Where to find text color options on iPhone
You can change text color on your iPhone in a few different places, depending on what you're trying to do. The most common way is through the Notes app, where you can highlight text in different colors or change the text itself. You can also change text color in Mail when composing messages, and in some third-party apps like Pages or Word. The steps differ slightly depending on which app you're using and what version of iOS you have.
Apple doesn't give you a system-wide text color option that changes all text everywhere on your phone — that would affect readability and accessibility. Instead, individual apps control their own text color features. This guide covers the main places where you'll actually use text color on an iPhone.
Key Takeaways
- The Notes app lets you highlight text in yellow, green, blue, pink, or purple, or change the text color itself to match those same colors.
- Mail lets you change text color when you're writing a message, using the formatting menu that appears above the keyboard.
- Pages and Word both have text color tools in their formatting menus, accessed by selecting text and tapping the paintbrush or formatting icon.
- Text color changes only affect what you see in that specific app — they don't change how the text appears to someone else unless the app sends formatting (like in Mail or Pages documents).
Changing text color in the Notes app
Open Notes and either create a new note or open an existing one. Tap in the note where you want to add colored text. At the bottom of the screen, you'll see a row of formatting icons — look for the one that looks like a marker or highlighter pen (it's usually on the left side of that row). Tap it.
A menu will pop up showing you color options. You can either highlight existing text in a color, or start typing new text in that color. If you want to highlight text that's already there, select it first by tapping and dragging across the words, then tap the marker icon and choose your color. The colors available are yellow, green, blue, pink, and purple. To go back to regular text, tap the marker icon again and select the option without a color (usually shown as a blank or white square).
If you want to change the actual text color rather than just highlighting it, look for a different icon in that same formatting row — it usually looks like an "A" with a colored line underneath. Tap that, then select your color. The text itself will turn that color. You can mix highlighted text and colored text in the same note.
Changing text color in Mail
Open Mail and tap the compose button to write a new message, or open a message you're replying to. Tap in the message body where you want to add text. You should see a formatting menu appear above the keyboard — it typically shows options like Bold, Italic, and Underline. If you don't see it, tap the arrow or formatting button to reveal more options.
Look for an icon that looks like an "A" with a colored underline or a paintbrush. Tap it to see color choices. Select the color you want, then type your message. The text will appear in that color. You can change colors mid-message by tapping the color icon again and selecting a different one. When you send the message, the recipient will see the colored text if their email app supports formatting — most modern email apps do, but some older ones might show it as plain text.
Changing text color in Pages and Word
Open Pages or Word and create a new document or open an existing one. Select the text you want to change by tapping and dragging across it, or triple-tap to select a whole paragraph. Once text is selected, look for a formatting menu — in Pages, tap the paintbrush icon at the top right; in Word, tap the "A" icon with formatting options.
In Pages, you'll see options for text color, highlight color, and other formatting. Tap "Text Color" and choose from the color palette. In Word, tap the text color option (usually shown as an "A" with a colored line) and select your color. Both apps let you choose from a standard color palette or create a custom color. The colored text will stay that color when you save the document, and anyone you share it with will see the same colors.
Why text color might not show up the way you expect
If you've changed text color but it looks different on someone else's device, that's usually because their app settings are different. Some people use dark mode, which can make colored text harder to read, so apps sometimes adjust colors automatically. If you send a colored email and the recipient sees plain text, their email app might not support text formatting.
Text color changes also don't work in text messages (SMS) or iMessage — those apps don't have text color features built in. If you want to send colored text to someone, you'll need to use email, Notes shared through iCloud, or a document app like Pages or Word. Also, if you're using an older version of iOS, some of these color options might not be available — updating to the latest iOS version usually adds more formatting features.
Changing text color for accessibility
If you're having trouble reading text on your screen, you might want to adjust text color through your iPhone's accessibility settings rather than in individual apps. Go to Settings, tap Accessibility, then Display & Text Size. Here you can turn on Bold Text, increase text size, or enable High Contrast to make text stand out more. These changes affect text across most of your iPhone, not just in one app.
You can also use the Color Filters feature in Accessibility settings if you have color blindness or color sensitivity. This lets you adjust how all colors appear on your screen. These system-level changes are different from changing text color within an app — they affect how your entire phone displays text and colors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the color of text messages on iPhone?
No, iMessage and SMS don't have text color features. You can use emoji or special characters to add visual interest, but the actual text stays one color. If you need to send colored text, use email or a document app instead.
Will the person I text see colored text if I change it in Notes?
No. Text color only shows up in the app where you created it. If you want to share colored text with someone, you'd need to send them the Notes file through iCloud sharing, or copy the text into an email or document that supports formatting.
How do I change text color back to black or default?
Select the colored text, tap the text color icon, and choose black or the default color option. In Notes, you can also tap the color icon and select the blank or white option to remove the color formatting.
Does changing text color work in all iPhone apps?
No, only apps that include text formatting tools let you change text color. Mail, Notes, Pages, Word, and some other productivity apps support it, but social media apps, messaging apps, and most other apps don't have this feature.
What if I can't find the text color icon in my app?
Make sure you've selected the text first — most apps only show formatting options when text is selected. If you still don't see a color option, that app might not support text color. Try updating the app or checking the app's help section for formatting instructions.