Live Color Identifier for the iPhone Camera

Quick answer

Open Color Identifier, stay on Live and aim the reticle at the color. The closest named color, its match percentage and two alternatives update about twice a second; tap Save Color when the reading looks right, then open it to see that color's HEX and RGB. A light indicator tells you when the scene is too dark, and the torch helps in dim rooms. Seeing the names is part of Pro.

Live camera view with a crosshair, a Good Light indicator and a named color result — **Live reading** Live mode names the color under the crosshair as you move, with a light indicator in the corner and a Save Color button for the reading you want to keep.

Getting a steady reading

Hold the phone 20 to 40 centimetres from the surface and keep it still for a second. Live mode reads a small area around the reticle rather than a single pixel, leaves out edges, texture and over- or under-exposed spots, and averages the last few readings, so one stray pixel does not change the result. Aim at a flat part of the object, away from shadows, reflections and patterns.

Fill as much of the frame as you can with the color you want. The camera adjusts to the whole scene, so a small blue object in a bright white room will read differently than the same object up close.

Why light changes the result

The camera does not measure color the way a spectrophotometer does. It records light reflected from the object and then balances it automatically. Warm bulbs push readings towards yellow and red, daylight from a north window towards blue, and mixed light can split a surface into two readings.

Daylight near a window, without direct sun, gives the most neutral result. If the light indicator warns that the scene is too dark, add light rather than moving closer, because a dark sensor reading is noisy and the name will keep changing.

Live view or a photo?

Use live mode when you want a quick answer: the color of a sweater, a car, a cable or a flower. Use Snap to freeze the scene, or a photo with the picker when you need the exact code of one pixel or several readings you can check again later. A still image does not change while you compare points.

For screens, take a screenshot instead of pointing the camera at a display: the camera adds moiré, glare and its own white balance, while a screenshot holds the exact pixels.

From a live reading to a code

Live mode answers with a named color, so the codes you see after saving belong to that named color, which the match percentage tells you is close to what the camera saw. Open a saved color to copy its HEX or RGB or add it to a palette. When you need the code of exactly what the camera captured, take a photo and use the picker instead.

Everyday uses

People with color vision deficiency use live mode to check clothes, cables and charts. Designers and crafters use it to capture a color they see in the world and carry it into a project as a code. Teachers use it to show how light changes what a camera records.

Frequently asked questions

Does live color identification work in the dark?

Not reliably. Low light makes the camera's reading noisy and the result keeps changing. Add light, ideally daylight, and watch the light indicator.

Why does the color change when I move the phone?

The camera keeps adjusting exposure and white balance as the scene changes. Hold still for a moment and save the reading once it settles.

Can I identify the color of something on a computer screen?

Take a screenshot on that device instead. Pointing a camera at a display adds glare and color shifts; a screenshot contains the exact pixels.

Can the app tell me the HEX code in live mode?

Live mode shows the closest named color; save it and open it to copy that color's HEX and RGB. For the exact code of the captured pixels, take a photo and use the picker.

Is live mode accurate enough to match a color exactly?

It is accurate for the color as the camera sees it in that light. For exact work, use a screenshot or the original image file, and check physical materials in the light where they will be used.