Useful macOS defaults: System Preferences

com.apple.systempreferences controls the System Preferences app, which was the settings app on macOS Monterey and earlier. Apple replaced it with System Settings (a new app) starting in macOS Ventura.

If you run macOS Monterey or earlier, these settings work. On Ventura and later, see the System Settings post.

Show all preference panes

Some preference panes are hidden by default (like Profiles, which only appears if you have configuration profiles installed). To show all panes:

defaults write com.apple.systempreferences ShowAllMode -bool true

This is useful for checking whether any hidden panes or profiles are installed on your Mac.

To go back to the normal view:

defaults write com.apple.systempreferences ShowAllMode -bool false

Enable the debug menu

defaults write com.apple.systempreferences NSQuitAlwaysKeepsWindows -bool false

This stops System Preferences from reopening the last pane you visited. It opens to the main grid instead.

Read current settings

defaults read com.apple.systempreferences

Notes

System Preferences was a simple app with few hidden settings. Most of the useful defaults live in the individual domains for each feature (Dock, Keyboard, Trackpad, and so on) rather than in the System Preferences app itself.

Apple replaced System Preferences with System Settings in macOS Ventura (2022). The new app uses a different layout but the underlying defaults domains for individual features are mostly the same.

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