How to Change the Background Color of Notes on iOS

If you are using the Notes app in iOS, you probably hate that it uses a plain background based on your device’s setting. If you have Light mode enabled, you’ll see a light background, and a dark background while using Dark mode. You can easily change the background color of a note in iOS, though. Here is how you can do so.

Note: to enable a different background for the Notes app, you’ll need to make sure your device is running at least iOS 13 / iPadOS 13 or later. If not, update your device to the latest firmware before proceeding.

Also read: 10 of the Best Fixes for Apple Pencil Not Working Properly

Change Background for a Specific Note

1. Open the Notes app on your device.

2. Find the note where you want to change the background. Make sure the note isn’t blank, as the method won’t work if there isn’t anything typed in the note.

3. Once you’ve opened the note, tap on the triple-dot menu icon located at the top-right corner of your screen.

4. You’ll get a pop-up menu from the bottom. Scroll down and choose “Use Light Background” as shown below.

5. Once you do so, you’ll notice the background of the note automatically change to the Light style. By using this setting, you’ll be able to bypass the system-wide requirement for the Light/Dark theme. If you have the Light theme enabled by default, you can follow the same steps to change the background to the Dark style.

Also read: How to Scan Documents in Notes App for iOS

Change Background Style for All Notes

If you’d like to change the background style for all your Notes as opposed to single notes, you can do so from the Settings menu.

1. Open up the Settings app on your device.

2. Scroll down to the “System Apps” section and tap on Notes.

3. Scroll down to the bottom and find the option to change Note Backgrounds.

4. Once you tap on the option, you’ll see the option to choose either Dark or Light background for your notes.

That’s it! Now all your notes will feature your choice between the Light and Dark background options, bypassing the system-wide theme requirement.

Also read: 5 of the Best Sticky Note Apps for Mac

How to Add a Grid Background to Your Notes

If you want to customize your Notes background even further, you can choose to add a lined or grid paper style to suit your needs. This can make your handwritten notes look different. For instance, those who use the Apple Pencil with their iPad to take handwritten notes may prefer to be lined, making it seem more like notebook paper. The grid layout may be better suited to artists and statisticians.

Similar to the background color for a note, you can choose to apply the grid settings to either a single Note or the entire Notes app.

For a singular note, simply open the Note, tap on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner, and scroll down and select “Lines and Grids.”

Here, select the design you’d like, which will then automatically be applied.

If you’d like to apply a general lined or grid background to all your notes, simply open the Notes section in the Settings app. Here, select “Lines and Grids” and the design you’d like. This will be applied to all your notes, which will allow you to customize the app even more.

You should now be able to customize your Notes app using the methods detailed above. You can also apply these changes to shared Notes which can make highlighting changes easier.