Claude/Code/Q/How can I fix dark text on a dark background in the terminal?

• How can I fix dark text on a dark background in the Claude/Code terminal?

  • Answer

    • AI/Response
      • Match the built-in theme to your terminal: Run /theme in a session, or open the theme picker from /config, and pick a preset that fits a dark terminal. The auto option tries to detect whether the terminal background is light or dark so the UI tracks the terminal. Claude Code does not change the terminal emulator’s own palette; it only maps its TUI colors onto what the terminal reports. Official reference: Configure your terminal for Claude Code — Match the color theme.
      • If presets still look wrong: Some users hit TUI color bugs (for example unreadable or inverted colors on certain terminals or versions). Updating Claude Code (or trying the stable update channel in /config) is the first practical check; search or follow upstream issues such as anthropics/claude-code#40795 (closed as duplicate of broader dark-mode color threads) for similar reports.
      • Fine-tune with a custom theme (v2.1.118+): In /theme, choose New custom theme… to edit tokens with a live preview, or add JSON under ~/.claude/themes/. Start from a base like dark or dark-ansi, then set overrides for readability—for example raise contrast on default foreground and secondary text via the text, inactive, and subtle tokens (documented in the same terminal-config section under Color token reference). Files in that directory are watched and reload without restarting the CLI.
      • Also verify the host terminal: Mis-set ANSI bright/black colors, tmux without passthrough, or a light-theme terminal while Claude Code thinks the background is dark can all produce “dark on dark.” Aligning the terminal profile with OS appearance, or toggling truecolor vs ANSI-only in the terminal, often narrows the problem before custom overrides.