How to Change the Background Color in Notion
Follow this simple steps to change the background color for your Notion page.
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Notion is a powerful tool for organizing your life, work, and projects. While its clean design is great, you might want to add a personal touch to make your workspace feel more like home. Customizing the look of your Notion pages can make them easier to navigate and more enjoyable to use.
Many users want to change the "background color" in Notion, often looking to switch from the standard white to something else, or to add splashes of color to specific sections. While you can't pick a custom color for the entire Notion application background, you have some great options to personalize your view and your pages.
Making your Notion workspace visually appealing can boost your productivity and help you quickly identify different sections. We'll show you the best ways to change up the colors in Notion, from your overall app theme to individual content blocks.
So now let’s get started.
Steps to Change Background in Notion
This section will guide you through customizing the background appearance in Notion. By following these steps, you'll be able to switch between light and dark themes for the Notion application and add background colors to individual blocks on your pages.
Step #1: Change the Notion Application Theme
The only way to change the page background itself in Notion is by switching between light and dark mode. Light mode features a white background, while dark mode utilizes a black or dark gray background throughout the entire workspace.
On desktop, open Notion and click Settings in the left sidebar. Go to Preferences and hover to Appearance. From here, select Light, Dark, or Use system setting, which matches your computer’s theme.
You can also toggle light and dark mode quickly using a shortcut. On Mac, press Cmd + Shift + L. On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + L. On mobile devices, open the Notion app, tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings, then Appearance, and switch dark mode on or off.
Step #2: Add Background Color to Individual Blocks
Since full-page background colors are not available, block backgrounds are the most practical way to customize Notion pages. You can apply background colors to text blocks, headings, bullet lists, numbered lists, and to-do items.
To do this, hover over the block until the six-dot handle appears on the left. Click it, select “Color,” then scroll to the "Background" section and choose a color. The background is applied instantly. Notion provides a fixed set of background colors that remain readable in both light and dark mode.
Step #3: Change Block Background Color Using Slash Commands
For a faster workflow, you can change block colors using slash commands. Click inside a block, type /color, and press Enter. This opens the color menu directly, allowing you to choose a background color without opening the block settings.
Step #4: Use Callout Blocks for Highlighted Sections
Callout blocks are useful when you want larger colored sections that stand out clearly. They are commonly used for notes, tips, warnings, or key information.
To add a callout, type /callout and press Enter. Add your content inside the block, then click the six-dot handle, select Color, and choose a background color. You can also change the icon to match the content of the callout.
Step #5: How to Add a Background to your Notion Page
In native Notion, the only page-level background available is black, which comes from using dark mode. You cannot apply a custom background color, such as yellow, blue, or gray, to an entire page. To do this, you need to publish your Notion pages using Bullet.so.
Bullet.so allows you to set a background color for the entire page instead of styling individual blocks.
To change the background color, open your Bullet.so dashboard and select the page you want to edit under the Pages section. Go to the Theme section and click Colors.
From here, choose the background to change the color of your Notion page.
Next, select a background color using the color picker. You can choose a preset color, adjust the shade manually, or enter a specific HEX color code. As you change the color, the page preview updates immediately. Once you are satisfied, click Save Changes and Fast Publish. When the page is published, the selected background color will apply to the entire page.
This gives you full control over page-level background styling, which is not possible inside Notion itself.
Wrapping Up: How to Change the Background Color in Notion
Customizing your Notion workspace can greatly improve your experience and organization. While Notion doesn't offer a direct custom background color for the entire application, you have powerful tools to personalize its look. You can easily switch between the light and dark themes to change the overall app background.
For more detailed visual organization, you can apply background colors to individual blocks within your pages, helping you emphasize key information and create visually distinct sections. These options allow you to tailor Notion to your personal style and needs, making your digital workspace truly yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you change the background color of a Notion page?
No. Notion does not support custom background colors for an entire page. Only light and dark modes are available for page-level backgrounds.
- How do I change the background color in Notion?
You can change the overall background by switching between light and dark mode, or apply background colors to individual blocks using the Color option.
- Can I set a custom color background in Notion?
Not directly. Notion only supports preset background colors for blocks, not custom colors for full pages.
- How do I add color to sections in Notion?
Hover over a block, click the six-dot menu, choose Color, and select a background color. You can also use callout blocks for larger colored sections.
- How do callout blocks work in Notion?
Callout blocks create highlighted sections with a background color and icon, commonly used for notes, tips, or warnings.
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