Where to find text color settings on your iPhone
Text color on your iPhone depends on which app you're using and what you're trying to change. The iPhone itself doesn't have a system-wide text color setting that changes all text everywhere — instead, you adjust colors in specific places: in Notes, Mail, Messages, or in accessibility settings that affect how text appears across apps.
The most common place people want to change text color is in the Notes app, where you can make individual words or sentences a different color while you're typing. Mail lets you change the color of text in emails you're composing. If you're looking to change text color for readability reasons — because text is too hard to see — that's handled through accessibility settings in Settings > Accessibility.
Key Takeaways
- In the Notes app, select text, tap the paintbrush icon, and choose a color from the menu that appears.
- In Mail, highlight text while composing, tap the arrow icon, then select text color from the formatting options.
- For system-wide text appearance changes, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size to adjust contrast and text boldness.
- Smart Invert and Classic Invert in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size can reverse colors across your entire screen if white text on dark backgrounds is easier for you to read.
- Some third-party apps have their own text color settings in their individual preferences — check the app's settings menu first.
Changing text color in the Notes app
Open Notes and start typing or open an existing note. Select the text you want to color by tapping and dragging to highlight it, or double-tap a word and then tap "Select All" if you want to color everything.
Once text is highlighted, look for the paintbrush icon in the toolbar above the keyboard. Tap it and a color palette appears with options like yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, blue, green, and black. Tap the color you want. The selected text changes when ready. You can color different parts of the same note different colors — just select the next section and repeat.
If you don't see the paintbrush icon, swipe left in the toolbar to reveal more formatting options. The icon looks like a paintbrush with a colored dot underneath it.
Changing text color in Mail
Open Mail and tap "Compose" to start a new email, or open a draft. Type your message. To change the color of text you've already written, select it by tapping and dragging, or double-tap a word.
With text selected, look for the arrow or formatting menu icon in the toolbar above the keyboard — it usually looks like an "A" with lines or an arrow pointing right. Tap it to reveal text formatting options including color. Select the color you want from the palette that appears.
Not all versions of iOS show the same toolbar layout, so if you don't see a color option when ready, try tapping the "Aa" icon or swiping through the toolbar icons to find text formatting controls.
Using accessibility settings to change how text appears system-wide
If you want to change text appearance across most apps on your iPhone — not just in Notes or Mail — use the accessibility settings. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. Here you can increase text size, make text bold, increase contrast, or enable Smart Invert or Classic Invert.
Smart Invert reverses colors on your screen while keeping images normal, so white text appears on dark backgrounds. Classic Invert reverses everything, including images. These settings affect most built-in apps and many third-party apps, though some apps override these settings with their own design.
You can also go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Increase Contrast to make text stand out more against backgrounds. This doesn't change the actual color but makes the difference between text and background stronger.
Changing text color in Messages
The Messages app on iPhone does not have a built-in text color feature for the messages you send. However, you can use Memoji or message effects, and if you're using iMessage with another iPhone user, you can send messages with different effects and animations.
If you want colored text in Messages, your only option is to use a third-party keyboard app that supports colored text, or to send a note or image from another app. Standard SMS and iMessage text itself cannot be colored through the Messages app settings.
Third-party apps and custom text color options
Many third-party apps — like document editors, note-taking apps, or writing software — have their own text color controls. Open the app and look in its settings or preferences menu, usually found by tapping a gear icon or the app's menu button.
Some apps put color controls directly in the toolbar while you're editing, similar to Notes. Others require you to go into app settings first to enable color options. Check the app's help section or settings if you're not sure where the color feature is located.
When text color changes don't work or don't appear
If you've selected text and tapped the color option but nothing happens, make sure the text is actually highlighted — you should see a blue selection box around it. If the color palette doesn't appear, try closing the app and reopening it, or restart your iPhone.
If you've changed text color in Notes but the color doesn't show up when you view the note later, the app may not have saved the change. Make sure you've tapped outside the text box to confirm the edit, or check that you have enough storage space on your iPhone.
If you're using an older iPhone or an older version of iOS, some color features may not be available. Check Settings > General > Software Update to make sure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS, which includes the most text formatting options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the color of text in iMessages sent to Android users?
No. When you send a message to an Android user, it converts to standard SMS, which doesn't support colored text. The color only works between iPhone users using iMessage. If the recipient's phone doesn't support iMessage, they'll receive plain text.
Why doesn't my iPhone show a color option in the toolbar?
The toolbar may be too narrow to show all icons. Swipe left in the toolbar to reveal more options, or try rotating your iPhone to landscape mode, which usually shows more toolbar buttons. If you're in an app that doesn't support text color, the option won't appear at all.
Can I change the default text color for all my notes at once?
No. You have to select and color text individually in each note. There's no setting to make all new text appear in a specific color by default. However, you can select all text in a note with "Select All" and color it in one action.
Does changing text color in Notes sync to my Mac?
Yes, if you use iCloud to sync Notes between devices. Colored text in Notes will appear the same color on your Mac, iPad, and other Apple devices signed into the same iCloud account.
What's the difference between Smart Invert and Classic Invert?
Smart Invert flips colors but keeps photos and images looking normal, so you get dark backgrounds with light text without weird-looking pictures. Classic Invert flips everything, including images, which can make photos look strange. Smart Invert is usually the better choice for readability.