Get the HEX Code of Any Color in a Photo

Quick answer

Open the photo or screenshot in Color Identifier and drag the picker onto a flat patch of the color you want. The app reads that exact pixel and shows its HEX code, together with RGB, HSB, CMYK and the closest named color; tap Copy Hex and paste it wherever you need it. Take two or three readings nearby, and if they agree to within a few digits you have the color. Picking colors from photos is part of Pro.

Start from the best source image

Use the original file whenever you can. A screenshot of a website or app is ideal, because every pixel is exactly the color that was rendered. Photos that have been through a messaging app, a social network or an email client are recompressed, and JPEG compression smears color across neighbouring pixels, so the same area can read #3A7BD5 in the original and #3C7AD2 after sharing.

For photos of real objects, the camera has already made decisions for you: white balance, exposure and any filter all shift the numbers before you pick anything. That is fine when you want the color as it appears in that picture, for a design that matches the photo. It is not the same as the color of the object under other light.

Pick a pixel, not an edge

The picker reads exactly one pixel, so where you drop it matters. Place it in the middle of a flat region. On screenshots, avoid the edges of text, icons and lines: they are anti-aliased, so their pixels are a blend of the foreground and the background and the code you read sits somewhere in between. The app has no magnifier, so for a small detail crop the image in Photos first; the area you care about then fills the screen and is easy to hit.

On photos, avoid highlights, shadows and textured spots such as fabric weave or wood grain. If the surface has a gradient, decide which part you want, because a sky or a lit wall changes gradually and each point has its own code. Taking a few readings in the same region and comparing them is the quickest way to see whether you have a stable color or a noisy one.

Copy the code into your tools

Copy Hex puts the code on the clipboard, for example #94766C, ready for CSS, Figma, Sketch, Canva, Keynote, PowerPoint or any field that accepts a hex value. Copy RGB gives the same color as R: 148, G: 118, B: 108 for tools that ask for red, green and blue separately; in CSS write it as rgb(148, 118, 108).

If you are building a palette, save each color as you go instead of copying codes into a note. Saved colors keep their codes, so you can come back to them, compare them side by side and copy them again later.

Why the code can differ by a few digits

Two readings of the same color often differ slightly, and that is normal. Compression, resizing and the color profile of the image change individual pixels, and iPhone photos are often stored in the wider Display P3 space while most web tools assume sRGB. A difference of a few units in one channel is usually invisible. Sharing an image into the app from another app saves it again as a JPEG, so for exact screenshot codes open the screenshot from Photos inside the app instead.

A bigger jump means you picked a different part of the image: an edge, a shadow or a reflection. Move the crosshair a little and read again before you commit to a value for a brand color or a stylesheet.

HEX, RGB and the other formats

A HEX code is the same information as an RGB value written in base 16: #94766C is red 148, green 118, blue 108. Use HEX for the web and most design tools, RGB where a program asks for three numbers, HSB when you want to adjust brightness or saturation by hand, and CMYK only as a starting point for print, which still needs a proof. The detail screen shows the picked color in each of these formats.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a HEX code from a screenshot?

Yes, and screenshots give the most reliable codes because nothing has been recompressed. Open the screenshot from Photos in the app and pick inside a solid area rather than on the edge of text or an icon.

Why does the HEX code change when I move the picker slightly?

The picker reads a single pixel, and photos are made of slightly different pixels even where a surface looks uniform. Small changes are normal; large ones mean you moved onto an edge, a highlight or a shadow.

Is the HEX code from a photo the real color of the object?

It is the color as it appears in that photo. Light, white balance and filters change how an object is recorded, so the code is right for matching the picture, not a measurement of the object itself.

How do I convert the HEX code to RGB?

Each pair of HEX characters is one channel in base 16: #94766C is 148, 118, 108. You do not need to convert by hand: Copy RGB gives you the three numbers directly.

Does picking colors upload my photo anywhere?

No. Colors are read and named on your iPhone or iPad, and no account is needed.