How to Enable Color Blind Mode on Android

If you suffer from color blindness or have difficulty distinguishing certain colors, Android includes accessibility tools that adjust the system’s color palette. In this article I’ll explain exactly how to enable color blind mode on Android, what types of color correction are available, and how to configure them to your needs. It’s a simple process that can make a big difference in your daily use.

Table of contents

What is color blind mode on Android and what does it do?

Color blind mode on Android is an accessibility feature that applies color filters over the screen to compensate for color perception deficits. It doesn’t cure color blindness, obviously, but it adjusts the tones displayed on screen so people with color blindness can better distinguish elements they would normally confuse.

There are three main types of color blindness:

Deuteranopia is by far the most common. Android offers specific filters for each type, which is a thoughtful accessibility detail.

Steps to enable color blind mode on Android

The process is practically the same on most modern Android versions (Android 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16):

1. Open Settings on your Android device.
2. Tap Accessibility.
3. Look for the Color correction section.
4. Toggle the main color correction switch on.
5. Select the filter type that best matches your color blindness:
   • Protanopia (red correction)
   • Deuteranopia (green correction)
   • Tritanopia (blue correction)
6. The screen will change immediately with the applied filter.

Pro-tip: If you’re not sure what type of color blindness you have, try each filter one by one and observe which one lets you distinguish interface colors best. Within a few minutes you’ll notice which one feels most comfortable.

Differences between Samsung, Xiaomi, and Google Pixel

Although the feature is similar, each manufacturer may place it in a slightly different location with different names.

Samsung (One UI): Settings > Accessibility > Visibility enhancements > Color adjustment. Samsung offers color filters alongside options like dark mode and high contrast.

Xiaomi (HyperOS / MIUI): Settings > Additional settings > Accessibility > Vision > Color correction. The location may vary depending on your MIUI or HyperOS version.

Google Pixel (Stock Android): Settings > Accessibility > Color correction. This is the most direct and clean implementation, without additional layers.

Other manufacturers: In general, the feature is under Settings > Accessibility, but the exact name may vary. If you can’t find it, use the Settings search bar and type “color correction” or “color blind.”

Other visual accessibility options on Android

Color blind mode isn’t the only visual accessibility tool Android offers. Here are other options that can complement it:

Dark mode: Reduces overall brightness and blue light emission. It’s not specific to color blindness, but it reduces eye strain.

High contrast: Makes text and interface elements stand out better against the background.

Font size and display zoom: If the difficulty isn’t so much about color but about seeing elements, increasing text size and screen zoom helps a lot.

Magnifier: Some manufacturers include a magnifying feature that amplifies a screen area. Useful for reading small text or seeing details.

Pro-tip: You can combine color correction with high contrast for the maximum visual accessibility benefit. Try different combinations until you find the one that feels most natural.

Popular apps with their own color blind mode

Some of the apps you use daily already include their own accessibility filters. This is especially useful because Android’s color blind mode sometimes isn’t enough in certain contexts or when you need finer control over specific elements within an app.

Instagram: Has color correction filters directly in the app’s accessibility settings. Useful if you spend a lot of time browsing photos and stories.

Google Maps: Includes options for color blind people in route visualization, especially helpful for distinguishing between red (heavy traffic) and green (smooth traffic). This small detail has saved me from confusing traffic situations more than once.

WhatsApp: While it doesn’t have a specific color blind mode, it does allow changing chat colors and themes to make reading easier.

Games: Titles like Minecraft, Fortnite, and several card games offer built-in color accessibility modes. Look in the game’s settings for “color blind mode” or “modo daltónico.”

YouTube: The progress bar and other UI elements are designed with accessibility in mind, and some settings allow adjusting contrast for better visibility.

Pro-tip: If you use many apps that don’t include their own filters, the system-level color blind mode is your best ally. But if you only have problems with one specific app, check if that app has its own option before enabling the global filter.

Practical tips for living with color blindness and Android

After talking with several color blind Android users, these are the tips they’ve shared most:

Use dark wallpapers: Dark backgrounds make app icons easier to distinguish, regardless of your type of color blindness.

Organize your apps by position, not color: Don’t depend on icon colors to find your apps. Organize them in folders by function (social media, productivity, etc.) in fixed positions.

Enable sound and vibration notifications: Don’t rely solely on LED indicators or notification colors. Set unique vibrations for each important app.

Use widgets with large text: Widgets with large text and high contrast are much more readable than small, colorful icons.

Take advantage of Google Assistant: If you have difficulty distinguishing colors in notifications or the interface, ask Google Assistant what the screen says. It can read the content aloud.

Diagnostic tools for color blindness

If you’re not sure what type of color blindness you have or if you have it at all, there are free tools that can help:

Ishihara Test: This is the classic test with colored circles containing numbers. You can find free versions online or in apps like “Color Blindness Test” on the Play Store.

EnChroma: This company offers a free online test on their website that tells you not only if you have color blindness, but exactly what type and how severe it is.

Test apps: Search for “color blind test” on the Play Store. Apps like “Color Blind Check” or “CVS Pocket Vision Screener” give you results in minutes.

My recommendation is to take at least a basic test before configuring color blind mode. Knowing exactly what type of color blindness you have helps you choose the correct filter from the start without having to try them all.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

Does color blind mode affect phone performance?

Practically not at all. The color filter is applied at the software level with minimal performance impact. You won’t notice any difference in speed or battery consumption.

Can it be enabled only in certain apps?

Not natively on stock Android. The filter applies to the entire system. However, some individual apps include their own color accessibility modes that you can enable independently.

Does it work on videos and games?

Yes, the color correction filter applies to everything displayed on screen, including videos, games, and photos. It’s a screen-level correction, not content-level.

Does this mode replace color blind glasses?

No. Specialized color blindness glasses work differently, with optical filters that alter light before it reaches the eye. Android’s mode is a digital approximation that helps, but doesn’t offer the same result as professional glasses.

Conclusion

Enabling color blind mode on Android is a process that takes just seconds and can significantly improve your smartphone experience. Whether you have protanopia, deuteranopia, or tritanopia, Android’s color correction filters are designed to make the interface more usable and pleasant. If you’ve never tried this feature, I encourage you to do it right now: go to Settings > Accessibility and experiment with the different filters until you find the one that suits you best.