Personalize the look of your Mac

You can personalize your MacBook Neo in many ways—from changing the look and feel of macOS, customizing the desktop, Dock, and menu bar, to adjusting text and pointer size. Find how you can make your Mac work for you.

A Mac desktop with custom icons, widgets, folders, and Spotlight search open.

Adjust the look and feel of macOS

You can change how macOS appears. For example, switch to Dark Mode, change the style of icons and widgets, customize the default color of folders, and more.

Use a light or dark appearance

Go to System Settings, click Appearance , then choose Auto, Light, or Dark. When you choose Auto, the appearance switches from light to dark, based on the Night Shift schedule you set.

Change the color theme

Choose the color to use for buttons, pop-up menus, and other UI controls. Go to System Settings, click Appearance , then choose an option next to Color.

Change the look of icons & widgets

Go to System Settings, click Appearance , then choose an option next to “Icon & widget style.”

Customize the default color of folders

Go to System Settings, click Appearance , then choose an option next to Folder color.

Customize your desktop

Make the desktop feel like your own by changing the wallpaper, customizing the screen saver, or adding folders. You can also add widgets, which help you see information—like your calendar or reminders—at a glance.

Change the wallpaper

Go to System Settings, click Wallpaper , then choose the wallpaper you want, or click Add Photo to choose your own.

Customize the screen saver

Go to System Settings, click Wallpaper , then click Screen Saver. Choose Custom to select your own screen saver.

Add or edit widgets

To add a widget, Control-click the desktop, then choose Edit Widgets. Use the sidebar to browse the different widgets. Drag new widgets anywhere on your desktop or into Notification Center. To edit, Control-click the widget, then choose from the available options, like Small, Medium, or Large.

Add customized folders

Control-click the Desktop, then choose New Folder. You can then customize the folder by changing its color and adding an icon or emoji—Control-click the folder, choose Customize Folder, then experiment until you’re happy with the look of the folder.

Customize the Dock and menu bar

Make the Dock larger or smaller, move it to the left or right side of the screen, set it to hide when you’re not using it, and more. You can also add or remove items from the menu bar and Control Center.

Change the appearance of the Dock

Go to System Settings, click Desktop & Dock , then experiment with the different options, like increasing the size of apps or moving the Dock location.

Add or remove items in the Dock

To add an item to the Dock, open a Finder window, then drag the item you want to add into the Dock. Remove an item by dragging it to the Trash icon in the Dock until you see Remove from Dock.

Add frequently used items to the menu bar

Add status menus to the right side of the menu bar so that you can quickly view and adjust settings—like Wi-Fi or Do Not Disturb. Go to System Settings, click Menu Bar , then select items below Menu Bar Controls.

Customize Control Center

Click , then click Edit Controls. In the window that appears, move the pointer over the control you want to add, then click in the top-left corner to add it to Control Center.

Change the text and pointer size

Change the size of text across multiple apps and on the desktop, and increase the pointer size to make it easier to see.

Increase the text size

Go to System Settings, click Accessibility , then click Display. Next to “Text size,” click Default, then adjust the slider to your preferred text size.

Increase the pointer size

Go to System Settings, click Accessibility , click Display, then adjust the slider next to “Pointer size.”

Increase the size of text and icons in sidebars

Go to System Settings, click Appearance , then choose an option from the pop-up menu next to “Sidebar icon size.”

Want to learn more?

To customize the menu bar, Dock, and Control Center, see Customize the menu bar, Use the Dock, and Use Control Center.
For information about different accessibility features—including features for vision, hearing, mobility, speech, and cognition, see Get started with accessibility features.
To learn how to use keyboard shortcuts and trackpad gestures, see Keyboard shortcuts and Customize your settings.
Many app windows contain a toolbar with buttons that provide access to frequently used features, tools, or actions. To learn how to customize toolbars, see Customize toolbars.
To learn how to change notifications that you receive, see Change Notification settings. You can also set up a Focus to pause and silence all or certain notifications so you can minimize distractions and get things done.

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