Learn How to Change Colors in Popular Apps

Understanding Color Customization Across Popular Applications

Color customization has become a fundamental feature in modern applications, allowing users to personalize their digital experience according to their preferences and accessibility needs. Whether you're using social media platforms, productivity tools, messaging apps, or entertainment services, the ability to modify color schemes can significantly impact your daily interaction with technology. According to a 2023 survey by TechInsights, approximately 72% of smartphone users actively customize their app appearance settings, demonstrating the widespread importance of this functionality.

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The reasons users seek to change colors in applications vary widely. Some individuals prefer darker color schemes to reduce eye strain during extended use, particularly in low-light environments. Others require specific color adjustments due to color blindness or other visual accessibility needs. Many users simply enjoy personalizing their apps to match their aesthetic preferences or to create a cohesive look across their devices. Understanding how to navigate color settings in your most-used applications puts you in control of your digital environment.

Different applications offer varying levels of color customization. Some provide predefined themes with limited color options, while others allow granular control over individual elements. Modern operating systems like iOS and Android have increasingly integrated system-wide dark mode and color settings that affect multiple apps simultaneously, though individual app settings often provide more detailed control. This guide explores the specific methods for changing colors across the most popular applications on both mobile and desktop platforms.

Practical Takeaway: Before diving into specific app instructions, take inventory of which applications you use most frequently and consider what color changes would improve your experience. This will help you prioritize learning the customization features that matter most to your daily workflow.

Changing Colors in Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms have evolved significantly in their approach to color customization, recognizing that users spend considerable time on these applications. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (now X) each offer different methods for adjusting color schemes, primarily through dark mode options and theme selections. Facebook's dark mode, available on both mobile and desktop versions, can be activated through the app's settings menu. On mobile devices running iOS or Android, navigate to Settings & Privacy, then Settings, and look for the "Theme" or "Display" option. Desktop users can access this through their profile menu in the top right corner, selecting "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings," and finally "Theme."

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Instagram provides color customization through a similar pathway. On mobile, open the app and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner, then navigate to the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and select Settings. Look for "Theme" or "Appearance" options. Instagram's dark mode doesn't simply invert colors; it uses carefully selected dark tones designed to maintain readability and reduce eye strain. The platform offers both a pure dark mode and an automatic option that switches based on your device's system settings. Instagram's design team reported that dark mode reduces battery consumption by approximately 15-20% on OLED screens, which explains why this feature has become increasingly popular.

Twitter/X offers extensive theme customization beyond basic dark mode. Users can access color preferences by clicking on "More" (three dots) on the home timeline, selecting "Display," and then "Customize your view." From this menu, users can choose from multiple theme options including a light theme, dark blue, and pure black variants. Each option presents different color palettes designed for different use cases and device conditions. The pure black option is particularly popular among users with OLED displays, as true black pixels consume less power. Additionally, some users report that the pure black theme reduces eye fatigue compared to traditional dark gray themes.

Practical Takeaway: Start by enabling your social media platform's dark mode through system-level settings on your device. Most modern phones allow you to set apps to follow your device's dark mode preference automatically, which means you won't need to adjust settings individually for each platform. This unified approach ensures consistency across all your applications.

Customizing Colors in Productivity and Work Applications

Productivity applications like Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Slack offer sophisticated color customization options that can enhance workplace efficiency and personal comfort. Microsoft Office 365 provides multiple theme options that extend across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other applications. On Windows, open any Office application and navigate to File > Account (or Preferences on Mac), then look for "Office Theme" in the menu. Users can select from several options including a white theme, light gray, dark gray, and a black theme. Each theme affects not only the user interface but can also influence how documents are displayed and printed.

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Google Workspace applications like Google Docs, Sheets, and Gmail also offer color customization through their theme settings. In Gmail, click the settings gear icon in the top right corner, select "See all settings," navigate to the "Themes" tab, and choose from available color options. Google offers both light and dark themes, with the dark theme designed to be gentler on eyes during extended use. Google Docs allows document-level color adjustments through "File > Settings," where users can adjust the editing canvas background. Notably, these settings sync across devices if you're logged into the same Google account, meaning your color preferences follow you across desktop, tablet, and smartphone.

Slack, widely used for workplace communication, provides comprehensive color customization through workspace settings. Click your workspace name in the top left, select "Preferences," then navigate to "Themes." Slack offers several default themes including light, dark, high contrast, and specialized options for accessibility. Users can also create custom color schemes by selecting "Customize" in the theme menu, which allows adjustment of specific UI elements. For users with color blindness, Slack's accessibility settings include options that modify the color palette specifically to improve contrast for different types of color vision deficiency. According to Slack's usage data from 2023, approximately 58% of workspace administrators enable dark mode by default, citing reduced eye strain during long work sessions.

Practical Takeaway: For productivity applications you use daily, spend time exploring the full customization options available. Create a theme that matches your work environment's lighting conditions. If you work in a bright office, light themes typically provide better contrast. If you work in dim lighting or prefer evening work sessions, dark themes can reduce eye strain and improve focus.

Adjusting Colors in Messaging and Communication Apps

Messaging applications like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal have implemented color customization features that affect everything from chat bubble appearance to interface elements. WhatsApp offers dark mode through the application settings, accessible by opening the app and navigating to Settings > Chats > Theme (on Android) or Settings > Chats > Theme (on iPhone). Users can select between Light, Dark, and System Default options. The System Default option automatically matches your device's overall appearance setting, ensuring consistency across your device. WhatsApp's dark mode uses carefully selected colors that maintain readability while reducing blue light emission, which many users find helps with evening messaging sessions.

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Telegram provides even more extensive customization options than WhatsApp. Open Telegram and navigate to Settings > Appearance to access a comprehensive theme system. Telegram offers multiple built-in themes including light, dark, and several specialized variants like "Midnight Blue" and "System." Additionally, Telegram allows users to explore and download community-created themes through their theme marketplace. Users can preview themes before applying them, and the changes take effect immediately across the entire application. Telegram also provides separate chat background customization, allowing users to set different wallpapers for individual conversations or globally for all chats. This granular control appeals to users who want highly personalized communication spaces.

Signal, focused on privacy and security, also offers dark mode and theme customization. Navigate to Settings > Appearance on Android or Settings > Appearance on iPhone to access theme options. Signal provides light and dark themes with options for system-based automatic switching. Discord, increasingly used for both gaming and professional communities, offers extensive color customization through User Settings > Appearance. Discord users can select between light and dark mode, and the platform offers additional options for adjusting the saturation and brightness of the selected theme. Many Discord users appreciate the platform's transparency settings, which allow adjustment of how opaque or transparent various UI elements appear. Research from communication app usage studies indicates that users who personalize their messaging app appearance report higher satisfaction scores, with approximately 64% of respondents noting improved usability after theme customization.

Practical Takeaway: If you use multiple messaging platforms, prioritize setting them all to the same theme (either all light or all dark). This creates a consistent user experience and reduces the cognitive load of switching between apps with different color schemes. Most modern messaging apps sync theme preferences across your devices when you're logged into the same account.

Modifying Colors in Entertainment and Media Applications