To change the color scheme in Google Docs, adjust the page color, text color, highlights, and heading styles separately. Google Docs doesn’t offer one universal theme switch for every document element, but these settings let you create a consistent look.
Change the page color
On a computer:
- Open the document in Google Docs.
- Select File in the top menu.
- Choose Page setup.
- Under Page color , select a preset color.
- Click OK.
For a specific brand or design color, choose Custom and enter a HEX value, RGB value, or select a shade with the color picker. You can also select Set as default in the Page setup window if you want the same page color applied to future documents.
To restore the normal appearance, repeat these steps and select white.
Change text and highlight colors
To change text color:
- Select the text.
- Click the Text color button in the toolbar. It usually appears as an underlined “A.”
- Choose a color from the palette or create a custom color.
To highlight text, select it, open the same color menu, and choose a shade under Highlight. Use dark text on light backgrounds whenever possible, especially for documents intended for printing or sharing. Google Docs also supports custom colors through HEX and RGB values, which helps keep headings, links, and other elements visually consistent.
Update headings and styles
If you want your document to follow a consistent color scheme, format one heading first. Then select Format > Paragraph styles, choose the relevant heading level, and select Update Heading to match. To reuse those styles in new documents, go to Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Save as my default styles. This can preserve your preferred heading font, size, spacing, and color.
Change colors on mobile
In the Google Docs mobile app, open the document and select the text you want to edit. Tap the Format button, marked with an “A,” then use the text color or highlight controls. Page-color options may vary by app version and document format. If Page setup isn’t available in the mobile app, open the document in Google Docs on a computer and change the page color there.