Where to find font colour settings on your iPhone

Font colour on iPhone depends on which app you're using. Apple's built-in apps like Notes, Reminders, and Mail each have their own text formatting tools. Third-party apps like Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Pages also let you change text colour, but the steps differ from app to app. There is no single system-wide setting that changes all text colours across your phone.

The most common place to adjust font colour is within the app where you're typing or editing. You'll find the colour option in a formatting menu, usually represented by a paintbrush icon, an "A" with a coloured line underneath, or a text formatting button. Some apps hide this option in a menu you have to tap first.

Key Takeaways

  • Notes app lets you change text colour by selecting text, tapping the paintbrush icon, and choosing a colour from the palette that appears.
  • Mail app requires you to select text, tap the arrow icon to reveal more options, then find the text colour tool in the formatting menu.
  • Pages, Word, and Google Docs all have colour options in their formatting toolbars, but you must select text first before the colour button becomes active.
  • Some apps do not support text colour changes at all — check the app's formatting menu to see what options are available.

Changing font colour in the Notes app

The Notes app is the simplest place to change text colour on iPhone. Open Notes and create a new note or open an existing one. Type or select the text you want to change, then tap and hold until the selection menu appears. Tap "Select All" if you want to change the entire note, or drag the selection handles to highlight only the text you want to colour.

Once your text is selected, look for the paintbrush icon in the toolbar above the keyboard. Tap it and a colour palette will appear with options like yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, blue, green, and black. Tap the colour you want. The selected text will change when ready. You can select different portions of text and explore different colours to build a multi-coloured note.

Changing font colour in Mail

Mail's text colour tool is less obvious than Notes because it sits inside a submenu. Open Mail and start composing a new message or reply. Select the text you want to colour by tapping and holding, then dragging the selection handles. Tap "Select All" to colour the entire message body.

With text selected, look at the toolbar above the keyboard. You should see an arrow pointing right (usually on the far right side of the toolbar). Tap that arrow to reveal additional formatting options. One of these options will be a text colour button — it usually looks like an "A" with a coloured underline. Tap it to open the colour picker and choose your colour. The change applies when ready to the selected text.

Changing font colour in Pages

Pages is Apple's word processor and gives you more colour control than Notes. Open Pages and create a new document or edit an existing one. Select the text you want to change by tapping and holding, then dragging to highlight it. You can also triple-tap to select an entire paragraph.

Tap the paintbrush icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen. If you don't see it, tap the three dots (more options) on the right side of the toolbar first. A formatting panel will open on the right side of your screen. Look for "Text Colour" or "Font Colour" in that panel and tap it. A colour wheel or palette will appear. Choose your colour and tap outside the panel to explore it. Pages also lets you change the background colour of text separately from the text colour itself.

Changing font colour in Microsoft Word

Word on iPhone works similarly to Pages but uses a slightly different menu layout. Open Word and create or edit a document. Select the text you want to colour by tapping and holding, then dragging the selection handles. Tap "Select All" to colour everything at once.

With text selected, tap the "Home" tab at the bottom of the screen if it is not already active. Look for the text colour button in the toolbar — it usually shows an "A" with a coloured bar underneath. Tap it and a colour palette will appear. Choose your colour from the options shown. If you want more colour choices, tap "More Colours" at the bottom of the palette to access a larger colour picker.

Changing font colour in Google Docs

Google Docs on iPhone requires you to use the mobile web version or the app, and the steps are the same. Open Google Docs and create a new document or open an existing one. Select the text you want to change by tapping and holding, then dragging to highlight it.

Tap the "A" icon with three coloured dots underneath it in the toolbar at the top. This opens the text colour menu. Tap "Text Colour" (not "Highlight Colour," which is different). A colour palette will appear. Choose your colour and tap outside the menu to close it. Your text will change to the colour you selected. You can also use the highlight colour option if you want to add a background colour behind the text instead of changing the text itself.

Why some apps don't have text colour options

Not every app on iPhone supports text colour changes. Messaging apps like iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram do not let you change the colour of individual words or sentences — the text colour is set by the app's design and cannot be customized. Email apps other than Mail may have limited or no colour options depending on how the developer built them.

If you need to send coloured text in an app that does not support it, you can type your message in Notes or Pages, change the colour there, take a screenshot, and send the image instead. This is not ideal for long messages, but it works for short phrases or titles. Always check the app's formatting toolbar first — if there is no colour button visible, the app likely does not support the feature.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No. You must select and change text colour individually in each note or document. There is no setting that changes the default colour for all future text. However, once you change text in one note, you can copy that text and paste it into another note to keep the same colour.

What if the colour button is not showing in my toolbar?

Tap the arrow or three-dot menu icon at the end of the toolbar to reveal hidden options. If the colour button still does not appear, the app may not support text colour changes. Try updating the app from the App Store — newer versions sometimes add formatting features that older versions lack.

Can I use custom colours or only the preset palette?

Most apps offer only preset colours in their palettes. Pages and Word have "More Colours" options that let you access a larger colour wheel or picker, giving you thousands of colour choices instead of just the basic palette. Notes and Mail stick to their preset palettes with no custom option.

Does changing text colour in Mail affect how the recipient sees it?

Yes, if the recipient's email client supports coloured text. Most modern email apps display colours correctly. However, some older email clients or plain-text email settings may strip the colour and show the text in black. There is no way to know in advance whether the recipient will see your colours.

Can I change the colour of text I've already sent in Messages?

No. Once a message is sent in iMessage, WhatsApp, or any messaging app, you cannot edit its colour. You would have to delete the message and send a new one with the text formatted the way you want it. Some messaging apps do not support text colour at all, so this option may not be available.