How to change the interface color on Android: from dark theme to hidden settings

The color scheme of a smartphone affects not only its appearance, but also its ease of use. Bright Android interface can irritate the eyes in the dark, and monotonous gray tones can quickly become boring. Fortunately, modern versions of Android offer flexible tools for customizing color (color palette) of the system: from standard theme changing to hidden parameters for advanced users.

In this article we will look at all the available ways to change colors on Android - from basic settings to advanced tricks using ADB and third-party applications. You will learn how to activate dark theme, set accent colors depending on the wallpaper, apply custom palettes on Samsung One UI, MIUI or stock Android. And also - how to return the standard settings if the experiments did not go according to plan.

Important: customization options depend on the version of Android and the manufacturer’s shell. For example, on Google Pixel 7 s Android 14 dynamic color is available (Material You), and on budget models Realme or Tecno there may only be a choice between a light and dark theme. You can check your version in Settings → About phone.

1. Standard theme change: light vs dark

The easiest way to change interface colors is to switch between light and dark themes. This works on all devices with Android 10 and newer, including Samsung Galaxy, Redmi, Oppo and others. A dark theme reduces eye strain in the evening and saves battery power on AMOLED screens.

How to enable:

• 📱 Open Settings → Screen (on some devices — Settings → Display).
• 🌓 Find the section "Dark theme" or "Color scheme".
• ⚙️ Select an option:
  • Light — classic white interface;
  • Dark — black/gray background;
  • Scheduled —automatic switching at sunset/dawn.

On some devices (for example, Samsung Galaxy S23) there is an additional option in the same menu "Contrast colors" —it makes text and icons more visible for users with visual impairments A. on Xiaomi in Settings → Display → Dark theme can be adjusted transparency panels and accent color.

⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 9 and older, the dark theme may not work correctly in some applications (for example, in Facebook or VKontakteIn this case, update the applications). via Google Play or enable dark mode within the apps themselves.

2. Dynamic color (Material You) on Android. 12+

Starting from Android 12, Google introduced technology Material Youthat automatically adjusts the interface color to the wallpaper. The system analyzes the dominant shades on your wallpaper and applies them to icons, notification panels, menu backgrounds and even some applications (for example, Google Calendar or Gmail).

How to enable Material You:

1. Set a wallpaper with bright colors (for example, abstraction or a landscape with contrasting shades).
2. Go to Settings → Wallpaper and style (on Pixel) or Settings → Screen → Color palette (on Samsung).
3. Select "Color palette from wallpaper" or "Dark/Light palette".
4. Click "Apply" — system will generate 4 color scheme options based on your wallpaper.

If the option is grayed out, check:

• 📌 Android version (must be 12 or newer);
• 📌 Shell (for MIUI 13 and older Material You is partially supported);
• 📌 Availability of system updates in Settings → System → Software update.

On Samsung Galaxy s One UI 5.0+ dynamic colors work differently: the system offers 16 preset palettes that can be applied regardless of the wallpaper. To see them, go to Settings → Wallpaper and style. → Color palette and select "Other colors".

Why doesn't Material You work on my phone?

If your device does not support Material You, this may be due to:

1) An outdated version of Android (below 12);

2) Custom firmware (for example, LineageOS without GApps);

3) Manufacturer's policy (some brands, like Huawei, replace Material You with their theme system).

In this case, try third-party launchers like Nova Launcher with plugin Material You Icons

3. Manually changing accent colors (without root)

If you don't like the automatically selected colors or want to use a specific shade (for example, corporate blue or your favorite purple), you can manually adjust accent colors. This does not require root access, but you will need a computer and a debug bridge ADB.

Instructions for Android 12+:

Install Platform Tools from the Google website|

Enable USB Debugging in Settings → System → For Developers|

Connect your phone to the PC and confirm the trusted device|

Download an archive with color schemes (for example, Monet or ReX Colors)-->

adb shell cmd overlay enable --user 0 com.android.theme.color.yourcolorcode
adb shell cmd overlay set --user 0 android.theme.color.accent com.android.theme.color.yourcolorcode

Where yourcolorcode is the color scheme identifier. Popular options:

Color scheme	Code for ADB	Example of shades
Orange	com.android.theme.color.orange	Accent: #FF9800, Background: #FFF3E0
Green	com.android.theme.color.green	Accent: #4CAF50, Background: #E8F5E9
Blue (default)	com.android.theme.color.system	Accent: #2196F3, Background: #E3F2FD
Purple	com.android.theme.color.purple	Accent: #9C27B0, Background: #F3E5F5

After applying the commands, reboot the device. To return the standard colors, do:

adb shell cmd overlay disable --user 0 com.android.theme.color.yourcolorcode

⚠️ Attention: Not all applications support manually changing accent colors. In some cases (for example, in Google Messages), colors may be reset after. app updates Also avoid too bright colors (for example, neon green) - they can impair the readability of the text.

4. Changing colors through wallpaper and third-party applications

If Material You is not supported by your device or you want more control, you can use wallpaper with a preset color palette. Some applications for. wallpapers (for example Backdrops or WallpapersCraft) offer collections marked "Material You" —they are optimized for automatic color generation.

There are also applications for manually customizing the interface:

• 🎨 Substratum (requires Android 8.0+ i ADB) - allows you to install custom themes with changing icons, fonts and colors;
• 🖌️ Hex Installs - simplified version Substratum for Android 10+;
• 🌈 ColorChanger - changes accent colors without ADB, but does not work on all devices.

Example of setup via Substratum:

1. Download Substratum and the theme (for example, Swift Black for a dark interface) from Google Play.
2. Open Substratum, select the downloaded theme and click "Select for installation".
3. Turn on the switches for "Framework", "Settings" and "SystemUI".
4. Click "Compile and install", then restart the device.

Applications like Substratum will not work on Samsung devices with One UI 5.0+ due to manufacturer restrictions. In this case, the only way to change the colors is to use the built-in settings or ADB commands.

5. Setting colors in launchers and icons

If the system settings do not provide enough freedom, you can change interface color through third-party launchers. They do not change the color of the system itself, but allow you to customize:

• 📱 Color of folders and widgets;
• 🎨 App bar background;
• 🖼️ Adaptive icons (to match the color of the wallpaper).

Best launchers for customization:

Launcher	Material You support	Unique features
Nova Launcher	✅ (with plugin)	Customize gestures, hide icons, adaptive folder colors
Lawnchair	✅ (built-in)	Free, lightweight, support ADB for deep customization
Hyperion Launcher	✅ (partially)	Dynamic wallpaper, integration with KWGT for widgets

Setting example Nova Launcher:

1. Install Nova Launcher and plugin Nova Material You Icons.
2. Press your finger on an empty space on the main screen → "Nova Settings".
3. Go to "External view" → "Accent color" and select "Dynamic" or manual tint.
4. For icons: "Icon style" → "Adaptive" → select package Material You Icons.

If you need completely custom icons, use packages from Google Play (for example, Whicons or CandyCons) and apply them through the launcher settings. Please be aware that some icon packs require a purchase or subscription.

6. Problems and solutions: why colors do not change

Sometimes after changing settings, colors remain the same or are applied incorrectly. Here are the common causes and ways to eliminate them:

• 🔄 System cache: After changes via ADB or Substratum clear the cache in Settings → Storage → Cached data: On.
• 📱 Manufacturer shell: On Xiaomi, Huawei and Oppo some settings may be blocked. Try disabling battery optimization for theme applications in Settings → Applications → Permissions.
• 🔧 Incompatible applications: Some apps (for example Facebook or banking applications) ignore system colors. In this case, change the theme inside the application itself.
• 🔄 Reset settings: If after experiments the interface has become unreadable, return the default settings via Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset settings interface.

If you used ADB and the colors are confused after updating the system, repeat the commands or remove the conflicting overlays:

adb shell cmd overlay list

This command will show all active overlays. To remove unnecessary ones, use:

adb shell cmd overlay disable --user 0 overlay_name

⚠️ Attention: On devices with Android 13+ some commands ADB may require additional permissions. If you see an error SecurityExceptioncheck whether the option "Allow USB debugging (safe mode)" is enabled in the developer settings.

7. Additional tricks: color of notifications, keyboard and browser

In addition to the main interface, you can change the colors in individual elements of the system:

• 📩 Notification panel: On Android 12+ the color of the panel depends on the wallpaper. To return to the standard shade, set a plain wallpaper (for example, black or white).
• ⌨️ Gboard Keyboard: Open Gboard → "Themes" → select "Color Palette" or create your own theme.
• 🌐 Chrome Browser: Enable dark mode in Chrome Settings → Themes or install an extension Dark Reader for forced dark theme on all sites.
• 📱 Navigation panel: On Android 10+ you can change the color of the bottom panel (with the "Back", "Home" buttons) via ADB:

  adb shell settings put global navigationbar_color "ff000000"  
  adb shell settings put global navigationbar_contrast_enabled 1

For lovers of minimalism: on Android 14 an option has appeared "Monochrome theme"that removes all accent colors, leaving only shades of gray. It is activated through Settings → Accessibility → Color correction → Monochrome.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about changing colors on Android

Is it possible change the interface color on Android 9 and lower?

On Android 9 Pie and older versions the possibilities are limited. You can:

• Use dark theme (if supported by the shell);
• Install a launcher with customization (for example, Nova Launcher);
• Apply theme via Substratum (required ADB).

Dynamic colors (Material You) and manual change of accents are not available on these versions.

Why did the colors not change after changing the wallpaper?

Possible reasons:

• The wallpaper is too monochromatic (for example, solid black or white) - the system does not have enough data to generate the palette;
• The option is disabled in the settings "Color palette from wallpaper";
• You are using live wallpapers or wallpapers with animation (they are not support Material You);
• The manufacturer's shell blocks dynamic colors (relevant for Huawei EMUI and some versions ColorOS).

Solution: try installing wallpaper with bright contrasting colors or manually select the palette in the settings.

How to return standard colors if the interface has changed after ADB commands unreadable?

If you applied too bright or contrasting colors through ADB and the text became invisible, follow these steps:

1. Connect your phone to the PC and open the command line in the folder with Platform Tools.
2. Run the command to reset overlays:

   adb shell cmd overlay disable-all

3. Reboot the device.
4. If the problem persists, reset the interface settings in Settings → System → Reset settings → Reset interface settings.

As a last resort, a full reset to factory settings will help (but this will delete all data from the device).

Does Material You work on custom firmware (LineageOS, Pixel Experience)?

Yes, but with reservations:

• On LineageOS 20+ (based on Android 13) Material You works fully, including dynamic colors;
• On Pixel Experience support depends on the version - in the latest builds all functions Material You are available;
• On firmware without Google Apps (for example LineageOS without GApps) dynamic colors may not work due to the lack of Google services.

Before installing custom firmware, check on the forum XDA Developersif it supports it Material You.

Is it possible to change the color of system icons (Wi-Fi, battery, signal)?

The color of system icons in the status bar changes only through:

• ADB commands (for example, to change to white/black):

  adb shell settings put global icon_blacklist "null"

• Substratum or Hex Installs with a theme that supports changing the status bar;
• Xposed Framework (requires root and does not work on all versions of Android).

On most devices without root it is impossible to change the color of system icons.