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Android: Turn On/Off Color Inversion

If your screen suddenly shows a black background with white text where there used to be normal colors, Color inversion is switched on somewhere in your accessibility settings. Photos, videos and app icons flip their colors too, which can make the phone look broken at first glance. This setting is meant to help with light sensitivity, but it affects the whole display, not just text.

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Step 1 of 5: Tap on **Settings**

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Android 14 · Android 14
Turn On/Off Color Inversion – Android 14: step 1 – Tap on Settings
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Android

Turn On/Off Color Inversion auf Android

Color inversion is an accessibility feature built into Android. It swaps the color values on the entire screen, so light backgrounds turn dark and dark text turns light. Unlike a dark theme, it does not just adjust app colors intelligently, it flips everything, including photos, videos, and camera previews, which can make images look like photo negatives.

This function is designed for people who are sensitive to bright screens or who find high-contrast inverted colors easier to read. If you only want a darker interface without affecting media colors, a system-wide dark mode is usually the better choice, since it keeps images and videos displaying normally.

To check or change the setting, go to Tap on SettingsTap on AccessibilityTap on Color and motionTap on Color inversionEnable or disable Use color inversion.

Turning the toggle off restores normal colors immediately across the whole system, including the home screen, apps, and media playback. If the option was switched on accidentally, for example through a shortcut or after someone else used the phone, this menu path is the fastest way to reverse it. Keep in mind that some manufacturers place a similar toggle in a slightly different accessibility submenu, so the exact wording of menu items can vary a little between devices.

Frequently asked questions

Color inversion changes the colors of the entire display output, not just app themes. Since photos and videos are rendered on that same display, their colors get flipped too. Turning off Use color inversion under Tap on AccessibilityTap on Color and motionTap on Color inversion restores normal media colors.