The Mac's position as an established platform with a long history means that every time Apple makes changes to the way the platform works, it is expected some pullback. For example, in macOS Ventura, the company redesigned the System Preferences app to more closely resemble the iPhone and iPad's Settings app. The System Settings rebrand debuted with notable backlash, especially during the beta cycle.
Now, ahead of WWDC in a few weeks, AppleInsider is reporting that Apple is planning some changes to System Settings in the upcoming macOS 15 Will they be enough to win over the app's critics?
Reorganized system settings, but same general design
Per Marko Zivkovic from AppleInsider:
Apple has decided to make changes to the built-in System Preferences app. Individual app settings will be reorganized based on priority and overall importance, people familiar with the matter told AppleInsider. For example, the section containing notifications and sound settings will be moved lower in the list… The section containing general settings will now be located directly below key network settings.
According to this report, Apple plans Reorganize the various settings categories to make them more intuitive and easier to find. But the basic design of the app is expected to remain the same.
It's not surprising that Apple isn't completely redesigning the system settings. It would seem that the initial goal of the design change – uniformity of settings on iOS and iPadOS – has been achieved. But it's nice to see the company trying tweaks that could cool the frustrations of the app's biggest critics.
9to5Mac's Opinion
As someone who works primarily with an iPad, the old System Preferences app for the Mac was never my favorite. It looked and worked so differently than my iPhone and iPad that I always had trouble quickly finding the settings I needed.
So I appreciate the direction Apple has taken to unify the platforms, but I also think the system customization could be improved. Will reorganizing some categories of settings be enough? I doubt it, but it will be interesting to see what WWDC brings.
