With macOS 13 Ventura, Apple gave a major overhaul to the System Preferences interface and changed its name to System Settings. The change was an attempt to better unify it more with the settings design in iOS, but it ended up creating consternation with users due to the illogical placement of some settings. Two years after the change, Apple will be tweaking the system settings interface even further with macOS 15 – hopefully for the better.
According to a report from AppleInsider, Apple will change system settings so that the settings in the left column are organized “based on priority and overall importance.” In macOS 15, the first group in the System Settings list (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Network) will remain there, but the group headed by General Settings will now come after that first group. The notification settings group that currently occupies the second slot will be moved further down the list.
Other moves: Wallpaper and display related settings will no longer be standalone settings and will be placed with other similar settings; the Privacy and Security component will be moved to the group currently led by Lock Screen; and the Siri and Spotlight settings are moved to the section of the list with Internet and Game Center accounts.
Other general interface changes include a refresh for AirDrop and a new monochrome menu bar icon for Siri.
AppleInsider also reports that a “new” iCloud account setting, separate from the current one in Apple ID, will be available in the Internet Accounts section. But the report does not specify how it will be different from the iCloud settings currently available in System settings > Internet accounts under macOS 14.5.
From “Apple ID” to “Apple Account”
The system settings overhaul also reflects Apple’s name change from “Apple ID” to “Apple Account.” Reports that Apple is considering this name change emerged earlier this year, but the change could reflect more than just a new name.
According to AppleInsider, Apple Account could also implement new interface elements and animations for the two-factor authentication process. Apple is working on a new feature called Printable Account Recovery Summary, but no details have been provided.
For more information on what we might see in the next Mac operating system, check out our macOS 15 superguide.
