diff --git a/src/context/App.test.tsx b/src/context/App.test.tsx
index 390fefc98..05e00520c 100644
--- a/src/context/App.test.tsx
+++ b/src/context/App.test.tsx
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ describe('context/App.tsx', () => {
         participating: true,
         playSound: true,
         showNotifications: true,
-        colors: true,
+        colors: false,
       },
     );
   });
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ describe('context/App.tsx', () => {
         participating: false,
         playSound: true,
         showNotifications: true,
-        colors: true,
+        colors: false,
       },
     );
   });
diff --git a/src/context/App.tsx b/src/context/App.tsx
index fb94f545f..a5db720d0 100644
--- a/src/context/App.tsx
+++ b/src/context/App.tsx
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export const defaultSettings: SettingsState = {
   markOnClick: false,
   openAtStartup: false,
   appearance: Appearance.SYSTEM,
-  colors: true,
+  colors: false,
 };
 
 interface AppContextState {
diff --git a/src/routes/Settings.tsx b/src/routes/Settings.tsx
index a7b929fb6..f6adb304a 100644
--- a/src/routes/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/routes/Settings.tsx
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ export const SettingsRoute: React.FC = () => {
 
         <FieldCheckbox
           name="colors"
-          label="Use colors to indicate state"
+          label="Use GitHub-like state colors (requires re-auth)"
           checked={settings.colors}
           onChange={(evt) => updateSetting('colors', evt.target.checked)}
         />
diff --git a/src/routes/__snapshots__/Settings.test.tsx.snap b/src/routes/__snapshots__/Settings.test.tsx.snap
index 3aa7b4c77..397f3730b 100644
--- a/src/routes/__snapshots__/Settings.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/routes/__snapshots__/Settings.test.tsx.snap
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ exports[`routes/Settings.tsx should render itself & its children 1`] = `
           className="font-medium text-gray-700 dark:text-gray-200"
           htmlFor="colors"
         >
-          Use colors to indicate state
+          Use GitHub-like state colors (requires re-auth)
         </label>
       </div>
     </div>