# System Settings

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/System_Settings
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/System_Settings.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Settings
> Source revision: 1345412670
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|MacOS application}}
{{For-multi|the generic "settings" facility provided with most types of operating system|Computer configuration |the EP by Rioux|System Preferences (EP){{!}}''System Preferences'' (EP)}}
{{Infobox software
| name = System Settings
| logo = System Preferences icon.png
| screenshot = MacOS System Settings.png
| screenshot_alt = MacOS System Settings Screenshot on macOS Sequoia
| screenshot_size = 300px
| caption = System Settings application in [macOS Sequoia](/source/macOS_Sequoia)
| operating system = [macOS](/source/macOS)
| genre = [Control panel](/source/Control_panel_(software))
}}

'''System Settings''' (known as '''System Preferences''' prior to [macOS Ventura](/source/macOS_Ventura)) is an [application](/source/Application_software) in [macOS](/source/macOS) that allows users to modify [system settings](/source/Computer_configuration), such as displays, audio, [peripheral](/source/peripheral)s, and network connections. It was first introduced in [Mac OS X 10.0](/source/Mac_OS_X_10.0) to replace the control panels found in [Classic Mac OS](/source/Classic_Mac_OS), replacing multiple fragmented utilities with a single interface.

== History ==
=== Control Panels (Classic Mac OS) ===
Before the release of Mac OS X in 2001, users modified system settings using control panels.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Control Panels Folder |url=https://udcf.gla.ac.uk/~gwm1h/system7.5.3/About_Control_Panels.html |access-date=2021-05-05 |website=udcf.gla.ac.uk}}</ref> Control panels, like the preference panes found in System Preferences, were separate resources (cdevs) that were accessed through the [Apple menu](/source/Apple_menu)'s Control Panel.

A rudimentary form of system preferences dates back to 1983 with the Apple Lisa Preferences menu item. This included a subset of configurable settings called "convenience settings" as well as other settings that adapted according to the programs and devices installed on the Lisa Office System. The original control panels in the earliest versions of the [classic Mac OS](/source/classic_Mac_OS) were all combined into one small [Desk Accessory](/source/Desk_Accessory). [Susan Kare](/source/Susan_Kare) designed the [interface](/source/User_interface) for the original control panel, and tried to make it as user-friendly as possible. This design was used until System 3 when separate control panel files ("cdev"s) were added, accessible solely through the control panel.

With the debut of [System 7](/source/System_7) the control panels were separated into individual small application-like processes accessible from the Finder, and by a sub-menu in the Apple menu provided by Apple Menu Options. [Mac OS 9](/source/Mac_OS_9), the last release of the Mac OS before Mac OS X, included 32 control panels. By [Mac OS 9](/source/Mac_OS_9), many control panels had been rewritten as true applications.

The control panels included with [Mac OS 9](/source/Mac_OS_9) are:<ref>{{cite web|title = Mac OS X 10.0: Using Mac OS 9 Control Panels in Classic Environment|url = http://support.apple.com/kb/TA22222|website = support.apple.com|access-date = 2015-01-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = GUIdebook > Screenshots > Settings menu|url = http://www.guidebookgallery.org/screenshots/menu|website = www.guidebookgallery.org|access-date = 2015-01-06}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* Appearance
* [Apple Menu](/source/Apple_Menu) Options
* [AppleTalk](/source/AppleTalk)
* [ColorSync](/source/ColorSync)
* [Control Strip](/source/Control_Strip)
* Date & Time
* DialAssist
* Energy Saver
* [Extensions Manager](/source/Extension_(Mac_OS))
* File Exchange
* File Sharing
* File Synchronization
* General Controls
* Internet
* Keyboard
* Keychain Access
* Launcher
* Location Manager
* Memory
* Modem
* Monitors
* Mouse
* Multiple Users
* Numbers
* [QuickTime](/source/QuickTime) Settings
* Remote Access
* [Software Update](/source/Apple_Software_Update)
* Sound
* Speech
* Startup Disk
* TCP/IP
* Text
* Web Sharing
{{div col end}}

=== System Preferences (Mac OS X) ===
{{Expand section|Add screenshots and icon comparisons as needed|date=March 2026}}

System Preferences was introduced with [Mac OS X 10.0](/source/Mac_OS_X_10.0), replacing the fragmented control panels with preference panes within a single application.<ref>{{cite book |last=Toporek |first=Chuck |url=https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/mac-os-x/9780596529819/ |title=Mac OS X Leopard Pocket Guide |publisher=O'Reilly Media |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-596-52981-9}}</ref> Preference panes are not applications but rather loadable [bundles](/source/bundle_(OS_X)) for the System Preferences application, similar to the arrangement used under System 6.

==== Organization ====
In Mac OS X 10.0, the grid of preference panes are alphabetical, but every version with System Preferences afterwards has some form of categorization by default.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2001-10-15 |title=Mac OS X 10.1 |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2001/10/macosx-10-1/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref> In [Mac OS X 10.1](/source/Mac_OS_X_10.1) through [10.5 Leopard](/source/Mac_OS_X_Leopard), these categories are "Personal", "Hardware", "Internet & Network", and "System", with a fifth category, "Other", appearing when third-party preference panes are installed. In [10.6 Snow Leopard](/source/Mac_OS_X_Snow_Leopard), the "Internet & Network" category was renamed "Internet & Wireless",<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2009-09-01 |title=Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard: the Ars Technica review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2009/08/mac-os-x-10-6/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref> and in [10.9 Mavericks](/source/OS_X_Mavericks), the labels were completely removed, although the categories themselves didn't change.<ref>{{Cite web |title=OS X 10.9 Mavericks |url=https://512pixels.net/projects/aqua-screenshot-library/os-x-10-9-mavericks/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=512 Pixels |language=en-US}}</ref> The organization was revised in [macOS 10.15 Catalina](/source/MacOS_Catalina), which added a section dedicated to the [Apple ID](/source/Apple_ID) of the logged in user at the top of the screen, and replaced the four single-line categories with two multi-line categories.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=2019-10-07 |title=macOS 10.15 Catalina: The Ars Technica review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/10/macos-10-15-catalina-the-ars-technica-review/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref>

Apple has added new preference panes when major features are added to the operating system and occasionally merges multiple panes into one. When [Exposé](/source/Expos%C3%A9_(macOS)) was introduced with [10.3 Panther](/source/Mac_OS_X_Panther), a corresponding preference pane was added to System Preferences. This was replaced by a single "Dashboard & Exposé" pane in [10.4 Tiger](/source/Mac_OS_X_Tiger), which introduced [Dashboard](/source/Dashboard_(Mac_OS)). When the [.Mac](/source/.Mac) service was replaced by [MobileMe](/source/MobileMe), the corresponding preference pane was also renamed.

In OS X Mountain Lion, the "Universal Access" pane is changed to "Accessibility" and "Speech" is changed to "Dictation & Speech".

==== Appearance ====
The System Preferences icon has changed several times. In [10.3 Panther](/source/Mac_OS_X_Panther), the Apple logo was made flatter and lower-contrast,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2003-11-09 |title=Mac OS X 10.3 Panther |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2003/11/macosx-10-3/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref> and in [10.5 Leopard](/source/Mac_OS_X_Leopard), the icon was overhauled to match its [iOS](/source/iOS) [counterpart](/source/Settings_(Apple)) with a [skeuomorphic](/source/Skeuomorph) gear-based design.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2007-10-29 |title=Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: the Ars Technica review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2007/10/mac-os-x-10-5/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref> The icon was changed again in [10.10 Yosemite](/source/OS_X_Yosemite) to match the new design language, simplifying the gear design and removing the realistic shading,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2014-10-16 |title=OS X 10.10 Yosemite: The Ars Technica Review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/10/os-x-10-10/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref> and once more in [macOS 11 Big Sur](/source/MacOS_Big_Sur) to fit the new standardized [squircle](/source/squircle) icon shape.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=2020-11-12 |title=macOS 11.0 Big Sur: The Ars Technica review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/11/macos-11-0-big-sur-the-ars-technica-review/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref>

System Preferences originally included a customizable [toolbar](/source/toolbar) into which frequently-used preference pane icons could be dragged, but this was removed in [Mac OS X Tiger](/source/Mac_OS_X_Tiger) and replaced with an extended toolbar containing Finder-styled back/forward buttons, a "Show All" button to return to the preference grid, and a search field that highlights relevant items when a search is started.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2005-04-28 |title=Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2005/04/macosx-10-4/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref>

In [10.9 Mavericks](/source/OS_X_Mavericks), the preference pane icons were made 25% larger, going from 32x32pt to 40x40.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2013-10-22 |title=OS X 10.9 Mavericks: The Ars Technica Review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/10/os-x-10-9/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref> In [10.10 Yosemite](/source/OS_X_Yosemite), the icon design was overhauled to match the flatter design language of the entire operating system. The grabbable title bar and toolbar were consolidated into one top bar, with the "Show All" button becoming an icon button.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siracusa |first=John |date=2014-10-16 |title=OS X 10.10 Yosemite: The Ars Technica Review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/10/os-x-10-10/ |access-date=2026-03-25 |website=Ars Technica |language=en}}</ref> In [macOS 11 Big Sur](/source/MacOS_Big_Sur), the icon design was updated again to match the new [neumorphic](/source/Neumorphism) style.

=== System Settings (macOS Ventura<!-- and later -->) ===
{{Expand section|Expand based on Ars Technica's in-depth macOS Ventura review. There are numerous other sources talking about the changes, including many critical articles|date=January 2023}}

In [macOS Ventura](/source/macOS_Ventura), System Preferences was renamed to System Settings and was redesigned to be similar to the [iOS](/source/iOS) and [iPadOS](/source/iPadOS) Settings app.<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson Contributions from Daryl Baxter |date=2023-01-07 |title=How to use the redesigned System Settings app in macOS Ventura |url=https://www.techradar.com/how-to/how-to-use-the-redesigned-system-settings-app-in-macos-ventura |access-date=2025-09-14 |website=TechRadar |language=en}}</ref> In addition to a new sidebar that contains all preference panes on a sidebar to the left of the window, and most icons are squared, minimalist, and smaller, instead of the original big, more detailed, varied preference panes that were used in prior versions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=2022-10-26 |title=macOS 13 Ventura: The Ars Technica review |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/macos-13-ventura-the-ars-technica-review/ |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref>  Because of this nature, they can no longer be organized, but can in turn now be searched and organized alphabetically. If [AirPods](/source/AirPods) are connected, a menu for the AirPods will appear at the top of System Settings.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=macOS Ventura – New Features |url=https://www.apple.com/macos/ventura/features/ |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=Apple |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Preference Panes ==
In System Preferences, preferences are organized by theme into Preference Panes (abbreviated prefpane), which are special [dynamically loaded](/source/Dynamic_loading) [plugins](/source/Plug-in_(computing)). Introduced in [Mac OS X 10.0](/source/Mac_OS_X_10.0), the purpose of a Preference Pane is to allow the user to set preferences for a specific application or the system by means of a [graphical user interface](/source/graphical_user_interface). Preference Panes are the macOS replacement for [control panels](/source/Control_panel_(Mac_OS)) in the [classic Mac OS](/source/classic_Mac_OS). Prior to [Mac OS X v10.4](/source/Mac_OS_X_v10.4), collections of Preference Panes featured a "Show All" button to show all the panes in the collection and a customizable toolbar to which frequently-used preference panes could be dragged. In [Mac OS X 10.3 Panther](/source/Mac_OS_X_Panther), the currently-active pane would also be highlighted in the toolbar when it was selected. With [Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger](/source/Mac_OS_X_Tiger), the toolbar was removed in favor of a plain Show All button and back/forward history arrows. With the release of [macOS Ventura](/source/macOS_Ventura), they were redesigned to look like the ones used in iOS.

== See also ==

* [Settings](/source/Settings_(Apple)) (iOS)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [http://support.apple.com/HT201726 Mac Basics: Set your preferences], [Apple Support](/source/Apple_Support)
* [https://arun.is/blog/system-preferences/ The untold history of macOS System Preferences]

{{macOS}}
{{Mac OS}}

Category:Computer configuration
Category:MacOS
Category:Macintosh operating systems
Category:Macintosh operating systems user interface
Category:MacOS-only software made by Apple Inc.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [System Settings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Settings) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Settings?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.