notes in a certain color, you'll need to select and recolor them one by one, or look for a third-party notes app that lets you set a default color.

What if my iPhone is too old to support text color changes?

Very old iPhone models running older versions of iOS may not have text color features in some apps. If your iPhone cannot update to a recent iOS version, you may not be able to use text color in Notes or Mail. Check Settings > General > Software Update to see if your device can update, and if not, you may need to use a different app or device.