diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/layout/color_edit.xml b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/layout/color_edit.xml
index 5da43ba6b..55f567df8 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/layout/color_edit.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/layout/color_edit.xml
@@ -8,28 +8,35 @@
               android:paddingRight="8dp"
               >
 
-  <EditText android:id="@+id/edit_red" 
+  <TextView android:layout_height="wrap_content"
             android:layout_width="fill_parent"
-            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-            android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
-            android:layout_marginRight="6sp"
-            android:numeric="decimal"
+            android:text="@string/red"
             />
-
-  <EditText android:id="@+id/edit_green" 
+  <SeekBar android:id="@+id/edit_red" 
+           android:layout_width="fill_parent"
+           android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+           android:max="255"
+           android:progress="1"
+           />
+  <TextView android:layout_height="wrap_content"
             android:layout_width="fill_parent"
-            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-            android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
-            android:layout_marginRight="6sp"
-            android:numeric="decimal"
+            android:text="@string/green"
             />
-
-  <EditText android:id="@+id/edit_blue" 
+  <SeekBar android:id="@+id/edit_green" 
+           android:layout_width="fill_parent"
+           android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+           android:max="255"
+           android:progress="1"
+           />
+  <TextView android:layout_height="wrap_content"
             android:layout_width="fill_parent"
-            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
-            android:layout_gravity="center_vertical"
-            android:layout_marginRight="6sp"
-            android:numeric="decimal"
+            android:text="@string/blue"
             />
+  <SeekBar android:id="@+id/edit_blue" 
+           android:layout_width="fill_parent"
+           android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+           android:max="255"
+           android:progress="1"
+           />
 
 </LinearLayout>
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/strings.xml b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/strings.xml
index 3207495ec..cd328265a 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -270,6 +270,10 @@
     not found.</string>
 
 	<string name="msg_ask_password">Password for \"%s\":</string>
+
+	<string name="red">Red</string>
+	<string name="green">Green</string>
+	<string name="blue">Blue</string>
     
     <!-- These do not require localization -->
     <string name="key_color_tiles">key_color_tiles</string>
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/EditColorPreference.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/EditColorPreference.java
index 98e2c5f61..9ad10a7dd 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/EditColorPreference.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/EditColorPreference.java
@@ -5,11 +5,12 @@ package org.eehouse.android.xw4;
 import android.preference.DialogPreference;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.DialogInterface;
+import android.content.res.TypedArray;
 import android.util.AttributeSet;
 import android.view.View;
-import android.widget.EditText;
+import android.widget.SeekBar;
 import android.app.Dialog;
-// import android.app.AlertDialog;
+import android.content.SharedPreferences;
 
 import junit.framework.Assert;
 
@@ -27,6 +28,18 @@ public class EditColorPreference extends DialogPreference {
         setWidgetLayoutResource( R.layout.color_display );
         setDialogLayoutResource( R.layout.color_edit );
     }
+
+    @Override
+    protected Object onGetDefaultValue(TypedArray a, int index) {
+        return a.getInteger(index, 0);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    protected void onSetInitialValue(boolean restoreValue, Object defaultValue) {
+        if ( !restoreValue ) {
+            persistInt( (Integer)defaultValue );
+        }
+    }
     
     @Override
     protected void onBindView( View parent ) 
@@ -53,40 +66,31 @@ public class EditColorPreference extends DialogPreference {
         int color = (getOneByte( dialog, R.id.edit_red ) << 16)
             | (getOneByte( dialog, R.id.edit_green ) << 8)
             | getOneByte( dialog, R.id.edit_blue );
-        color |= 0xFF000000;
 
-        // Need to restore the preference, not set the background color
-        persistString( String.format( "%d", color) );
+        persistInt( color );
+        m_sample.setBackgroundColor( getPersistedColor() );
     }
 
     private void setOneByte( View parent, int id, int byt ) {
         byt &= 0xFF;
-        EditText et = (EditText)parent.findViewById( id );
-        if ( null != et ) {
-            et.setText( String.format("%d", byt ) );
+        SeekBar seekbar = (SeekBar)parent.findViewById( id );
+        if ( null != seekbar ) {
+            seekbar.setProgress( byt );
         }
     }
 
     private int getOneByte( DialogInterface parent, int id ) {
         int val = 0;
         Dialog dialog = (Dialog)parent;
-        EditText et = (EditText)dialog.findViewById( id );
-        if ( null != et ) {
-            String str = et.getText().toString();
-            val = Integer.decode( str );
+        SeekBar seekbar = (SeekBar)dialog.findViewById( id );
+        if ( null != seekbar ) {
+            val = seekbar.getProgress();
         }
         return val;
     }
 
     private int getPersistedColor()
     {
-        String val = getPersistedString("");
-        int color;
-        try {
-            color = 0xFF000000 | Integer.decode( val );
-        } catch ( java.lang.NumberFormatException nfe ) {
-            color = 0xFF7F7F7F;
-        }
-        return color;
+        return 0xFF000000 | getPersistedInt(0);
     }
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/CommonPrefs.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/CommonPrefs.java
index 8169fb364..43f89d572 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/CommonPrefs.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/CommonPrefs.java
@@ -90,12 +90,7 @@ public class CommonPrefs {
     private int prefToColor( SharedPreferences sp, int id )
     {
         String key = s_context.getString( id );
-        String val = sp.getString( key, "" );
-        try {
-            return 0xFF000000 | Integer.decode( val );
-        } catch ( java.lang.NumberFormatException nfe ) {
-            return 0xFF7F7F7F;
-        }
+        return 0xFF000000 | sp.getInt( key, 0 );
     }
 
     /*