Apple UI Colors

iOS Dark Text

UIColor.darkText
iOS & iPadOS System Color
Adaptive System Token•iOS 13.0+, iPadOS 13.0+, macCatalyst 13.0+

Complete technical specification and developer reference for Dark Text in Apple's iOS & iPadOS design system. In light appearance, it resolves to HEX #000000; in dark appearance, it dynamically adapts to HEX #000000. Features wide-gamut Display P3 values, UIKit bridge (UIColor.darkText), AppKit bridge (NSColor.darkText), WCAG contrast audit, and Xcode drop-in initializers.

Light Mode#000000
Dark Mode#000000
Dark Text Color Preview

A legacy dark text color.

ColorUIColor.darkText
Copy:
Dynamic Asset
iOS & iPadOS System Color
iOS 13.0+, iPadOS 13.0+, macCatalyst 13.0+
Initializers & Color Spaces
Color(r:g:b:)Color(red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000)
Color(r:g:b:op:)Color(red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(hue:sat:bri:)HSBColor(hue: 0.000, saturation: 0.000, brightness: 0.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(.displayP3)Wide GamutColor(.displayP3, red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(.sRGB)Color(.sRGB, red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(hex:)ExtensionColor(hex: "#000000")
#colorLiteralXcode#colorLiteral(red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, alpha: 1.00)
Color(uiColor:)iOSColor(uiColor: UIColor(red: 0.000, green: 0.000, blue: 0.000, alpha: 1.00))
Active HEX: #000000P3 R: 0.000 G: 0.000 B: 0.000

Technical Color Specifications

Exact resolved HEX codes, sRGB 8-bit components, HSL, and normalized Swift floating-point decimals for Light and Dark modes.

Color Metric / SpaceLight AppearanceDark AppearanceSwift Code Literal
HEX Code#000000#000000Color(hex: "#000000")
sRGB (0–255)rgb(0, 0, 0)rgb(0, 0, 0)(r: 0.000, g: 0.000, b: 0.000)
Display P3 (Wide Gamut)P3 (0.000, 0.000, 0.000)P3 (0.000, 0.000, 0.000)Color(.displayP3, ...)
HSL / HSBhsl(0, 0%, 0%)hsl(0, 0%, 0%)Color(hue:sat:bri:)
Platform BridgeUIKit: UIColor.darkTextAppKit: NSColor.darkTextColor(uiColor:) / Color(nsColor:)

Light Appearance

Light Theme
HEX Code
#000000
RGB (0–255)
rgb(0, 0, 0)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 0%)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 0.000, g: 0.000, b: 0.000)

Dark Appearance

Dark Theme
HEX Code
#000000
RGB (0–255)
rgb(0, 0, 0)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 0%)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 0.000, g: 0.000, b: 0.000)

Drop-In Developer Snippets

Ready-to-paste code blocks for Xcode asset catalogs and Swift files.

Xcode Location: Save as Contents.json inside Assets.xcassets/Dark Text.colorset/
Includes Light + Dark Modes
Contents.json
{
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.000",
          "green": "0.000",
          "blue": "0.000",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    },
    {
      "appearances": [
        {
          "appearance": "luminosity",
          "value": "dark"
        }
      ],
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.000",
          "green": "0.000",
          "blue": "0.000",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

Live UI Component Sandbox

Preview Color.dark text inside standard Apple interface components.

Interactive Controls
Active TagBadge 99+
Toggle Tint
Container & Typography Styling

●SwiftUI Notification

Just now

Demonstrates how Apple designers pair system background tints with dynamic Dark Text accents.

Dynamic Headline in Dark Text

.foregroundStyle(UIColor.darkText)

Platform Implementation Snippets

Ready-to-use Swift code for SwiftUI, UIKit, and AppKit applications.

UIKit (Swift)
// UIKit (iOS, tvOS, watchOS)
let view = UIView()
view.backgroundColor = UIColor.darkText

// Label Tinting
let label = UILabel()
label.textColor = UIColor.darkText

// Bridging UIKit into SwiftUI
let swiftUIColor = Color(uiColor: .darkText)

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Contrast Audit

Contrast calculations of Dark Text against pure white and iOS OLED dark surfaces.

Light Mode (#000000)on White (#FFF)
Contrast Ratio:21.00:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Pass (AA)
Dark Mode (#000000)on Dark (#1C1C1E)
Contrast Ratio:1.23:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail

Recommended HIG Use Cases

  • Standard UIKit interfaces
  • Adaptive trait-aware views
  • iOS HIG compliance

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

  • Hardcoded static hex values when dynamic adaptation is needed

Browse More iOS & iPadOS Colors

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Tertiary System Background

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use UIColor.darkText in iOS and iPadOS apps?

In UIKit, assign UIColor.darkText directly to properties like view.backgroundColor, label.textColor, or tintColor. In SwiftUI, bridge it using Color(uiColor: .darkText).

What is the HEX code for iOS Dark Text in light and dark mode?

In light appearance, Dark Text resolves to #000000. In dark appearance, it automatically adapts to #000000.

How do I bridge UIColor.darkText into SwiftUI?

In SwiftUI views on iOS 15+, initialize Color(uiColor: .darkText) to utilize this system color with full appearance dynamism.

Does Dark Text adapt automatically to dark appearance in iOS?

Yes, UIColor.darkText is an appearance-aware dynamic UIColor that automatically responds to UITraitCollection changes between light and dark appearances.

Why use UIKit system colors instead of hardcoded hex values?

System colors dynamically adapt to Dark Mode, Accessibility Increase Contrast mode, and future iOS visual refinements without manual color bookkeeping.