How to Change iPad Color Back to Normal: Step-by-Step Display Reset

I’ve seen this happen more times than I can count – someone hands you their iPad and the colors look all wrong. That weird tint or oversaturated look isn’t permanent, and the fix is simpler than you think.

Most color issues come from accidentally enabling accessibility features like Color Filters or Night Shift. The settings are buried where you’d least expect them, but once you know where to look, resetting takes less than a minute.

You’ll want to check both the Display & Brightness menu and the Accessibility section. I’ve walked dozens of family members through this at our Five Points tech center – the relief when their screen looks normal again is always the same.

Works on every iPad model running iOS 12 or newer. Here’s exactly where to tap to get your colors back to factory settings.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s the procedure I follow to restore natural colors with minimal fuss.

Open the Settings app and navigate to Accessibility, then select Display & Text Size. This is where color adjustments are managed. Scroll down to Color Filters and ensure the toggle is set to Off.

If it’s enabled, tap it to disable. The screen should immediately return to its normal color profile. Verify by checking if grayscale or other color tints have disappeared from your display.

Still in Settings, go to Display & Brightness. Here, you’ll find options like Night Shift and True Tone, both of which can alter the screen’s appearance. Toggle True Tone off to disable adaptive color temperature adjustments.

If Night Shift is active, tap it and set Scheduled to Off. This ensures no warm color shifts are applied. Check your screen—colors should now look more natural under normal lighting conditions.

If colors still seem off, go back to Display & Brightness and select Color Temperature. Slide the adjustment bar toward the center for a neutral balance. Too far left adds cool blue tones; too far right warms the display.

Test the changes by opening a photo or video. The goal is to see natural skin tones and accurate whites. If it’s still not right, proceed to the next step.

For persistent issues, reset all display settings. In Settings, go to General, then Transfer or Reset iPad, and select Reset. Choose Reset All Settings—this won’t delete your data but will restore display defaults.

After the reset, your iPad will restart. Once it’s back on, recheck the display. Colors should now match the original factory calibration.

Open a familiar app or image to confirm the fix. If colors still appear abnormal, the issue may be hardware-related. Try comparing your iPad’s display to another device under the same lighting to spot differences.

If all else fails, back up your data and consider a full restore via iTunes. This resolves deeper software glitches affecting color rendering.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Small oversights can make this process more frustrating than it needs to be.

Settings Navigation: In Step 1, pay attention to the exact path—Accessibility is under Settings, not Display. I’ve seen users waste time looking in the wrong place. The Color Filters toggle is at the very bottom of the Display & Text Size menu, so scroll all the way down.

Verification Step: After disabling Color Filters, don’t just assume it worked. Open a photo app immediately to verify the change. I learned this the hard way when I thought I’d fixed the issue, only to realize grayscale was still active because I’d missed a secondary filter.

Reset Impact: For Step 4, remember that Reset All Settings affects more than just display—it resets Wi-Fi passwords, app notifications, and other preferences. I always jot down my Wi-Fi password before doing this, so I’m not scrambling to reconnect afterward.

Lighting Check: In Step 5, test your display under natural lighting conditions. Artificial lighting can make colors appear different than they actually are. I keep a reference photo on my iPad specifically for this calibration check—it saves me from second-guessing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Changing your iPad’s color back to normal is quick and easy with the right steps! 🎯 Whether you adjusted the display settings accidentally or enabled a filter, resetting them restores the natural look. If the issue persists, check for software updates or contact Apple Support for further help.