System Preferences

System Preferences is the application utility used by Mac OS X and earlier versions of macOS to set user preferences, replacing the Control Panels folder found in previous versions of classic Mac OS. System Preferences was itself replaced by System Settings in macOS 13 (Ventura).

In Mac OS X through macOS 12, 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