Welcome
- MacBook Neo
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What’s new in macOS Tahoe
- Work on the desktop
- What’s in the menu bar?
- Quickly change settings
- What’s in the Apple menu?
- Search with Spotlight
- How to use Siri
- Get notifications
- Open apps from the Dock
- Organize your files in the Finder
- Connect to the internet
- Sign in to your Apple Account
- Set up iCloud
- Browse the web
- Preview a file
- Take a screenshot
- Change your display’s brightness
- Adjust the volume
- Use trackpad and mouse gestures
- Use Touch ID
- Print documents
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Apps on your Mac
- Open apps
- Work with app windows
- Tile app windows
- Use apps in full screen
- Use apps in Split View
- Use Stage Manager
- Get apps from the App Store
- Install and reinstall apps from the App Store
- Install and uninstall other apps
- Create and work with documents
- Open documents
- Mark up files
- Combine files into a PDF
- Organize files on your desktop
- Organize files with folders
- Tag files and folders
- Back up files
- Restore files
- Change System Settings
- Choose your desktop picture
- Add and customize widgets
- Use a screen saver
- Add a user or group
- Add your email and other accounts
- Automate tasks with Shortcuts
- Create Memoji
- Change your login picture
- Change the system language
- Turn on and activate Siri
- Customize Siri
- Intro to Apple Intelligence
- Translate messages and calls
- Create original images with Image Playground
- Create your own emoji with Genmoji
- Use Apple Intelligence with Siri
- Find the right words with Writing Tools
- Summarize notifications and reduce interruptions
- Use ChatGPT with Apple Intelligence
- Apple Intelligence and privacy
- Block access to Apple Intelligence features
- Set up a Focus to stay on task
- Block pop-ups in Safari
- Use Dictation
- Perform quick actions with hot corners
- Send emails
- Send text messages
- Make a FaceTime call
- Edit photos and videos
- Use Live Text to interact with text in a photo
- Start a Quick Note
- Get directions
- Intro to Continuity
- Use AirDrop to send items to nearby devices
- Hand off tasks between devices
- Control your iPhone from your Mac
- Copy and paste between devices
- Stream video and audio with AirPlay
- Make and receive calls and text messages on your Mac
- Use your iPhone internet connection with your Mac
- Share your Wi-Fi password with another device
- Use iPhone as a webcam
- Insert sketches, photos, and scans from iPhone or iPad
- Unlock your Mac with Apple Watch
- Use your iPad as a second display
- Use one keyboard and mouse to control Mac and iPad
- Sync music, books, and more between devices
- Manage Apple Account settings
- Set your Apple Account picture
- What is iCloud?
- What is iCloud+?
- Store files in iCloud Drive
- Share and collaborate on files and folders
- Manage iCloud storage
- Use iCloud Photos
- Get started with Screen Time
- Set up Screen Time for yourself
- Set up Screen Time for a child
- Track app and device usage
- Set time limits for apps and websites
- Set up content and privacy restrictions
- Set up Family Sharing
- Get Family Sharing recommendations
- Add family members to a Family Sharing group
- Remove family members from a Family Sharing group
- Manage sharing and parental settings
- Share a Photo Library
- Collaborate on projects
- Find content shared with you
- Find your family and friends
- Play music
- Watch and listen together with SharePlay
- Listen to podcasts
- Watch TV shows and movies
- Read and listen to books
- Read the news
- Write in your journal
- Track stocks and the market
- Play games on your Mac
- Connect an external display
- Use the camera
- Connect a wireless accessory
- Connect a printer to your Mac
- Connect AirPods to your Mac
- Optimize your Mac battery life
- Optimize storage space
- Burn CDs and DVDs
- Control accessories in your home
- Run Windows on your Mac
- Get started
- Control what you share
- Set up your Mac to be secure
- Allow apps to see the location of your Mac
- Use Private Browsing
- Keep your data safe
- Understand passwords
- Change weak or compromised passwords
- Protect email privacy in Mail
- Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites
- Find a missing device
- Shut down or restart your Mac
- Start up your Mac in safe mode
- Keep your Mac up to date
- Reinstall macOS
- Erase your Mac
Resources for your Mac
Resources for your Apple devices
Copyright and trademarks

Change Appearance settings on Mac

On your Mac, use Appearance settings to change the overall look of macOS, and choose how you use scroll bars. Learn how to use a light or dark appearance.

To change these settings, choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Appearance in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)

Open Appearance settings for me

Option	Description
Appearance	Choose the appearance for buttons, menus, and windows on your Mac. Auto switches the appearance from light to dark, based on the Night Shift schedule you set. If no schedule is set, Auto switches the appearance based on sunrise and sunset times. Auto won’t switch the appearance until your Mac has been idle for at least a minute. See Change Night Shift settings. Light provides a light appearance that doesn’t change. Dark provides a darkened appearance so the content you’re working on stands out while windows and controls seem to recede into the background. It’s effective for viewing documents, presentations, photos, movies, webpages, and more.
Liquid Glass	Choose the look for Liquid Glass (clear or tinted).
Color	Choose the color to use for buttons, pop-up menus, and other UI controls.
Text highlight color	Choose the color to use for highlighting selected text.
Icon & widget style	Choose the color, background, and behavior of icons and widgets. Default: Items are opaque, and the background is either light or colored, depending on the app. Dark: Items are opaque and have a darkened appearance. Choose Always to always show items in Dark style. Choose Auto to switch between Dark and Light, depending on system appearance. Clear: Items are transparent. Choose Light for a light appearance, choose Dark for a darker appearance, or choose Auto to switch between Dark and Light, depending on system appearance. Tinted: Items are opaque against a dark background. Icons, text, and graphics are displayed in the color selected under Theme in the Appearance pane.
Folder color	Choose the color to use for folder icons in the Finder. (This option appears when Default, Dark, or Clear is selected for Icon & widget style.)
Icon, widget, and folder color	Choose the color to use for icons and widgets, and for folder icons in the Finder. (This option appears when Tinted is selected for Icon & widget style.)
Sidebar icon size	Choose small, medium, or large icons for the Finder sidebar and for the sidebar in apps such as Mail, News, and Photos. The size of text in the sidebar also changes.
Tint window background with wallpaper style	Allow colors from the wallpaper to subtly tint certain window areas, such as toolbars or status bars.
Show scroll bars	Scroll bars appear in a window when there’s content that doesn’t fit into the window’s current size. Choose an option to control when scroll bars are shown: Automatically based on mouse or trackpad: Scroll bars are shown depending on the mouse or trackpad you’re using. If your device allows gestures, scroll bars are hidden until you start scrolling. Otherwise, they’re visible. When scrolling: Hide scroll bars until you start scrolling. Always: Scroll bars are always shown.
Click in the scroll bar to	Jump to the next page: Clicking in the scroll bar moves the content page by page. Jump to the spot that’s clicked: Moves to the spot where you’re clicking; for example, if you click at the bottom of the scroll bar, you go to the bottom of the document. To momentarily switch between scrolling methods while working, press and hold the Option key while clicking the scroll bar.

To increase the size of text and icons, see Increase font size and icons on Mac.

Helpful?

Mac User Guide

Change Appearance settings on Mac