How to invert colors and use Color Filters on iPhone and iPad

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Customize colors for enhanced accessibility on iPhone and iPad
Customize colors for enhanced accessibility on iPhone and iPad (Image credit: Joseph Keller / iMore)

Inverting colors and implementing grayscale have all been consolidated under the Display & Text Size menu in Accessibility, and Apple has added the ability to activate color filters to help people with even more types of color blindness.

Activating these filters is as easy as flipping a switch, so here we go!

How to invert colors

Inverting colors makes the iPhone or iPad screen easier on the eyes for people that are sensitive to brightness and helps make objects a little easier to see for some people with color blindness and low vision.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap Accessibility.

Invert colors showing how to open Settings, then tap Accessibility (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Display & Text Size.
  2. Tap the switch next to Smart Invert or Classic Invert. Smart Invert reverses the colors of the display except for images, media, and some apps that use dark colors. Classic Invert inverts all colors.

Invert colors showing how to tap Display & Text Size, then tap switch for Smart Invert or Classic Invert (Image credit: iMore)

How to reduce White Point

When you enable Reduce White Point, it dims the brightness of whites and bright colors on the iPhone and iPad screen. It is different than simply dimming your screen. It sort of adds a layer of very transparent fog across the screen so that things just aren't quite so bright. It is helpful for people that have brightness sensitivity.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap Accessibility.
  3. Tap Display & Text Size.

Reduce White Point, showing how to open Settings, then tap Accessibility, then tap Display & Text Size (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap the switch next to Reduce White Point.
  2. Tap and drag the slider to your preferred setting. You can reduce the White Point from 25% to 100%.

Reduce White Point, showing how to tap the switch next to Reduce White Point, then drag the slider left or right (Image credit: iMore)

How to enable Color Filters

When enabled, Color Filters can help those with color blindness get the most out of their iPhone or iPad. There are specific filters for specific types of color blindness.

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap Accessibility.
  3. Tap Display & Text Size.

Enable Color Filters, showing how to open Settings tap Accessibility, then tap Display & Text Size (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Color Filters.
  2. Tap the switch next to Color Filters to turn them on.

Enable Color Filters, showing how to tap Color Filters, then tap the switch next to Color Filters (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap a Color Filter:
    • Grayscale
    • Red/Green Filter for Protanopia
    • Green/Red Filter for Deuteranopia
    • Blue/Yellow Filter for Tritanopia
  2. Tap and drag the Intensity slider at the bottom of the screen to increase or decrease the intensity of the filter.

Enable Color Filters, showing how to tap a Color Filter, then drag the Intensity slider (Image credit: iMore)

The way the filter affects your iPhone is shown by the three images at the top of the Color Filters screen. Swipe through the three images to see how the filter will affect the look of your phone.

How to change Color Tint

You can change the color tint of your iPhone or iPad's entire screen if you have light or color sensitivity. Here's how:

  1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Tap Accessibility.
  3. Tap Display & Text Size.

Changing Color Tint, showing how to open Settings, then tap Accessibility, then tap Display & Text Size (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap Color Filters.
  2. Tap the switch next to Color Filters to turn them on.
  3. Tap Color Tint.

Changing Color Tint, showing how to tap Color Filters, then tap the switch next to Color Filters, then tap Color Tint (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Tap and drag the Hue slider at the bottom until the tint is what you need.
  2. Tap and drag the Intensity slider until the intensity is where you need it to be.

Changing Color Tint, showing how to drag the Hue slider, then drag the Intensity slider (Image credit: iMore)

Adjusting the tint of your iPhone or iPad's screen is fairly similar to adjusting your TV set, but if you feel like you went too far and just want the original screen tint back, just tap the switch next to Color Filters, and that'll set everything back to normal.

Questions?

Any questions? Let us know in the comments below!

Updated May 2020: Updated for iOS 13.

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Mick Symons
Mick Symons

Mick is a staff writer who's as frugal as they come, so he always does extensive research (much to the exhaustion of his wife) before making a purchase. If it's not worth the price, Mick ain't buying.