iOS Quaternary System Fill

UIColor.quaternarySystemFill
Interactive & Content Shapes
Adaptive System Token•iOS 13.0+, iPadOS 13.0+, macCatalyst 13.0+

Complete technical specification and developer reference for Quaternary System Fill in Apple's iOS & iPadOS design system. In light appearance, it resolves to HEX #74748014; in dark appearance, it dynamically adapts to HEX #7676802E. Features wide-gamut Display P3 values, UIKit bridge (UIColor.quaternarySystemFill), AppKit bridge (NSColor.quaternarySystemFill), WCAG contrast audit, and Xcode drop-in initializers.

Light Mode#74748014
Dark Mode#7676802E
Quaternary System Fill Color Preview

The softest system fill used for low-emphasis shapes.

ColorUIColor.quaternarySystemFill
Copy:
Dynamic Asset
Interactive & Content Shapes
iOS 13.0+, iPadOS 13.0+, macCatalyst 13.0+
Initializers & Color Spaces
Color(r:g:b:)Color(red: 0.455, green: 0.455, blue: 0.502)
Color(r:g:b:op:)Color(red: 0.455, green: 0.455, blue: 0.502, opacity: 0.08)
Color(hue:sat:bri:)HSBColor(hue: 0.667, saturation: 0.094, brightness: 0.502, opacity: 0.08)
Color(.displayP3)Wide GamutColor(.displayP3, red: 0.455, green: 0.455, blue: 0.498, opacity: 0.08)
Color(.sRGB)Color(.sRGB, red: 0.455, green: 0.455, blue: 0.502, opacity: 0.08)
Color(hex:)ExtensionColor(hex: "#74748014")
#colorLiteralXcode#colorLiteral(red: 0.455, green: 0.455, blue: 0.502, alpha: 0.08)
Color(uiColor:)iOSColor(uiColor: UIColor(red: 0.455, green: 0.455, blue: 0.502, alpha: 0.08))
Active HEX: #74748014P3 R: 0.455 G: 0.455 B: 0.498

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#74748014#7676802EColor(hex: "#74748014")
sRGB (0–255)rgba(116, 116, 128, 0.078)rgba(118, 118, 128, 0.18)(r: 0.455, g: 0.455, b: 0.502)
Display P3 (Wide Gamut)P3 (0.455, 0.455, 0.498)P3 (0.463, 0.463, 0.498)Color(.displayP3, ...)
HSL / HSBhsla(240, 5%, 48%, 0.078)hsla(240, 4%, 48%, 0.18)Color(hue:sat:bri:)
Platform BridgeUIKit: UIColor.quaternarySystemFillAppKit: NSColor.quaternarySystemFillColor(uiColor:) / Color(nsColor:)

Light Appearance

Light Theme
HEX Code
#74748014
RGB (0–255)
rgba(116, 116, 128, 0.078)
HSL
hsla(240, 5%, 48%, 0.078)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 0.455, g: 0.455, b: 0.502)

Dark Appearance

Dark Theme
HEX Code
#7676802E
RGB (0–255)
rgba(118, 118, 128, 0.18)
HSL
hsla(240, 4%, 48%, 0.18)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 0.463, g: 0.463, b: 0.502)

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/Quaternary System Fill.colorset/
Includes Light + Dark Modes
Contents.json
{
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.455",
          "green": "0.455",
          "blue": "0.502",
          "alpha": "0.078"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    },
    {
      "appearances": [
        {
          "appearance": "luminosity",
          "value": "dark"
        }
      ],
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.463",
          "green": "0.463",
          "blue": "0.502",
          "alpha": "0.180"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

Live UI Component Sandbox

Preview Color.quaternary system fill 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 Quaternary System Fill accents.

Dynamic Headline in Quaternary System Fill

.foregroundStyle(UIColor.quaternarySystemFill)

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.quaternarySystemFill

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

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

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Contrast Audit

Contrast calculations of Quaternary System Fill against pure white and iOS OLED dark surfaces.

Light Mode (#74748014)on White (#FFF)
Contrast Ratio:1.10:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail
Dark Mode (#7676802E)on Dark (#1C1C1E)
Contrast Ratio:1.22:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail

Recommended HIG Use Cases

  • Slider tracks, stepper backgrounds, and progress bars
  • Input fields, search bar backdrops, and tag pills
  • Selected row overlays and subtle container wells

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

  • Primary body text and headlines
  • Primary call-to-action button fills

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

What is the HEX code for iOS Quaternary System Fill in light and dark mode?

In light appearance, Quaternary System Fill resolves to #74748014. In dark appearance, it automatically adapts to #7676802E.

How do I bridge UIColor.quaternarySystemFill into SwiftUI?

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

Does Quaternary System Fill adapt automatically to dark appearance in iOS?

Yes, UIColor.quaternarySystemFill 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.