Figma Adds System-Wide Eyedropper to macOS Desktop App.

Figma has added a system-wide eyedropper tool to its macOS desktop app, allowing designers to sample colors from anywhere on their screen without switching between applications.

The feature, announced on LinkedIn, is rolling out now to macOS users. Previously, designers had to manually input hex codes or RGB values when pulling colors from external sources like reference images, websites, or other applications. The new eyedropper eliminates this friction by letting users click anywhere on their screen to capture a color directly into their Figma file.

The eyedropper appears as a standard color picker within Figma's macOS desktop app. When activated, it allows users to hover over any visible element on their screen and click to sample the color. This works across all applications, not just within Figma itself.

For designers working with brand guidelines from PDFs, matching colors from competitor websites, or pulling palettes from reference photography, the tool removes several steps from the workflow. What previously required screenshot-to-Figma imports or third-party color picker utilities now happens in one click.

The addition follows Figma's recent focus on workflow improvements and desktop-specific features. Earlier this year, the company introduced GitHub Copilot integration for tighter code-design collaboration and rolled out AI image tools across FigJam, Buzz, and Slides.

The eyedropper's system-wide capability is currently limited to the macOS desktop app due to browser security restrictions. Web browsers, including Chrome and Safari, sandbox color pickers to prevent websites from accessing information outside their own window. This means Figma's browser version will continue to offer only in-canvas color selection.

For teams working primarily in the desktop app, the feature represents a small but meaningful efficiency gain. Design systems teams maintaining color tokens, agencies matching client brand palettes, and UI designers working with screenshot references will likely see the most immediate benefit.

The rollout is gradual, with Figma deploying the feature to users over the coming days. No word yet on whether a Windows version is in development, though the company has historically maintained feature parity between macOS and Windows desktop apps within a few release cycles.