The color of the text on the screen Samsung Galaxy affects not only the perception of information, but also the reading comfort, especially in low light conditions or when using the smartphone for a long time. Many users do not even suspect that the standard settings One UI allow you to flexibly customize the display of fonts - from a global change of theme to specific color adjustments in individual applications. In this article, we will look at all the current methods, including hidden shell functions and third-party tools that work on models from Galaxy S22 to recent Galaxy S24 Ultra.

It is important to understand that the ability to change text color depends on the version Android and shell One UI. For example, in One UI 6.0 (based on Android 14) advanced contrast settings have appeared, which are not present in older versions. We will indicate which methods are universal and which require specific firmware. We will also consider workarounds for applications where the font color is strictly fixed (for example, in some instant messengers or banking apps).

1. System text color settings in One UI

The easiest way to change text color is to use the built-in tools One UI. Samsung offers several levels of customization, from global theme changes to fine-tuning contrast. Let's start with the basic parameters:

Open Settings → Display → Themes and Wallpaper. Here you will see two key options:

  • 🌓 Dark theme - automatically changes the text color to light (for example, white or gray) on a dark background. Supported by most system and third-party applications.
  • 🎨 Color palette — allows you to select an accent color that will be applied to interface elements, including some labels (for example, in notifications or menus).

For more in-depth customization, go in Settings → Accessibility → Improve visibility → High contrast text. This option makes fonts bolder and changes their color to black (in a light theme) or white (in a dark theme), which is useful for low vision. Please note: high contrast mode may conflict with some applications, e.g. with Google Maps or Chrome, where the text will become unreadable.

📊 Which display mode do you use more often?
Light theme only
Dark theme only
Automatic transition
I don’t use theme settings

2. Changing the font color through "Developer Mode"

If the standard settings are not enough, you can activate hidden developer options, where advanced display options are available. To do this:

  1. Go to Settings → About phone → Software information.
  2. Find the item Build number and tap on it 7 times until a notification appears “You have become a developer.”
  3. Return to the main settings menu and open a new section Developer options.

Inside, find the following options:

  • 🔄 Simulate color space — allows you to select a color profile (sRGB, Display P3, etc.), which indirectly affects the shades of the text.
  • 🖥️ Hardware acceleration of display — disabling this option can change the rendering of fonts (but will reduce performance!).
  • 🎯 Minimum width scale —indirectly affects the contrast of the text when changing size.
⚠️ Attention: Changing parameters in developer mode can lead to unstable operation of the interface. For example, disabling hardware acceleration will cause lags when scrolling.
What to do if the text has become unreadable?

If, after changes in developer mode, the fonts turn into "mush" or become completely black, return all parameters to the default state. To do this, in Developer options find the "Reset settings" option in the upper right corner (three dots).

3. Third-party applications for changing text color

If the built-in tools One UI do not give the desired result, you can use third-party utilities. They are divided into two categories:

  1. Launchers (for example, Nova Launcher or Action Launcher) - they allow you to change the color of fonts in the application menu and on the main screen.
  2. Themes and overlays (for example, Substratum or Hex Installer) - are deeply integrated into the system and change colors in all applications (requires root access on most devices).

Consider more details Nova Launcher:

  • 📱 Install the application from Google Play and make it the default launcher.
  • 🎨 Go to Nova Settings → Appearance → Label Color.
  • 🖌️ Select the color of the text under the icons or turn on the "Adaptive colors" mode (the text will automatically adjust to the background).

For a complete change of fonts throughout the system without root suitable iFont (works on One UI 5.0 and newer). The app allows you to download custom fonts and apply them globally, but the text color will only change in system menus and not across all apps.

⚠️ Attention: Apps like Substratum require bootloader unlocking and may void your device's warranty. On models Samsung s Knox this will also trigger the flag Knox 0x1, which blocks access to Samsung Pay and some corporate functions.

4. Setting text color in individual applications

Some applications (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram or Chrome) allow you to change the text color regardless of system settings. Let's consider the most popular cases:

Application Path to settings What can be changed
Telegram Settings → Appearance → Color theme Message text color, background chats, accent colors
Chrome ⋮ → Settings → Themes Dark/light theme (text color changes automatically)
Samsung Messages ⋮ → Settings → Background and font style SMS text color, font size and style
Gmail ☰ → Settings → Theme Only light/dark theme (text color is fixed)

B Telegram i Samsung Messages you can create a custom theme from scratch by choosing the color of the text, background and accent elements. For example, in Telegram:

  1. Open Settings → Appearance → Create a new theme.
  2. Select Colors text and configure shades for incoming/outgoing messages.
  3. Save the theme and apply it.

In Chrome i Gmail opportunities are limited - here you can only switch the dark/light mode, which indirectly affects the font color. For deeper customization, you will need extensions (on PC) or third-party skins (on Android).

💡

In Samsung Internet Browser (built-in browser) you can enable dark mode for all sites, even if they do not support it. To do this, go to ⋮ → Settings → Appearance → Dark mode → Always.

5. Using ADB commands for advanced users

If you are ready to work with ADB (Android Debug Bridge), you can change system text display settings that are not available through the GUI. This method is suitable for experienced users and requires connecting the smartphone to the PC.

First enable USB debugging:

  1. Activate Options Developer (as described above).
  2. Enable USB Debugging in the section Developer Options.
  3. Connect your phone to the PC and confirm permission to debug.

Now you can send commands via ADB. For example, to change the scale and contrast of text (which indirectly affects its color), use:

adb shell settings put global accessibility_display_inversion_enabled 1

This command inverts the screen colors, making the text white on a black background. To get everything back, replace 1 on 0.

For finer settings, use:

adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer_enabled 1

adb shell settings put secure accessibility_display_daltonizer 100

Here 100 is the filter value for colorblind people (you can experiment with numbers from 0 to 100). This method changes the color scheme of the entire screen, including text.

⚠️ Attention: Incorrect use of ADB commands can lead to interface malfunctions. For example, the command adb shell settings put global transition_animation_scale 0 disables animation, but does not affect the color of the text - be careful when copying commands from the Internet.

☑️ Preparing to work with ADB

Done: 0 / 4

6. Problems and solutions: text does not change color

Sometimes users are faced with the fact that the color of the text does not change despite all efforts. Let's look at typical causes and ways to eliminate them:

  • 🔄 Application cache — clear the cache in Settings → Applications → [Application name] → Memory → Clear cache.
  • 📱 One UI update —some Features (such as custom color palettes) appear only after a firmware update. Check the latest version in Settings → Software update.
  • 🔒 Manufacturer restrictions — on some models (for example, corporate or carrier versions) the theme settings may be blocked.
  • 🎭 Theme conflict —if several launchers or themes are installed, they may overlap each other. Try disabling all third-party themes in Settings → Themes and wallpapers.

If the text in a particular application is displayed incorrectly (for example, it becomes invisible on a white background), try:

  1. Force the dark theme to be enabled for this applications via Settings → Applications → [Application] → Force dark mode.
  2. Disable high contrast mode in Settings → Accessibility.
  3. Install an alternative client (for example, instead of Gmail use Spark or BlueMail).

On models Samsung s AMOLED screens (for example, Galaxy S23+ or Galaxy Z Fold5) can the effect of “burning out” of the text will appear if you use high-contrast colors for too long. In this case, it is recommended to periodically change the color scheme or use dynamic wallpaper.

💡

If the text becomes invisible after the changes, first check the accessibility settings - most often the problem lies in the high-contrast mode or color inversion.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about changing the text color on Samsung

Is it possible to change the text color in WhatsApp?

WhatsApp does not provide a direct option to change the font color, but you can:

  1. Use a dark theme in the application settings.
  2. Send a message with colored text via formatting (for example bold, _italics_, ~strikethrough~), but this will not change the default color.
  3. Install a third-party theme via GBWhatsApp (unofficial client, can block the account).
Why did the text become gray after the One UI update?

This is due to the new function "Adaptive color" v One UI 6.0, which automatically adjusts the shades to the wallpaper. To return standard colors:

  1. Go to Settings → Display → Themes and wallpapers → Color palette.
  2. Disable the option Adaptive colors.
  3. Select a manual palette.
How to make text red in SMS?

In the standard application Samsung Messages:

  1. Open the chat and click on ⋮ → Chat settings → Background and font style.
  2. Select Text color and set the tint to red.
  3. Save changes.

If the option is not available, install an alternative messenger, for example, Textra SMS or QKSMS, which has advanced color settings.

Is it possible to change the font color on the lock screen?

No, in One UI There is no direct option to change the text color on the lock screen. However, you can:

  • Change Clock style (some styles have colored numbers).
  • Use Always On Display s custom wallpaper, where the text will be displayed in a specified palette.
  • Install a third-party launcher with support for customizing the lock screen (for example, Niagara Launcher).
Why in some applications the text remains black in the dark theme?

This is due to the fact that not all developers correctly implement dark support themes. Solutions:

  • Force enable dark mode for the application in the settings One UI (as described above).
  • Contact the application developers with a complaint - many fix such bugs in new versions.
  • Use application Dark Mode Fix (requires root), which forcibly inverts colors in stubborn apps.