Apple UI Colors

iOS Light Text

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

Complete technical specification and developer reference for Light Text in Apple's iOS & iPadOS design system. In light appearance, it resolves to HEX #FFFFFF99; in dark appearance, it dynamically adapts to HEX #FFFFFF99. Features wide-gamut Display P3 values, UIKit bridge (UIColor.lightText), AppKit bridge (NSColor.lightText), WCAG contrast audit, and Xcode drop-in initializers.

Light Mode#FFFFFF99
Dark Mode#FFFFFF99
Light Text Color Preview

A legacy light text color.

ColorUIColor.lightText
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: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000)
Color(r:g:b:op:)Color(red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, opacity: 0.60)
Color(hue:sat:bri:)HSBColor(hue: 0.000, saturation: 0.000, brightness: 1.000, opacity: 0.60)
Color(.displayP3)Wide GamutColor(.displayP3, red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, opacity: 0.60)
Color(.sRGB)Color(.sRGB, red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, opacity: 0.60)
Color(hex:)ExtensionColor(hex: "#FFFFFF99")
#colorLiteralXcode#colorLiteral(red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, alpha: 0.60)
Color(uiColor:)iOSColor(uiColor: UIColor(red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, alpha: 0.60))
Active HEX: #FFFFFF99P3 R: 1.000 G: 1.000 B: 1.000

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#FFFFFF99#FFFFFF99Color(hex: "#FFFFFF99")
sRGB (0–255)rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6)rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6)(r: 1.000, g: 1.000, b: 1.000)
Display P3 (Wide Gamut)P3 (1.000, 1.000, 1.000)P3 (1.000, 1.000, 1.000)Color(.displayP3, ...)
HSL / HSBhsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.6)hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.6)Color(hue:sat:bri:)
Platform BridgeUIKit: UIColor.lightTextAppKit: NSColor.lightTextColor(uiColor:) / Color(nsColor:)

Light Appearance

Light Theme
HEX Code
#FFFFFF99
RGB (0–255)
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6)
HSL
hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.6)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 1.000, g: 1.000, b: 1.000)

Dark Appearance

Dark Theme
HEX Code
#FFFFFF99
RGB (0–255)
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6)
HSL
hsla(0, 0%, 100%, 0.6)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 1.000, g: 1.000, b: 1.000)

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/Light Text.colorset/
Includes Light + Dark Modes
Contents.json
{
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "1.000",
          "green": "1.000",
          "blue": "1.000",
          "alpha": "0.600"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    },
    {
      "appearances": [
        {
          "appearance": "luminosity",
          "value": "dark"
        }
      ],
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "1.000",
          "green": "1.000",
          "blue": "1.000",
          "alpha": "0.600"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

Live UI Component Sandbox

Preview Color.light 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 Light Text accents.

Dynamic Headline in Light Text

.foregroundStyle(UIColor.lightText)

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.lightText

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

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

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Contrast Audit

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

Light Mode (#FFFFFF99)on White (#FFF)
Contrast Ratio:1.00:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail
Dark Mode (#FFFFFF99)on Dark (#1C1C1E)
Contrast Ratio:6.83:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Pass (AA)

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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Secondary System Background
Tertiary System Background

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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

In light appearance, Light Text resolves to #FFFFFF99. In dark appearance, it automatically adapts to #FFFFFF99.

How do I bridge UIColor.lightText into SwiftUI?

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

Does Light Text adapt automatically to dark appearance in iOS?

Yes, UIColor.lightText 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.