You type on it a hundred times a day, in every app, and it is the one part of your phone you probably never changed. The default keyboard is plain white or grey, and when you go looking for a colour setting, there is not one — not in iPhone Settings, not in Android Settings. That is not a bug. The colour of your keyboard is decided by the keyboard app itself, so the switch lives inside that app, not in the system.

This guide covers Gboard on Android and iPhone, Samsung Keyboard, and SwiftKey, plus the no-install Dark Mode shortcut and what to do when a theme refuses to apply.

Why there is no keyboard colour setting

A keyboard is an app — what Android calls an input method. iOS and Android let each keyboard app draw its own keys, colours and background, and system Settings only controls language, layout, sound and vibration. So nobody hid the colour switch from you; it was never a system setting in the first place. Once you know to look inside the keyboard app, every method below takes under a minute.

MethodPhonesWhat you can changeCost
Gboard themesAndroid and iPhoneColours, gradients, your own photo, key bordersFree
Samsung Keyboard themeGalaxy phones and tabletsLight, Dark, Adaptive theme; photo via Theme ParkFree
SwiftKey themesAndroid and iPhoneColours, gradients, your own photoFree
Dark ModeiPhone and AndroidKeyboard turns dark (no colours)Free, nothing to install

Change the keyboard theme in Gboard on Android

Gboard is the default keyboard on Pixel phones and many other Android phones, and it has the widest theme choice. Google's own help page gives these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap System, then Languages & input.
  3. Tap Virtual keyboard, then Gboard.
  4. Tap Theme.
  5. Pick a theme, then tap Apply.

There is a faster way once you know it: open any app, tap a text field so the keyboard appears, tap the gear icon on the keyboard toolbar, then tap Theme. Some of these steps need Android 7.0 or later, which covers virtually every phone still in use.

Use your own photo as the background. In the Theme screen, tap the + under My themes, choose a photo from your gallery, then drag the brightness slider until the keys stay easy to read and tap Done. A plain photo with a dark area behind the keys works best — a busy photo makes the letters hard to see. You can also switch Key borders on or off from the same screen if you prefer flat keys.

Google documents the theme steps in its Gboard theme, sound and vibration guide.

Change the keyboard theme in Gboard on iPhone

Apple gives the built-in iPhone keyboard no colour picker at all, so Gboard is the way in. The steps are install, add, then theme:

  1. Install Gboard from the App Store.
  2. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
  3. Tap Add New Keyboard, then tap Gboard.
  4. Open the Gboard app and tap Themes.
  5. Pick a theme or a photo background — it applies immediately.

To type with it, touch and hold the globe icon on the keyboard and choose Gboard. To make it your default, go back to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, tap Edit, and drag Gboard to the top of the list.

Change the Samsung Keyboard theme on a Galaxy phone

Samsung Keyboard keeps its theme in its own settings, separate from the system dark mode — which is why switching your Galaxy to dark mode does not always darken the keyboard.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap General management, then Samsung Keyboard settings.
  3. Tap Theme.
  4. Choose Light, Dark, or Adaptive Theme — Adaptive follows the colours of the app you have open.

If Theme is missing from the list, switch the phone to Light mode first (Settings > Display > Light) and look again; on some models the option hides while Dark mode is on. For stronger contrast without a theme, go to Settings > Accessibility > Vision enhancements and turn on High contrast keyboard.

Put a photo behind the keys. Samsung Keyboard itself has no photo option, so this needs Samsung's Good Lock app and its Theme Park module, both from the Galaxy Store:

  1. Install Good Lock, then install Theme Park inside it.
  2. Open Theme Park, tap Keyboard, then tap Create new.
  3. Tap the gallery icon, pick your photo, and adjust it.
  4. Save the design, give it a name, then tap it and hit Apply.

Theme Park is not available in every country, on every Galaxy model, or on One UI Core devices — if you cannot find it in the Galaxy Store, your phone does not support it, and Gboard above is the fallback that works on any Galaxy. Samsung's keyboard theme options are covered in detail in this Samsung Keyboard background guide.

Change the keyboard theme in SwiftKey

Microsoft SwiftKey is the other keyboard worth knowing, and it works the same way on both platforms: the themes live in the app, not in system Settings.

SwiftKey's theme gallery is large, and its custom themes let you combine your own image with a key style. If Gboard's themes feel limited, SwiftKey is the next one to try — not a third keyboard app.

The no-install shortcut: Dark Mode

If you only want the keyboard to stop glowing white at night, you do not need any app. The built-in keyboard follows your phone's appearance setting:

That is the whole trick — dark, not colourful. It is also the only option if you refuse to install a keyboard app, and it is worth trying first: many people who search for a black keyboard only ever wanted Dark Mode.

If your new theme does not show up

Themes fail in a handful of predictable ways. Work through these before reinstalling anything:

If you like customising the rest of the home screen too, our guides to changing your app icons and setting a live wallpaper cover the other two pieces, and if the clicks annoy you, here is how to turn off keyboard clicks.

FAQ

Can I change the colour of the built-in iPhone keyboard?

No. Apple offers no colour picker for its own keyboard — only Light and Dark mode, which change the keyboard along with everything else. Any real colour, gradient or photo background needs a third-party keyboard app such as Gboard or SwiftKey.

Can I use my own photo as my keyboard background?

Yes. In Gboard, go to Theme, tap the + under My themes and pick a photo. SwiftKey has the same option under Themes, and on a Galaxy phone you can do it with Good Lock's Theme Park. Keep the photo simple and the brightness low so the key letters stay readable.

Does a keyboard theme slow down my phone or use more battery?

No, not in any way you would notice. A theme is a static image or colour behind the keys — it does not run in the background, animate, or use the network. Dark themes can even save a little battery on OLED screens, though the saving is small.

Will a third-party keyboard see my passwords?

On iPhone, no — iOS switches to the Apple keyboard automatically in password fields, on the lock screen and for Apple Pay. On Android, a keyboard app with network permission technically could transmit what you type, which is why you should only install keyboards from developers you trust and read the privacy policy before granting extra permissions.

Do keyboard themes cost money?

The ones in this guide do not. Gboard themes, Samsung Keyboard themes and SwiftKey themes are all free, including photo backgrounds. Some keyboard apps in the App Store and Play Store sell premium theme packs — you never need them to get a coloured keyboard.

Does the theme apply in every app?

Yes, once that keyboard is the active one. The theme follows the keyboard, not the app, so WhatsApp, Messages, Chrome and Notes all show the same keyboard. The only exceptions are secure fields on iPhone, where iOS falls back to the Apple keyboard.