How to change text color on your iPhone

You can change the color of text on your iPhone in a few different places depending on what you're trying to do. If you want to change text color in Notes, Mail, or Messages, you'll use the formatting menu. If you want to change how text appears across your whole phone — like making it easier to read — you'll adjust display settings instead. The steps are different for each, so start by figuring out which one matches what you're looking at right now.

The most common reason people want to change text color is to format something they're writing. That's done through a small formatting toolbar that appears when you select text. Other times, people want to change text appearance for accessibility — to make it larger, bolder, or higher contrast. That's a phone-wide setting you adjust in Settings.

Key Takeaways

  • In Notes and Mail, select the text you want to color, tap the formatting button (looks like Aa), then choose a color from the menu that appears.
  • In Messages, you can change text color by selecting text and using the formatting options, though color choices are more limited than in Notes.
  • To make all text on your phone darker, larger, or higher contrast for easier reading, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
  • Text color changes you make in Notes or Mail only affect that specific message or note — they don't change how text looks everywhere on your phone.
  • If you don't see a formatting button after selecting text, the app you're using doesn't support text color changes.

Change text color in Notes

Open the Notes app and either create a new note or open an existing one. Tap where you want to add or edit text. Type the text you want to color, or if the text already exists, select it by tapping and holding on a word, then dragging to highlight everything you want to change.

Once your text is selected, look for the formatting button — it looks like Aa with a colored line underneath. Tap it. A menu will pop up with options including text color. Tap the color circle icon (it looks like a small colored dot) and choose your color from the palette that appears. The text will change immediately. You can select different parts of your note and color them differently if you want.

Change text color in Mail

Open Mail and start composing a new message, or open a draft you've already started. Tap in the body of the email where you want to add colored text. Type your message or select text that's already there by tapping and holding, then dragging to highlight it.

Tap the formatting button (the Aa icon) at the bottom of the keyboard. A menu appears with several options. Look for the color option — it's usually shown as a circle with color in it. Tap it and pick the color you want from the choices shown. Your selected text will change to that color. You can color different sentences or words in the same email different colors by repeating this process.

Change text color in Messages

Open Messages and either start a new conversation or open an existing one. Tap in the message field at the bottom where you type. Type your message or select text that's already there by tapping and holding on a word and dragging to highlight it.

Tap the formatting button if it appears. Not all versions of Messages show the same formatting options, so you may see limited color choices or no color option at all depending on your iPhone model and iOS version. If you see a color option, tap it and choose your color. Keep in mind that the person receiving your message will see the colored text only if they're also using an iPhone with a recent iOS version — Android users and older iPhones may see plain text instead.

Make text easier to read across your whole phone

If you want to change how text looks everywhere on your iPhone — not just in one app — you're adjusting accessibility settings rather than text color. Open Settings and tap Accessibility. Then tap Display & Text Size. Here you'll find options to make text larger, bolder, or increase contrast.

Tap Larger Accessibility Sizes to make text bigger across your phone. Tap Bold Text to make all text thicker and darker. Tap Increase Contrast to make text stand out more against backgrounds. These changes affect text throughout your phone, including in Mail, Messages, Settings, and most other apps. You can turn any of these on or off at any time, and you can use more than one at once.

What to do if you don't see a color option

Not every app on your iPhone supports text color changes. If you select text and tap the formatting button but don't see a color option, that app simply doesn't have that feature. This is common in older apps or apps that don't focus on text editing.

If you're trying to change text color in an app and there's no formatting menu at all, try a different approach: some apps let you change text appearance through their settings rather than through a formatting toolbar. Open the app's settings (usually found by tapping a gear icon or going to Settings > [App Name]) and look for options related to text, appearance, or display. If nothing is there, the app doesn't support text color changes.

Text color changes don't always show up the same way to others

When you color text in Messages, the recipient might not see it the way you intended. If they're using an Android phone or an older iPhone, colored text often appears as plain text on their end. This is because different devices and operating systems handle text formatting differently.

In Notes and Mail, colored text stays colored when you send it or share it, but only if the person receiving it is also using an Apple device. If you're sending an email with colored text to someone using Gmail or Outlook, they'll see the colors. But if you're sending a message through a non-Apple service, colors may not come through. When in doubt, assume the other person might not see your colors and make sure your message makes sense in plain text too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the color of text that's already on my screen, like in a website or app?

No. You can only change the color of text you're creating or editing yourself — like in Notes, Mail, or Messages. Text that's part of a website, app, or document you received can't be recolored. If you want to make that text easier to read, use the accessibility settings in Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size to make all text on your phone larger or bolder.

Why did my colored text turn back to black after I sent it?

The recipient's device may not support colored text, or the app or service you used doesn't preserve colors when sending. Messages sent to Android phones almost always lose their color. Emails sent through some services may also lose formatting. Check with the recipient to see what they received.

Can I change the default text color so everything I type is colored?

No. You have to color text manually each time you want it colored. There's no setting to make all your text a certain color by default. You select the text, tap the formatting button, and pick a color every time.

Is there a way to highlight text instead of changing its color?

Yes. In Notes and Mail, select your text, tap the formatting button, and look for a highlighter or marker icon. Tap it and choose your highlight color. This puts a colored background behind the text instead of changing the text color itself.

What if the formatting button doesn't appear when I select text?

Make sure you've actually selected the text — tap and hold on a word, then drag to highlight what you want. If a menu appears with options like Cut, Copy, and Paste, tap the arrow on the right side of that menu to see more options, including formatting. If you still don't see formatting options, that app doesn't support text color changes.