Unable to change Contacts background color on iPhone 16 after iOS 26 update

Per 9/24/25: The white font in the Notes field in Contacts set against the current default light lavender background in the first release of iOS 26 does make legibility difficult and extremely frustrating. This appears to be a widespread current complaint among users after upgrading to iOS 26.

I have found that taking the following steps will increase the contrast for all Contacts by darkening the background color from the currently default lavender to a darker purple. The font will uniformly turn white across all fields in Contacts, but the legibility increases noticeably. I'd consider this a workaround until Apple fixes the contrast problem (which never should have been allowed to slip through quality control in the first place):

1. Settings > Accessibility > Per-App Settings
2. Add App: Contacts
3. Reduce Transparency: Select"ON," then select "OFF"; (Leave "OFF")

OK to back out to Settings.

Your Contacts background color should have turned a darker purple and all fields should be populated with a white font. Visibility should be noticeably better than the default pending a fix by Apple.

You can't change it back. It's hard coded into iOS 26. You can open Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and turn on Increase Contrast, which should help. You can choose a contact poster for contacts.

Otherwise, let Apple know your thoughts by using this link --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

To Transvideo I tried the solution suggested above by "alexpm77" and it helped for a work around. Not a solution but it will get us by until hopefully Apple gets the message and does something about this bug. Here is what he suggested -

1. Settings > Accessibility > Per-App Settings
2. Add App: Contacts
3. Reduce Transparency: Select"ON," then select "OFF"; (Leave "OFF")

It makes the background darker so at least you can make out what is there hopefully. Depending on your vision problem I certainly this helps you. Cross your fingers that Apple gets the message really soon.

As another commenter said, when you go to a contact, hit the EDIT button and the screen will show as the traditional white background and black type.

also…accessibility settings, this differs from the suggestions…use REDUCE TRANSPARENCY; ON

and INCREASE CONTRAST: ON.

I have vision issues too. Be glad they didn’t do red type over blue background! That’s the worst!

englewoodpam wrote:

Yes, unfortunately, my phone updated to a new iOS overnight and all my contacts are colored in different colors. It's awful. I called Apple and worked with an Apple personnel and there is no way to get the white background back. There are all these funky colors backgrounds that are there. It's awful if you go to edit you see your screen the way it was black-and-white, but there's no way to save that black-and-white. Please help Apple. This is no way to run your iPhone software. Does anyone in there actually have any common sense and allow people to continue using some of the features that they've used and were successful for them? Please help.

Apple isn't here on this user to user only forum. No one here can help you change the background color for contacts. Apple chose a nice Lavender color this year and unless you want to go through every contact you have and assign a Contact Poster for each contact, Lavender is it. You already spoke with Apple and they confirmed there is no way to universally change the Contacts background color.

You are welcome to provide feedback to Apple here --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

I'm sorry, but no one here can fix that. This is a user to user support forum and Apple does not participate here. They would not see your statement regarding fixing it.

I noticed that change when i responded to another thread about font color in Contacts, I just wonder if it had something to do with the ability to create posters. I cannot really say. I've not taken time to review, since I've not experienced an issue with reading anything in Contacts, however I don't usually put a great deal of text in Notes. I'm not saying this is not significant to you, but to start with you can either contact Apple Support Official Apple Support or you can use the feedback link to let them know your thoughts here, Feedback - iPhone - Apple

I tried editing one of my contacts and surprisingly when you tap Edit it turns to a white background for you to edit it and then when you save it, it changes color.

I went to edit - selected monogram and poster and selected the darkest color. Not a solution but makes the white font easier to read. Have to do for each contact that has notes. The main details were fine

majapp wrote:

How could this ever get pass the beta users (I am not a beta tester of iOS). I do enter lots of very relevant info in Contacts notes field. After I upgraded to iOS 26 I can barely read my notes with white lettering on lilac background. if I tap edit then the lettering changes from white to black as long as you remain in edit mode. I hope Apple fixes this issue. I did submit my issue to them via apple.com/feedback and selecting Contacts.

Tell Apple if you want to let them know your thoughts as you've certainly not done that here --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

You can change the background of each individual contact to a darker color and change transparency. It helps but the lower areas like notes tends to be lighter and the white text makes it difficult to read on the phone, especially in bright light. I use the notes sections a lot to cauterize contacts and add other info that has no field in contacts.

To see Notes in original black type on white background, click "EDIT" in contacts.

And be careful not to type over anything.

[Edited by Moderator]

How could this ever get pass the beta users (I am not a beta tester of iOS). I do enter lots of very relevant info in Contacts notes field. After I upgraded to iOS 26 I can barely read my notes with white lettering on lilac background. if I tap edit then the lettering changes from white to black as long as you remain in edit mode. I hope Apple fixes this issue. I did submit my issue to them via apple.com/feedback and selecting Contacts.

Big help about per app settings. Thank you.

For contacts on my phone I now have:

reduced transparency off…

Increase contrast on…

Differentiate without color off…

It is now so much easier to read, again thank you

Just to reduce (add?) to the confusion:

Don't confuse Notes (the App) with the "notes" field in Contacts peoples.

When talking about white text, black text defaults etc. also remember there are Normal and Dark display modes in IOS now.

Dark mode (which I use) changes the default text colour in most Apps now (generally to white text on a black background).

Note: There are puzzling exceptions in IOS26 such as the current issue of white text an a purplish background in Contacts (My Dark mode doesn't seem to be applied here for some reason so I'm guessing that the white text on purplish background is a buggy area and will be fixed later to the joy of everyone?).

With today's software update, selecting the bold option for text made it much more legible and the font color is now black. Best I've seen it

Yes, unfortunately, my phone updated to a new iOS overnight and all my contacts are colored in different colors. It's awful. I called Apple and worked with an Apple personnel and there is no way to get the white background back. There are all these funky colors backgrounds that are there. It's awful if you go to edit you see your screen the way it was black-and-white, but there's no way to save that black-and-white. Please help Apple. This is no way to run your iPhone software. Does anyone in there actually have any common sense and allow people to continue using some of the features that they've used and were successful for them? Please help.