# What Color Is This — No really; I can't tell.

> Camera-based color identification and analysis tool. (iPhone/iPad app by Bridge City Lab LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/what-color-is-this/id6767490668 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Bridge City Lab LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1029635130)
- Category: Graphics & Design, Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.29/5 from 7 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 12 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2026-05-13
- Data updated: 2026-08-06
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/what-color-is-this/id6767490668/reviews.md

## What is What Color Is This?

I'm colorblind. "What color is this?" is the question everyone asks me when they find out.

So I built an app that answers it.

Point your camera at anything (a dress, a paint swatch, a flower, your kid's drawing) and What Color Is This? names the color instantly. It matches against 30,000 named colors using CIEDE2000 perceptual distance, the same color-difference formula used in industrial color matching. Results correspond to how humans actually see color, not just how computers store it.

Every color is identified in three layers:
• A broad family (blue, red, green, teal…)
• A qualified descriptor (light muted blue, vivid orange…)
• The closest named color from 30,000 options (Tiffany Blue, Burnt Sienna, Jedi Night, Piano Black…)

WHAT IT DOES

• Camera identification with 7×7 pixel averaging for accuracy
• White balance calibration to compensate for warm or cold lighting
• Upload any photo and tap to sample colors anywhere in the image
• Share Sheet integration: from any image in any app, send to What Color Is This? to identify a color
• Color picker action extension for designers
• Matching palettes: complementary, analogous, triadic, split-complementary
• Accessible color palettes based on Bang Wong's 2011 research
• Color vision simulation: see how a color appears to people with protanopia, deuteranopia, or tritanopia
• Set your own vision type for personalized accessible-palette suggestions
• Save colors with personal labels ("Sarah's favorite", "kitchen paint", "my hex value")
• Export your color library as JSON
• Random color explorer: discover the 30,000 named colors one tap at a time
• Works completely offline after first launch, no internet required

BUILT FOR COLORBLINDNESS, USEFUL FOR EVERYONE

Designers picking palettes. Artists matching paint to a reference. Shoppers checking if "navy" really is navy. Students learning color theory. Accessibility researchers auditing UI. Anyone who's ever pointed at something and wondered what color it actually is.

PRIVACY

No accounts. No tracking. No data collection. No ads.

Your saved colors live in local storage on your device. Camera frames are processed in memory and never uploaded. The 30,000-color database is bundled in the app. No network calls during identification.

ABOUT THE NAMING

The named-color database is the open-source color-names dataset by David Aerne, MIT licensed. Visible attribution lives inside the app under Settings → Open-Source Licenses, and as a credit on the in-app Info tray for every identified color.

ABOUT THE COLOR SCIENCE

CIEDE2000 distance: Sharma, Wu, & Dalal (2005)
Color vision simulation: Brettel, Viénot, & Mollon (1997)
Accessible-palette colors: Bang Wong (2011)

A companion 14-plate color vision screening tool (also free, no signup) lives at whatcoloristhis.one/test/.

Made by Luke Steuber. Published by Bridge City Lab LLC.

## Key features

- Camera color identification
- 30,000 named colors
- Color vision simulation
- Accessible color palettes
- Offline functionality
- Save and export colors

## Recent user reviews (3 of 3)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/what-color-is-this/id6767490668/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Fun with color!

*2026-06-10*

While I realize that this is a support for colorblindness, it is also very fun to use if you are not. It’s giving me a million ideas for paint and design. It is surprisingly useful to have the exact color code for everything.

### 5/5 — this is so rad

*2026-06-09*

I love all the information about color blindness and the plates used and why. This is really interesting and I’m sure will come in handy!

### 4/5 — Very useful! 🌈

*2026-05-18*

Love the simplicity of the app! I like that you can tap the name result and get a generic description (light “light orange”) because some of the names are artistic and confuse me. 5 stars!!

## Frequently asked questions about What Color Is This

### What color is This? used for?

What color is This? is used to identify the exact color of any object by pointing your camera at it. It provides broad color families, specific descriptors, and matches against 30,000 named colors, making it useful for designers, artists, and anyone curious about color.

### Does What color is This? work offline?

Yes, What color is This? works completely offline after the initial launch. The extensive 30,000-color database is bundled within the app, meaning no internet connection is required for color identification.

### What color is This? compatible with?

What color is This? is available for iPhone and iPad devices. It is designed for users aged 4 and up.

### How accurate is What color is This?

What color is This? uses 7x7 pixel averaging for accuracy and white balance calibration to compensate for lighting conditions. It matches colors against 30,000 named colors using the CIEDE2000 perceptual distance formula, which aligns with human color perception.

### Can I simulate color vision deficiencies in What color is This?

Yes, What color is This? includes a color vision simulation feature. You can see how colors appear to individuals with protanopia, deuteranopia, or tritanopia, and even set your own vision type for personalized accessible palette suggestions.

### How are colors named in What color is This?

Colors are identified in three layers: a broad family (e.g., blue, red), a qualified descriptor (e.g., light muted blue), and the closest named color from a database of 30,000 options (e.g., Tiffany Blue, Burnt Sienna).

### Does What color is This? have ads?

No, What color is This? is completely ad-free. The developers have stated there are no ads, tracking, or data collection, ensuring a private and uninterrupted user experience.

### How often is What color is This? updated?

The latest version of What color is This? is 1.1.0, last updated on June 25, 2026. The app was initially released on May 13, 2026.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.1.2 — 2026-07-28

What Color 1.1.2 is a quiet stability update.

- Improves reliability when returning to the app after copying a color name.
- Same offline catalog, same CIEDE2000 matching, same privacy posture: no accounts, no tracking, no ads.

If something feels off, email luke@lukesteuber.com.

### 1.1.1 — 2026-07-27

What Color 1.1.1 is a polish update for people who already rely on the app.

- After you copy a color name a few times across separate sessions, the app may occasionally invite an App Store rating. Never on first open, never mid-shot.
- Same offline catalog, same CIEDE2000 matching, same privacy posture: no accounts, no tracking, no ads.

If something feels off, email luke@lukesteuber.com.

### 1.1.0 — 2026-06-25

Now with colorblindness test plate clock widget! (it's evil, sorry)

### 1.0.1 — 2026-06-13

Now with color picker straight from your phone's share screen! Also: Changed the priority of color detected (general name is now front and center, with more details under info). Also improvements for developers who need color codes.

### 1.0 — 2026-05-14

No release notes.

## More apps by Bridge City Lab LLC

- [WordADay - A Minimalistic Word of The Day App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordaday-a-minimalistic-word-of-the-day-app/id1029635131)
- [Idea Tiles](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idea-tiles/id6767775306)
- [Alt Text Intelligence](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alt-text-intelligence/id6767936719)
- [Skymarshal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skymarshal/id6768003674)
- [Mandaza](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandaza/id6768237815)

All apps by Bridge City Lab LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1029635130

## Related topics

[what color is this](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/what-color-is-this)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-06.*
