# Set default highlight color

**URL:** <https://community.bear.app/t/set-default-highlight-color/18134>\
**Category:** Feature Request\
**Created:** [August 28, 2025, 5:16am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/set-default-highlight-color/18134 "2025-08-28T05:16:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sawyer.d223](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/sawyer.d223/32/7082_2.png) [@sawyer.d223](https://community.bear.app/u/sawyer.d223)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2025, 5:16am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/set-default-highlight-color/18134/1 "2025-08-28T05:16:33Z")

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i heavily dislike the default green highlight color, however it’s way quicker to just hit shift-command-M or using == == to highlight something rather than opening the toolbar and manually clicking the color i want to highlight it with. i’ve always preferred highlighting things and yellow and it could be very nice if i was able to set the default highlight color so that i can quickly highlight in any color

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**Author:** ![bpeps563](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/user_avatar/community.bear.app/bpeps563/32/4321_2.png) [@bpeps563](https://community.bear.app/u/bpeps563)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2025, 3:39pm UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/set-default-highlight-color/18134/2 "2025-08-28T15:39:05Z")

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This isn’t exactly what you asked for, but you are able to set custom keyboard shortcuts for any menu item command in any app from within MacOS itself… System Settings\>Keyboard\>Keyboard Shortcuts\>App Shortcuts\>+. Just be aware that you have to match the menu item text EXACTLY or it won’t work. Here are some examples of the ones I use everyday, including shortcuts to quickly highlight things in whatever color I want. Hope this helps.

 ![Screenshot 2025-08-28 at 10.37.11 AM](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex013/uploads/bear/original/2X/2/2a7cd13f4e4ae4079d06d26d3268db097ebd7def.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![gilsnelson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@gilsnelson](https://community.bear.app/u/gilsnelson)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/set-default-highlight-color/18134/3 "2026-08-27T00:46:52Z")

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+1 to this. The two-step of highlighting and then recoloring adds up fast when you highlight  
a lot, and ⌘⇧M is only useful if the color it applies is the one you actually want.

A single preference under Editor settings, “Default highlighter color,” would solve it  
completely. No new UI, no new syntax, just let the keyboard shortcut and the toolbar button  
use whatever color I pick.

Would also love to see orange added to the palette while you’re in there.

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**Author:** ![parotida-asfalto.73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@parotida-asfalto.73](https://community.bear.app/u/parotida-asfalto.73)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2026, 8:45am UTC](https://community.bear.app/t/set-default-highlight-color/18134/4 "2026-09-17T08:45:32Z")

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+1, please. Low effort, hight value item.