A Quick Guide to the System Settings App in macOS Ventura

In macOS Ventura, Apple replaced the familiar System Preferences app with a new app called System Settings. This app is fully accessible with VoiceOver, however the interface is quite different and many settings have been relocated, which may at first be disorienting to longtime Mac users. However, the new layout may feel familiar if you’ve used iOS or iPadOS, and you may eventually find that the increased parody between the two platforms makes the experience of locating and changing settings easier and more predictable on both of them.

Like System Preferences, the System Settings app can be accessed most conveniently from the Apple Menu, and can also be accessed via the Applications folder and various individual panels in the Control Center and Status menus. Once opened, you’ll be focused on a table of setting categories, many of which mirror the top level of the Settings app on iOS and iPadOS. The settings for each category are contained in a scroll area to the right of the table, and for added convenience, you can jump into the scroll area for a given category by focusing on it in the table and pressing VO-J. In addition, some setting categories are organized by heading, allowing you to select a category in the table and jump to a heading within the scroll area by pressing VO-Command-H.

The table below lists common settings, their locations in macOS Monterey, and their new locations in System Settings in macOS Ventura. Keep in mind that this table does not list every possible setting, but rather is intended as a quick reference for those looking for a common setting in a new environment.

If you have any questions or think of another setting that should be referenced here, sound off in the comments.