Apple UI Colors

macOS Highlight

NSColor.highlightColor
macOS System Color
Adaptive System Token•macOS 10.10+ / 10.14+, AppKit

Complete technical specification and developer reference for Highlight in Apple's macOS design system. In light appearance, it resolves to HEX #FFFFFF; in dark appearance, it dynamically adapts to HEX #B4B4B4. Features wide-gamut Display P3 values, UIKit bridge (UIColor.highlightColor), AppKit bridge (NSColor.highlightColor), WCAG contrast audit, and Xcode drop-in initializers.

Light Mode#FFFFFF
Dark Mode#B4B4B4
Highlight Color Preview

The virtual light source onscreen.

ColorNSColor.highlightColor
Copy:
Dynamic Asset
macOS System Color
macOS 10.10+ / 10.14+, AppKit
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: 1.00)
Color(hue:sat:bri:)HSBColor(hue: 0.000, saturation: 0.000, brightness: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(.displayP3)Wide GamutColor(.displayP3, red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(.sRGB)Color(.sRGB, red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(hex:)ExtensionColor(hex: "#FFFFFF")
#colorLiteralXcode#colorLiteral(red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, alpha: 1.00)
Color(uiColor:)iOSColor(uiColor: UIColor(red: 1.000, green: 1.000, blue: 1.000, alpha: 1.00))
Active HEX: #FFFFFFP3 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#FFFFFF#B4B4B4Color(hex: "#FFFFFF")
sRGB (0–255)rgb(255, 255, 255)rgb(180, 180, 180)(r: 1.000, g: 1.000, b: 1.000)
Display P3 (Wide Gamut)P3 (1.000, 1.000, 1.000)P3 (0.706, 0.706, 0.706)Color(.displayP3, ...)
HSL / HSBhsl(0, 0%, 100%)hsl(0, 0%, 71%)Color(hue:sat:bri:)
Platform BridgeUIKit: UIColor.highlightColorAppKit: NSColor.highlightColorColor(uiColor:) / Color(nsColor:)

Light Appearance

Light Theme
HEX Code
#FFFFFF
RGB (0–255)
rgb(255, 255, 255)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 100%)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 1.000, g: 1.000, b: 1.000)

Dark Appearance

Dark Theme
HEX Code
#B4B4B4
RGB (0–255)
rgb(180, 180, 180)
HSL
hsl(0, 0%, 71%)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 0.706, g: 0.706, b: 0.706)

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/Highlight.colorset/
Includes Light + Dark Modes
Contents.json
{
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "1.000",
          "green": "1.000",
          "blue": "1.000",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    },
    {
      "appearances": [
        {
          "appearance": "luminosity",
          "value": "dark"
        }
      ],
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.706",
          "green": "0.706",
          "blue": "0.706",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

Live UI Component Sandbox

Preview Color.highlight 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 Highlight accents.

Dynamic Headline in Highlight

.foregroundStyle(NSColor.highlightColor)

Platform Implementation Snippets

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

AppKit (macOS Swift)
// AppKit (macOS)
let button = NSButton()
button.contentTintColor = NSColor.highlightColor

// Custom Layer Tint
let layer = CALayer()
layer.backgroundColor = NSColor.highlightColor.cgColor

// Bridging AppKit into SwiftUI
let swiftUIColor = Color(nsColor: .highlightColor)

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Contrast Audit

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

Light Mode (#FFFFFF)on White (#FFF)
Contrast Ratio:1.00:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail
Dark Mode (#B4B4B4)on Dark (#1C1C1E)
Contrast Ratio:8.21:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Pass (AA)

Recommended HIG Use Cases

  • AppKit desktop interfaces
  • macOS native controls
  • Dark Mode & Vibrant surfaces

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

  • Hardcoded static hex values when appearance-aware adaptation is needed

Browse More macOS Colors

Quickly jump to other Apple system colors and semantic tokens.

All 53 Colors →
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System Brown
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Label
Secondary Label
Tertiary Label
Quaternary Label
Quinary Label

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use NSColor.highlightColor in macOS AppKit apps?

In AppKit, assign NSColor.highlightColor to NSView, NSTextField, or NSButton styling. In SwiftUI on macOS, bridge it using Color(nsColor: .highlightColor).

What is the HEX code for macOS Highlight in light and dark mode?

In light appearance, Highlight resolves to #FFFFFF. In dark appearance, it automatically adapts to #B4B4B4.

How do I bridge NSColor.highlightColor into SwiftUI?

In SwiftUI views on macOS, instantiate Color(nsColor: .highlightColor) to access the native AppKit dynamic color token.

Does Highlight adapt to Dark Mode and vibrancy in macOS?

Yes, NSColor.highlightColor is an appearance-aware NSColor that updates automatically when switching between light and dark modes or across vibrant desktop materials.

Why use AppKit system colors instead of hardcoded hex values?

NSColor system tokens adapt automatically to user accent color preferences, Dark Mode, and accessibility contrast settings.