Change your iPhone's color settings through Display & Brightness or Accessibility

You can adjust how colors appear on your iPhone in two main places: Display & Brightness (which changes the overall screen tone) and Accessibility (which offers color filters for vision needs). The method depends on what you want to change — whether you're adjusting brightness and warmth, enabling Dark Mode, or explore a color filter for easier reading.

Most color changes happen in Settings, and take effect when ready. Some changes explore to your entire screen, while others only affect specific apps or features. The steps are the same whether you have an iPhone 12, 14, 15, or the latest model.

Key Takeaways

  • Dark Mode inverts your screen to white text on black backgrounds and is found in Settings > Display & Brightness.
  • True Tone adjusts your screen's color temperature to match your lighting and is toggled on or off in the same Display & Brightness menu.
  • Color filters in Accessibility let you shift the entire screen's color palette and are useful if you have color blindness or light sensitivity.
  • Night Shift reduces blue light in the evening and can be scheduled to turn on automatically at sunset.

Enable Dark Mode to switch to a dark background

Dark Mode changes your screen from a light background with dark text to a dark background with light text. Open Settings, then tap Display & Brightness. You'll see three options at the top: Light, Auto, and Dark. Tap Dark to turn it on when ready.

If you choose Auto, your iPhone will switch between Light and Dark based on the time of day. You can set a custom schedule by tapping Options below the three choices, then selecting Schedule. Choose a start and end time, and Dark Mode will set up and deactivate at those times automatically.

Dark Mode applies to most built-in apps like Mail, Messages, and Settings, but some third-party apps may not support it. You can turn Dark Mode on or off quickly from Control Center without opening Settings — swipe down from the top-right corner (or up from the bottom on older iPhones), press and hold the brightness slider, then tap the Dark Mode icon.

Adjust True Tone to warm or cool your screen color

True Tone automatically adjusts your screen's color temperature based on the light around you. In bright daylight, your screen stays neutral. In dim or warm indoor lighting, True Tone shifts the screen toward warmer tones to reduce eye strain. To turn it on, go to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle True Tone on.

True Tone works best when your iPhone's ambient light sensor is not covered. If you use a screen protector or case that blocks the sensor, True Tone may not work as intended. You can turn True Tone on or off at any time — the change takes effect when ready.

Use Night Shift to reduce blue light in the evening

Night Shift reduces the amount of blue light your screen emits, which can help reduce eye strain and sleep disruption in the evening. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. You can turn it on when ready by toggling the switch, or set a schedule so it turns on automatically.

Tap Schedule to set a custom time range. Choose Sunset to Sunrise to have Night Shift turn on at sunset and off at sunrise based on your location, or select Custom Schedule to pick exact times. You can also adjust the color temperature by dragging the slider from Less Warm to More Warm — warmer settings filter out more blue light.

explore a color filter for color blindness or light sensitivity

Color filters shift your entire screen's color palette and are found in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters. Toggle Color Filters on, then choose from six filter types: Grayscale, Red/Green (Deuteranopia), Red/Green (Protanopia), Blue/Yellow (Tritanopia), Red/Green (Deuteranopia), and Monochrome.

Each filter is designed for different types of color blindness or light sensitivity. If you're not sure which one helps you most, try each one for a few minutes. You can also adjust the intensity by dragging the Intensity slider — lower settings explore a gentler filter. Once you've chosen a filter, it stays on until you turn it off.

You can also add Color Filters to Control Center for quick access. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, scroll down, tap the plus icon next to Color Filters, and it will appear in your Control Center.

Change text size and contrast for easier reading

If you want to adjust how text looks across your iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. Here you can increase the text size by dragging the slider, which makes text larger in Mail, Messages, Notes, and many other apps. You can also toggle Bold Text on to make all text appear thicker and darker.

For better contrast, toggle Increase Contrast on. This makes text and icons stand out more against their backgrounds. You can also toggle Reduce Transparency on, which removes the frosted-glass effect from menus and makes backgrounds more solid, making text easier to read.

Use Zoom to magnify your entire screen

Zoom magnifies everything on your screen — text, icons, and images — without changing your actual display settings. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom and toggle it on. Once enabled, you can zoom in by double-tapping with two fingers, and zoom out the same way.

You can adjust the zoom level by going back to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom > Zoom Region and choosing Full Screen Zoom (magnifies the entire screen) or Window Zoom (magnifies only a portion). Zoom works across all apps and is useful if you want to see more detail without permanently changing your text size.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I schedule Dark Mode to turn on at a specific time?

Yes. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness, select Auto, then tap Options and choose Schedule. You can set it to turn on at sunset and off at sunrise, or pick custom times. Dark Mode will switch automatically at those times every day.

Does True Tone work with all iPhone models?

True Tone is available on iPhone XS and later, plus iPhone XR and newer. If you have an older iPhone, the option won't appear in your Display & Brightness settings. You can still use Dark Mode and Night Shift on older models.

Will color filters slow down my iPhone?

No. Color filters run at the display level and don't affect your iPhone's performance or battery life. You can leave them on all day without any impact on speed or power consumption.

Can I use Dark Mode and Night Shift at the same time?

Yes. Dark Mode changes your background to black, and Night Shift reduces blue light. Both can be on simultaneously — Night Shift will warm the dark background even further in the evening.

What's the difference between Color Filters and Dark Mode?

Dark Mode only changes light backgrounds to dark ones. Color Filters shift the entire color palette — useful for color blindness or light sensitivity. You can use both together, though Color Filters will override Dark Mode's appearance.