System Preferences

System Preferences (now called System Settings in macOS Ventura) is the application utility used by Mac OS X and macOS to set user preferences, replacing the Control Panels folder found in previous versions of classic Mac OS.

In Mac OS X and macOS, it can be found in the Applications folder or near the right side of the Dock by default. In Mac OS X 10.1.x, this application's name was shortened to System Prefs, but resumed its full name in Mac OS X 10.2, as it appeared in Mac OS X 10.0.x.

Apple announced at the 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference that macOS Ventura (version 13) would replace System Preferences with a new System Settings utility featuring a sidebar style like iPadOS.

Evolution
Under Mac OS X Public Beta and Mac OS X 10.0.x, the user could only drag 6 favorite preferences to the toolbar above, and categories did not exist. System Preferences then had 21 preferences.

Categories started to exist under Mac OS X 10.1.x. At the same time, the number of preferences that can be dragged to the toolbar was rid of its limitations.

Until Mac OS X 10.2.x (and even in &quot;Jaguar&quot;), the System Preferences window would show, even for a short while, a &quot;Loading&quot; screen while a panel was loaded. This disappeared completely as of Mac OS X 10.3, although the title bar now did all the &quot;talking&quot;.

Spotlight search capabilities were added in Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. At the same time, the toolbar, part of the utility since Mac OS X Public Beta, was fully revamped.

Individual Panels
{| style="width:100%;font-size:90%;line-height:112%;"
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |

Mac OS X Public Beta

 * Classic
 * ColorSync
 * Date & Time
 * Energy Saver
 * General
 * International
 * Internet
 * Keyboard
 * Login
 * Monitors
 * Mouse
 * Network
 * Password
 * QuickTime
 * Screen Saver
 * Sharing
 * Sound
 * Speech
 * Startup Disk
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |

Mac OS X 10.0.x

 * Classic
 * ColorSync
 * Date & Time
 * Displays
 * Dock
 * Energy Saver
 * General
 * International
 * Internet
 * Keyboard
 * Login
 * Mouse
 * Network
 * QuickTime
 * Screen Saver
 * Sharing
 * Software Update
 * Sound
 * Speech
 * Startup Disk
 * Users
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |

Personal category

 * Desktop
 * Dock
 * General
 * International
 * Login
 * Screen Saver
 * Universal Access

Hardware category

 * ColorSync
 * Displays
 * Energy Saver
 * Keyboard
 * Mouse
 * Sound

Internet & Network category

 * Internet
 * Network
 * QuickTime
 * Sharing

System category

 * Classic
 * Date & Time
 * Software Update
 * Speech
 * Startup Disk
 * Users
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |

Personal category

 * Desktop
 * Dock
 * General
 * International
 * Login
 * My Account
 * Screen Effects

Hardware category

 * Bluetooth
 * CDs & DVDs
 * ColorSync
 * Displays
 * Energy Saver
 * Ink
 * Keyboard
 * Mouse
 * Sound

Internet & Network category

 * Internet
 * Network
 * QuickTime
 * Sharing

System category

 * Classic
 * Date & Time
 * Software Update
 * Speech
 * Startup Disk
 * Universal Access
 * Users
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |

Personal category

 * Appearance
 * Desktop & Screen Saver
 * Dock
 * Exposé
 * International
 * Security

Hardware category

 * Bluetooth
 * CDs & DVDs
 * Displays
 * Energy Saver
 * Keyboard & Mouse
 * Print & Fax
 * Sound

Internet & Network category

 * .Mac
 * Network
 * QuickTime
 * Sharing

System category

 * Accounts
 * Classic
 * Date & Time
 * Software Update
 * Speech
 * Startup Disk
 * Universal Access
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |

Personal category

 * Appearance
 * Dashboard & Exposé
 * Desktop & Screen Saver
 * Dock
 * International
 * Security
 * Spotlight

Hardware category

 * Bluetooth
 * CDs & DVDs
 * Displays
 * Energy Saver
 * Keyboard & Mouse
 * Print & Fax
 * Sound

Internet & Network category

 * .Mac
 * Network
 * QuickTime
 * Sharing

System category

 * Accounts
 * Classic (optional)
 * Date & Time
 * Software Update
 * Speech
 * Startup Disk
 * Universal Access
 * valign="top" style="width:50%;" |
 * }

Articles

 * Road to Mac OS X Leopard: System Preferences by Prince McLean at AppleInsider (2007-10-24)
 * The untold history of macOS System Preferences by Arun Venkatesan (2020-09-17)

Systemeinstellungen Preferencias de Systema Préférences Système 系统预置