IPHONE
How to make an iPhone show information without relying on colour
In short
Open Settings, tap Accessibility, then Display & Text Size, and switch on Differentiate Without Colour. Screen items that rely on colour alone to convey information are then replaced with alternatives, such as shapes or text.
Apple says switches turn green when they are on. Some items on the iPhone screen rely on colour to convey information. One switch replaces them with other ways to tell them apart.
3 of 3 steps show a real screenshot from our iPhone 17e.
Steps
- 1
Open Settings and tap Accessibility
On our iPhone 17e with iOS 27, Accessibility was in the second group of the main Settings list, just below General.
- 2
Tap Display & Text Size
On our iPhone 17e it was in the Vision group, below Hover Text.
- 3
Scroll down and switch on Differentiate Without Colour
On our iPhone 17e with iOS 27 it was off, below Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast. The note below reads: replaces user interface items that rely solely on colour to convey information with alternatives.
If you do not see this option
- You searched for Differentiate Without Color and found nothing. On our iPhone 17e, set to UK English, the switch is spelt Differentiate Without Colour. Apple's guide uses the US spelling Color. Source: Change display colors on iPhone to make it easier to see what's onscreen
- It is not at the top of Display & Text Size. Scroll down. On our iPhone 17e the page started with Bold Text, Larger Text, Show Borders and On/Off Labels, then Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast, and Differentiate Without Colour came after them. Apple's path is Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text Size. Source: Change display colors on iPhone to make it easier to see what's onscreen
If this does not work
- Switches still only change colour. That is a separate switch: On/Off Labels. Apple says it makes switches use a vertical line when on and a circle when off. On our iPhone 17e it was in the first group of Display & Text Size.
- Colours are still hard to tell apart. Apple lists Color Filters on the same page, to view the screen in greyscale or adjust colours for colour vision deficiencies, and Increase Contrast. On our iPhone 17e Increase Contrast was just above Differentiate Without Colour.
- Nothing looks different after switching it on? Apple says some screen items rely on colour to convey information, and the switch replaces these with alternatives, like shapes or text. To change how colours appear, Apple's Color Filters are on the same page.
- Colour filters vanish in the evening? Apple says Night Shift automatically removes colour filter effects, except greyscale, and removes inverted colours. Differentiate Without Colour is not a filter, so Night Shift does not undo it.
Good to know
Switches can get a symbol as well: how to show on and off symbols on iPhone switches.
For colour vision deficiencies, Apple also offers Color Filters on the same page of a real iPhone.
To undo it, switch Differentiate Without Colour off on the same page. If you only want a different look in one or two apps, Apple lets you choose colour, text size and motion settings for chosen apps under Settings, Accessibility, Per-App Settings.
Apple also lets you switch many accessibility features on and off with the Accessibility Shortcut, by triple-clicking the side button, or from Control Center. You choose which features it offers under Settings, Accessibility, Accessibility Shortcut.
About this guide
- Device
- iPhone
- Shown on
- iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 17e)
- App
- Settings
- Path
- Settings › Accessibility › Display & Text Size
- Real screenshots
- 3 of 3 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 3 official, linked below
The screenshots are our own, taken on an iPhone 17e running iOS 27.0.1.
What changed: the screenshots are now our own iPhone 17e on iOS 27.0.1, dark mode, and the wording is checked against those screens and Apple's iOS 27 guide.
Sources
Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.Did this guide work for you?
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