diff --git a/docs/pages/api-docs/checkbox.json b/docs/pages/api-docs/checkbox.json
index bc98cfc4e4838c..c994489124194c 100644
--- a/docs/pages/api-docs/checkbox.json
+++ b/docs/pages/api-docs/checkbox.json
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
         "name": "union",
         "description": "'default'<br>&#124;&nbsp;'primary'<br>&#124;&nbsp;'secondary'<br>&#124;&nbsp;string"
       },
-      "default": "'secondary'"
+      "default": "'primary'"
     },
     "defaultChecked": { "type": { "name": "bool" } },
     "disabled": { "type": { "name": "bool" } },
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/components/checkboxes/ColorCheckboxes.js b/docs/src/pages/components/checkboxes/ColorCheckboxes.js
index 057ee3984ef95b..72f979d239ee4b 100644
--- a/docs/src/pages/components/checkboxes/ColorCheckboxes.js
+++ b/docs/src/pages/components/checkboxes/ColorCheckboxes.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export default function ColorCheckboxes() {
   return (
     <div>
       <Checkbox {...label} defaultChecked />
-      <Checkbox {...label} defaultChecked color="primary" />
+      <Checkbox {...label} defaultChecked color="secondary" />
       <Checkbox {...label} defaultChecked color="default" />
       <Checkbox
         {...label}
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/components/checkboxes/ColorCheckboxes.tsx b/docs/src/pages/components/checkboxes/ColorCheckboxes.tsx
index 057ee3984ef95b..72f979d239ee4b 100644
--- a/docs/src/pages/components/checkboxes/ColorCheckboxes.tsx
+++ b/docs/src/pages/components/checkboxes/ColorCheckboxes.tsx
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export default function ColorCheckboxes() {
   return (
     <div>
       <Checkbox {...label} defaultChecked />
-      <Checkbox {...label} defaultChecked color="primary" />
+      <Checkbox {...label} defaultChecked color="secondary" />
       <Checkbox {...label} defaultChecked color="default" />
       <Checkbox
         {...label}
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNesting.js b/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNesting.js
index a9cd06c87443ed..483145ccb792e3 100644
--- a/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNesting.js
+++ b/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNesting.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { green, orange } from '@material-ui/core/colors';
 
 const outerTheme = createTheme({
   palette: {
-    secondary: {
+    primary: {
       main: orange[500],
     },
   },
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const outerTheme = createTheme({
 
 const innerTheme = createTheme({
   palette: {
-    secondary: {
+    primary: {
       main: green[500],
     },
   },
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNesting.tsx b/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNesting.tsx
index a9cd06c87443ed..483145ccb792e3 100644
--- a/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNesting.tsx
+++ b/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNesting.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { green, orange } from '@material-ui/core/colors';
 
 const outerTheme = createTheme({
   palette: {
-    secondary: {
+    primary: {
       main: orange[500],
     },
   },
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const outerTheme = createTheme({
 
 const innerTheme = createTheme({
   palette: {
-    secondary: {
+    primary: {
       main: green[500],
     },
   },
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNestingExtend.js b/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNestingExtend.js
index f361572f7ac7fa..b434f5e9560e63 100644
--- a/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNestingExtend.js
+++ b/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNestingExtend.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const outerTheme = createTheme({
 export default function ThemeNestingExtend() {
   return (
     <ThemeProvider theme={outerTheme}>
-      <Checkbox defaultChecked />
+      <Checkbox defaultChecked color="secondary" />
       <ThemeProvider
         theme={(theme) =>
           createTheme({
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export default function ThemeNestingExtend() {
           })
         }
       >
-        <Checkbox defaultChecked color="primary" />
+        <Checkbox defaultChecked />
         <Checkbox defaultChecked color="secondary" />
       </ThemeProvider>
     </ThemeProvider>
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNestingExtend.tsx b/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNestingExtend.tsx
index 2743437b9f0463..00a8e7c34efdab 100644
--- a/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNestingExtend.tsx
+++ b/docs/src/pages/customization/theming/ThemeNestingExtend.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const outerTheme = createTheme({
 export default function ThemeNestingExtend() {
   return (
     <ThemeProvider theme={outerTheme}>
-      <Checkbox defaultChecked />
+      <Checkbox defaultChecked color="secondary" />
       <ThemeProvider
         theme={(theme: Theme) =>
           createTheme({
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export default function ThemeNestingExtend() {
           })
         }
       >
-        <Checkbox defaultChecked color="primary" />
+        <Checkbox defaultChecked />
         <Checkbox defaultChecked color="secondary" />
       </ThemeProvider>
     </ThemeProvider>
diff --git a/docs/src/pages/guides/migration-v4/migration-v4.md b/docs/src/pages/guides/migration-v4/migration-v4.md
index a933a24801fea1..5295698d37ecfb 100644
--- a/docs/src/pages/guides/migration-v4/migration-v4.md
+++ b/docs/src/pages/guides/migration-v4/migration-v4.md
@@ -538,6 +538,13 @@ As the core components use emotion as a styled engine, the props used by emotion
   }
   ```
 
+- The checkbox color prop is now "primary" by default. To continue using the "secondary" color, you must explicitly indicate `secondary`. This brings the checkbox closer to the Material Design specification.
+
+  ```diff
+  - <Checkbox />
+  + <Checkbox color="secondary />
+  ```
+
 ### Chip
 
 - Rename `default` variant to `filled` for consistency.
diff --git a/packages/material-ui/src/Checkbox/Checkbox.d.ts b/packages/material-ui/src/Checkbox/Checkbox.d.ts
index f0485766025e49..61fc12d542b751 100644
--- a/packages/material-ui/src/Checkbox/Checkbox.d.ts
+++ b/packages/material-ui/src/Checkbox/Checkbox.d.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export interface CheckboxProps
   };
   /**
    * The color of the component. It supports those theme colors that make sense for this component.
-   * @default 'secondary'
+   * @default 'primary'
    */
   color?: OverridableStringUnion<'primary' | 'secondary' | 'default', CheckboxPropsColorOverrides>;
   /**
diff --git a/packages/material-ui/src/Checkbox/Checkbox.js b/packages/material-ui/src/Checkbox/Checkbox.js
index 33c8e451d58441..db7dbf7876d900 100644
--- a/packages/material-ui/src/Checkbox/Checkbox.js
+++ b/packages/material-ui/src/Checkbox/Checkbox.js
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ const Checkbox = React.forwardRef(function Checkbox(inProps, ref) {
   const props = useThemeProps({ props: inProps, name: 'MuiCheckbox' });
   const {
     checkedIcon = defaultCheckedIcon,
-    color = 'secondary',
+    color = 'primary',
     icon: iconProp = defaultIcon,
     indeterminate = false,
     indeterminateIcon: indeterminateIconProp = defaultIndeterminateIcon,
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ Checkbox.propTypes /* remove-proptypes */ = {
   classes: PropTypes.object,
   /**
    * The color of the component. It supports those theme colors that make sense for this component.
-   * @default 'secondary'
+   * @default 'primary'
    */
   color: PropTypes /* @typescript-to-proptypes-ignore */.oneOfType([
     PropTypes.oneOf(['default', 'primary', 'secondary']),