Where to find text color options on iPhone

You can change text color on iPhone in three main places: in the Notes app, in the Reminders app, and in some third-party apps that support text formatting. The built-in iPhone apps have limited color options compared to desktop software, but they work directly on your device without extra downloads.

Apple's own apps — Notes, Reminders, and Mail — let you highlight or color text, though the method differs slightly in each one. If you need more advanced color control, you will need a third-party app from the App Store, because the iPhone keyboard itself does not have a text color button.

Key Takeaways

  • Notes and Reminders apps let you highlight text in preset colors by selecting text and tapping the highlighter icon, but true text color (not highlighting) is limited in built-in apps.
  • Mail lets you change text color by selecting text, tapping the arrow menu, and choosing text color from the formatting options.
  • Third-party apps like Pages, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word offer full text color control and work on iPhone.
  • You cannot change text color in the Messages app, but you can use colored text effects like invisible ink or echo.

Changing text color in Notes

The Notes app on iPhone does not have a direct text color tool. Instead, it offers text highlighting in yellow, green, blue, pink, purple, and orange. To highlight text, open a note, select the text you want to color, and tap the marker icon (it looks like a highlighter pen) in the toolbar above the keyboard.

If you need actual text color rather than highlighting, Notes is not the right tool. You would need to use a third-party app like Pages or Google Docs, which both run on iPhone and give you full control over text color.

Changing text color in Mail

Mail on iPhone lets you change the color of text you are composing. Start a new email or reply, select the text you want to color, and tap the arrow button (>) on the right side of the formatting toolbar. Tap "Text Color" and choose from the color palette that appears.

This works only for text you are writing in a new message or reply — you cannot change the color of text that someone else sent you. The color will appear in the recipient's email client only if they use an app that supports colored text, such as Mail, Gmail, or Outlook.

Using Pages or Google Docs for full text color control

If you need more color options than highlighting, Pages (Apple's word processor) and Google Docs both let you change text color on iPhone. Open Pages or Google Docs, select the text, and look for the text color icon in the toolbar — it usually looks like an "A" with a colored underline.

Pages comes free with most iPhones and offers a full palette of colors. Google Docs is also free and syncs across devices, so you can start on iPhone and finish on a computer. Both apps save your work automatically, so you do not have to worry about losing changes.

Third-party apps that support text color

Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages, and Notion all let you change text color on iPhone. Word and Google Docs are free. Notion is free with limits on how many blocks you can create. Pages is free if you own an Apple device.

For straightforward note-taking with color, Notion works well and syncs across all your devices. For documents you plan to share or print, Google Docs or Word are more reliable because most people can open and read them without trouble. Choose based on what you plan to do with the text after you color it.

Why you cannot change text color in Messages

The Messages app does not have a text color feature. You can use text effects like invisible ink, echo, or spotlight, but these are animations or visual effects, not color changes. To send colored text in a message, you would have to take a screenshot of colored text from another app and send it as an image.

If you want to send a message with colored text regularly, the most practical route is to compose it in Pages or Google Docs, take a screenshot, and send the image through Messages. This is slower than typing directly, so most people use it only when the color matters for the message.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the color of text someone sent me in Messages?

No. You can only change the color of text you are writing yourself. Incoming messages appear in the default color set by your iPhone theme. You cannot edit or recolor text from other people.

Does colored text in Mail show up the same way on Android phones?

Not always. Android phones use different email apps, and not all of them display colored text the same way. Gmail and Outlook usually show the color, but some older or simpler email apps may strip the color out or display it differently. Test with the person you are emailing if color is important.

Is there a way to change text color in the Notes app without using a third-party app?

No. Notes only offers highlighting, not text color. If you need true text color in a note, you have to use Pages, Google Docs, Notion, or another third-party app. Highlighting is the closest built-in option.

Will my colored text stay colored if I copy and paste it into another app?

Usually yes, but it depends on the app you paste into. Pasting into Mail, Messages, or Notes may strip the color. Pasting into Pages, Google Docs, or Word usually keeps it. Test in the app where you plan to use the text.

Can I set a default text color for all my emails in Mail?

No. Mail does not have a default text color setting. You have to select and color the text each time you write an email. If you send colored emails often, using Google Docs or Pages to draft them first, then copying the text into Mail, is faster than coloring each email individually.