iOS Secondary Label

UIColor.secondaryLabel

Typographic & Foreground Hierarchy

Adaptive System Token•iOS 13.0+, iPadOS 13.0+, macCatalyst 13.0+

Complete technical specification and developer reference for Secondary Label in Apple's iOS & iPadOS design system. In light appearance, it resolves to HEX #3C3C4399; in dark appearance, it dynamically adapts to HEX #EBEBF599. Features wide-gamut Display P3 values, UIKit bridge (UIColor.secondaryLabel), AppKit bridge (NSColor.secondaryLabelColor), WCAG contrast audit, and Xcode drop-in initializers.

Light Mode#3C3C4399

Dark Mode#EBEBF599

Secondary Label Color Preview

The secondary color for text labels.

ColorUIColor.secondaryLabel

Copy:

Dynamic Asset

Typographic & Foreground Hierarchy

iOS 13.0+, iPadOS 13.0+, macCatalyst 13.0+

Initializers & Color Spaces

Color(r:g:b:)Color(red: 0.235, green: 0.235, blue: 0.263)

Color(r:g:b:op:)Color(red: 0.235, green: 0.235, blue: 0.263, opacity: 0.60)

Color(hue:sat:bri:)HSBColor(hue: 0.667, saturation: 0.104, brightness: 0.263, opacity: 0.60)

Color(.displayP3)Wide GamutColor(.displayP3, red: 0.235, green: 0.235, blue: 0.259, opacity: 0.60)

Color(.sRGB)Color(.sRGB, red: 0.235, green: 0.235, blue: 0.263, opacity: 0.60)

Color(hex:)ExtensionColor(hex: "#3C3C4399")

#colorLiteralXcode#colorLiteral(red: 0.235, green: 0.235, blue: 0.263, alpha: 0.60)

Color(uiColor:)iOSColor(uiColor: UIColor(red: 0.235, green: 0.235, blue: 0.263, alpha: 0.60))

Active HEX: #3C3C4399P3 R: 0.235 G: 0.235 B: 0.259

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 / Space	Light Appearance	Dark Appearance	Swift Code Literal
HEX Code	#3C3C4399	#EBEBF599	Color(hex: "#3C3C4399")
sRGB (0–255)	rgba(60, 60, 67, 0.6)	rgba(235, 235, 245, 0.6)	(r: 0.235, g: 0.235, b: 0.263)
Display P3 (Wide Gamut)	P3 (0.235, 0.235, 0.259)	P3 (0.922, 0.922, 0.957)	Color(.displayP3, ...)
HSL / HSB	hsla(240, 6%, 25%, 0.6)	hsla(240, 33%, 94%, 0.6)	Color(hue:sat:bri:)
Platform Bridge	UIKit: `UIColor.secondaryLabel`	AppKit: `NSColor.secondaryLabelColor`	Color(uiColor:) / Color(nsColor:)

Light Appearance

Light Theme

HEX Code

#3C3C4399

RGB (0–255)

rgba(60, 60, 67, 0.6)

HSL

hsla(240, 6%, 25%, 0.6)

Normalized Swift Literal:

(r: 0.235, g: 0.235, b: 0.263)

Dark Appearance

Dark Theme

HEX Code

#EBEBF599

RGB (0–255)

rgba(235, 235, 245, 0.6)

HSL

hsla(240, 33%, 94%, 0.6)

Normalized Swift Literal:

(r: 0.922, g: 0.922, b: 0.961)

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/Secondary Label.colorset/

Includes Light + Dark Modes

Contents.json

{
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.235",
          "green": "0.235",
          "blue": "0.263",
          "alpha": "0.600"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    },
    {
      "appearances": [
        {
          "appearance": "luminosity",
          "value": "dark"
        }
      ],
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.922",
          "green": "0.922",
          "blue": "0.961",
          "alpha": "0.600"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

Live UI Component Sandbox

Preview Color.secondary label 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 Secondary Label accents.

Dynamic Headline in Secondary Label

.foregroundStyle(UIColor.secondaryLabel)

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.secondaryLabel

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

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

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Contrast Audit

Contrast calculations of Secondary Label against pure white and iOS OLED dark surfaces.

Light Mode (#3C3C4399)on White (#FFF)

Contrast Ratio:3.44:1

Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail

Dark Mode (#EBEBF599)on Dark (#1C1C1E)

Contrast Ratio:5.94:1

Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Pass (AA)

Recommended HIG Use Cases

Text labels, headings, and subtitles
SF Symbols and vector glyphs
Hierarchical content reading order

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Large solid background container fills
Divider hair lines or decorative borders

Browse More iOS & iPadOS Colors

Quickly jump to other Apple system colors and semantic tokens.

Secondary System Background

Tertiary System Background

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

What is the HEX code for iOS Secondary Label in light and dark mode?

In light appearance, Secondary Label resolves to #3C3C4399. In dark appearance, it automatically adapts to #EBEBF599.

How do I bridge UIColor.secondaryLabel into SwiftUI?

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

Does Secondary Label adapt automatically to dark appearance in iOS?

Yes, UIColor.secondaryLabel 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.