Useful macOS defaults: Accessibility

com.apple.universalaccess controls accessibility features on macOS. Some of these settings also affect the look and feel of the system for all users.

Reduce transparency

Make the menu bar, Dock, and sidebars solid instead of see-through. This can also improve performance on older Macs:

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess reduceTransparency -bool true

To bring transparency back:

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess reduceTransparency -bool false

Reduce motion

Turn off animations like the window zoom effect when opening apps, the smooth switching between Spaces, and the parallax effect:

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess reduceMotion -bool true

To turn animations back on:

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess reduceMotion -bool false

Increase contrast

Make borders and buttons stand out more:

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess increaseContrast -bool true

Change the cursor size

Make the mouse cursor larger. The default is 1. Maximum is 4:

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess mouseDriverCursorSize -float 2.5

To go back to the normal size:

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess mouseDriverCursorSize -float 1

Enable the accessibility zoom

Turn on the zoom feature that lets you magnify the screen with keyboard shortcuts (Option Command 8 to toggle, Option Command + to zoom in, Option Command - to zoom out):

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess closeViewScrollWheelToggle -bool true

This also lets you zoom by holding Control and scrolling with the mouse wheel or trackpad.

Flash the screen instead of playing a sound

For alerts, flash the screen instead of making a sound:

defaults write com.apple.universalaccess flashScreen -bool true

Notes

These settings match what you find in System Settings, then Accessibility, then Display. The defaults commands are useful for setting up Macs through scripts or managing several machines.

Some of these settings need you to log out and back in before they take effect.

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