Question 1

How do I find out what color something is?

Accepted Answer

Open MyColorTools, allow camera access and point the camera at the object. The circle in the middle of the screen averages the pixels underneath it and reports the closest named color along with its HEX, RGB and HSL values, updating about four times a second. If you would rather not use a camera, switch to Upload mode and tap anywhere on a photo instead.

Question 2

Is MyColorTools free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. There is no account, no paywall and no trial. The site is funded by optional donations and by affiliate shopping links, which are marked #ad.

Question 3

Are my photos or camera video uploaded anywhere?

Accepted Answer

No. Every frame is processed in your browser. Photos, saved palettes and game scores are stored on your device and never sent to a server — MyColorTools has no server to send them to.

Question 4

Can I see what the world looks like with colorblindness?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Pick protan, deutan or tritan in the color-vision assist panel, then choose a direction. Simulate it shows a viewer without that deficiency what it looks like, collapsing the colors it confuses together. Correct for me does the opposite — it pulls those colors apart for a viewer who has the deficiency, which is the idea colorblind glasses are sold on, and a hue shift can be stacked on top. Both work at an adjustable strength through the live camera or on an uploaded photo.

Question 5

Does it work on a phone?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on iPhone and Android. It is a website, so there is nothing to install, though you can add it to your home screen. Live camera identification needs an HTTPS connection, which mycolortools.com uses.

Question 6

How accurate is the color naming?

Accepted Answer

The measured HEX, RGB and HSL values are exact for the pixels sampled. The name is the nearest entry in a list of either 48 everyday names or 1,520 shades, matched by perceptual distance in CIELAB. Bear in mind that a camera reports the color of the light reaching it, so lighting, white balance and screen glare all affect the reading — a color chart or a colorimeter is what to use when the number has to be authoritative.