Skip to Content

How to replace iTunes 10's grey with eye-popping black

Several iTunes 10 users were less than thrilled with the new all-grey UI theme. I've gotten used to it, but I agree it was a bit prettier with the color icons in the sidebar. Here's how you can replace the grey entirely with an eye-popping, high-contrast black and white.

First, quit iTunes. Then open up Terminal and enter the following:
defaults write com.apple.iTunes high-contrast-mode-enable -bool TRUE
Re-launch and pow! You'll be presented with the UI depicted above. It's definitely legible, and Macworld suggests that it looks best in List View. They also explain how to switch back.

We don't know if the stark theme is better, but it is different.

Categories

How-tos iTunes

Several iTunes 10 users were less than thrilled with the new all-grey UI theme. I've gotten used to it, but I agree it was a bit prettier...
 

Add a Comment

*0 / 3000 Character Maximum Comment Moderation Enabled. Your comment will appear after it is cleared by an editor.

22 Comments

Filter by:
Luke

Here, this is even easier: Go to the link below, download iTunes 109 (it's just an install package, doesn't replace iTunes) and run the "yellow LCD" icon. Puts all the color back, can even put the old dock icon back if you prefer. Comes with a link to the instructional video. Seriously easy, and comes with the uninstaller and the script to put the window buttons (close, minimize, mini player) back to horizontal instead of vertical.

http://erambert.me/itunes-109/

September 19 2010 at 4:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
NOAH BERKOWITZ

itunes was bad to begin with but i had no idea that could take just one software update to turn entire UI into a train crash. and while we`re still on the subject of horrible updates, that new google chrome is painfully slow.

September 18 2010 at 11:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Zippo

Wow, that looks god awful. Good for people with sight issues, but thank god that's not the default.

September 18 2010 at 11:04 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Justin

Or... you could just put the color back.

(Via MacRumors forums)
1. Quit iTunes
2. Download the itunes10color.zip from here: http://cl.ly/2Ek7
3. Right-click the iTunes icon and select "show in finder"
4. In Finder, right-click the iTunes icon again and select "Show package details"
5. Open "contents" and locate the "resources" folder.
6. Replace the file "iTunes.rsrc" with the one downloaded

Source: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1008036

September 18 2010 at 11:03 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Justin's comment
PoopaAnski

Justin,
Thanks. Adding the color to the icons with the black background is very sharp-looking.

Thanks again.
Andre

September 18 2010 at 3:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
eljefe25

Justin, thanks for that. I'd been really wanting to see the colors back in the sidebar!

September 19 2010 at 12:57 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Walter A.

Good thing Apple didn't hire you guys to design their interfaces.

September 18 2010 at 10:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
3 replies to Walter A.'s comment
hi675

Pretty sure the post missed the entire point of this mode. Apple has been implementing usability features like this in almost everything they do, so those who are visually impaired can still use their products. It probably wasn't meant as a "Hey, check this out!" feature.

September 18 2010 at 10:38 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dan Willis

The word you are searching for is not "eye-popping" — it's "Ugly."

September 18 2010 at 10:30 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Dan Willis's comment
rogerruthberg

No no, it's eye-popping. My eyes made a distinct "pop!" when I scratched them out of their sockets! :-)

September 20 2010 at 12:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
gbrandt

C'Mon people. Its not 'horrid' or useless. There are people with vision impairments that will be very happy with this.

September 18 2010 at 10:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to gbrandt's comment
airmanchairman

Yeah, man, like far out...

All those groovy shades of grey...

Loving it :-)

September 21 2010 at 8:49 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Martin

I really like the look of iTunes 10; think it's very sophisticated and minimalist.

September 18 2010 at 9:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Martin's comment
info

There is a difference between minimalisict and bad usabilty. iTunes 10 is both.

Minimalistic would be turning iTunes in a music player again. It has turned into a weird mix of software syncing, app data transfer, social media, movies and what-have-you.

September 18 2010 at 3:38 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
xblacholex

that's just horrid..stick with the original.

September 18 2010 at 9:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buy an ad here

Tweets

© 2012 AOL Inc. All Rights Reserved.