System Settings Shortcuts

peavine · June 27, 2026, 1:17am

There are numerous system settings that can be set directly with a shortcut. For example:

A shortcut can directly open the System Settings app to a desired setting as follows:

Desktop & Dock Settings.shortcut (21.7 KB)

This shortcut prompts the user to select a system setting which is then opened in the System Settings app:

These system setting IDs–which I got from the macmost site–worked on my Tahoe computer. In a day or so, I’ll post a helper shortcut that will get the ID directly from an open System Settings window.

Accessibility = com.apple.Accessibility
Accessibility Audio = com.apple.Accessibility?Audio
Accessibility Captions = com.apple.Accessibility?Captions
Accessibility Display = com.apple.Accessibility?Display
Accessibility Hover Text = com.apple.Accessibility?HoverText
Accessibility Keyboard = com.apple.Accessibility?Keyboard
Accessibility Live Captions = com.apple.Accessibility?LiveCaptions
Accessibility Live Speech = com.apple.Accessibility?LiveSpeech
Accessibility Personal Voice = com.apple.Accessibility?PersonalVoice
Accessibility Pointer Control = com.apple.Accessibility?PointerControl
Accessibility RTT = com.apple.Accessibility?RTT
Accessibility Shortcut = com.apple.Accessibility?Shortcut
Accessibility Siri = com.apple.Accessibility?Siri
Accessibility Spoken Content = com.apple.Accessibility?SpokenContent
Accessibility Switch Control = com.apple.Accessibility?SwitchControl
Accessibility Vocal Shortcuts = com.apple.Accessibility?VocalShortcuts
Accessibility Voice Control = com.apple.Accessibility?VoiceControl
Accessibility VoiceOver = com.apple.Accessibility?VoiceOver
Accessibility Zoom = com.apple.Accessibility?Zoom
Appearance = com.apple.Appearance-Settings.extension
Apple Account = com.apple.systempreferences.AppleIDSettings
Apple Intelligence & Siri = com.apple.Siri
Battery = com.apple.Battery
Bluetooth = com.apple.BluetoothSettings
Desktop & Dock = com.apple.Desktop-Settings.extension
Displays = com.apple.Displays-Settings.extension
Energy = com.apple.Energy
Family = com.apple.Family-Settings.extension
Focus = com.apple.Focus
Game Center = com.apple.Game-Center
General = com.apple.systempreferences.GeneralSettings
General About = com.apple.SystemProfiler.AboutExtension
General AirPlay & Handoff = com.apple.AirDrop-Handoff-Settings.extension
General AppleCare = com.apple.Coverage-Settings.extension
General AutoFill & Passwords = com.apple.Passwords
General Date & Time = com.apple.Date-Time-Settings.extension
General Device Management = com.apple.Profiles-Settings.extension
General Language & Region = com.apple.Localization-Settings.extension
General Login Items & Extensions = com.apple.LoginItems-Settings.extension
General Sharing = com.apple.Sharing-Settings.extension
General Software Update = com.apple.Software-Update-Settings.extension
General Startup Disk = com.apple.Startup-Disk-Settings.extension
General Storage = com.apple.settings.Storage
General Time Machine = com.apple.Time-Machine-Settings.extension
General Transfer or Reset = com.apple.Transfer-Reset-Settings.extension
iCloud = com.apple.systempreferences.AppleIDSettings?iCloud
Internet Accounts = com.apple.Internet
Keyboard = com.apple.Keyboard
Keyboard Input Sources = com.apple.Keyboard?InputSources
Keyboard Keyboard Shortcuts Function Keys = com.apple.Keyboard?FunctionKeys
Keyboard Keyboard Shortcuts Modifier Keys = com.apple.Keyboard?ModifierKeys
Keyboard Text Replacements = com.apple.Keyboard?TextReplacements
Lock Screen = com.apple.Lock
Menu Bar = com.apple.ControlCenter
Mouse = com.apple.Mouse
Net Work Wi-Fi = com.apple.preference.network?Wi-Fi
Network = com.apple.Network
Notifications = com.apple.Notifications
Printers & Scanners = com.apple.preference.printfax
Privacy & Security = com.apple.settings.PrivacySecurity.extension
Screen Saver = com.apple.Wallpaper-Settings.extension?ScreenSaver
Screen Time = com.apple.Screen-Time
Sounds = com.apple.Sound
Spotlight = com.apple.Spotlight
Touch ID & Password = com.apple.Touch-ID-Settings.extension
Trackpad = com.apple.Trackpad
Users & Groups = com.apple.Users-Groups-Settings.extension
Wallet & Apple Pay = com.apple.Wallet
Wallpaper = com.apple.Wallpaper-Settings.extension

If anyone is interested in an AppleScript that does pretty much the same thing, please look here.

peavine · June 27, 2026, 4:05pm

This is a helper shortcut that makes a URL for a desired system setting. After creating the URL, the shortcut opens the System Settings app to that URL. This is done just to verify what a setting does.

To test this shortcut, open the System Settings app and select the Desktop & Dock setting in the sidebar. Then run this shortcut.

System Settings Helper.shortcut (23.9 KB)

It should be noted that:

some settings do nothing;
some settings may appear to do nothing but actually scroll to a location within the main pane;
the General system setting is apparently not a setting but a catch-all;
click on a setting in the General category and then run the shortcut to get the URL for that setting (e.g. Date & Time); and
this shortcut has been tested on macOS Tahoe only.

Homer712 · July 9, 2026, 12:08pm

I downloaded the first shortcut you posted here. And the one thing that became apparent is that you needed to quit the shortcuts app each and every time. Don’t know if it’s even possible, but could you add a line to quit the shortcuts app once the user has made a selection of what system setting they want to open?

peavine · July 9, 2026, 1:07pm

Homer712. I’m not sure which shortcut you are referring to. You mention the first shortcut I posted but you then make reference to the user making a selection.

Anyways, you can quit any app including the Shortcuts app with a Quit App action. For example, the following worked as expected on my Tahoe computer when run by way of the Shortcuts Editor.

Toggle Transparency and Quit Shortcuts App.shortcut (21.6 KB)

You are aware of this although other users new to Shortcuts may not be, but it’s generally best to run shortcuts in normal use by some approach other than the Shortcuts Editor. There are a large number of approaches including a menu icon, dock icon, keyboard shortcut, Spotlight, and so on.

Homer712 · July 9, 2026, 5:46pm

I downloaded the shortcut in your post 1 (the called Systems Settings.shortcut at 23.0 KB). And seeing how my shortcut skills are almost non existent, could you add the quit shortcuts command to the shortcut in post 1 (the called Systems Settings.shortcut at 23.0 KB). That would be much appreciated.

peavine · July 9, 2026, 8:19pm

Homer712. I’ve included the shortcut below. The Shortcuts app quits after you make a selection from the dialog. There’s no simple way around that. I tested this shortcut on my Tahoe computer without issue.

System Settings.shortcut (23.1 KB)

Homer712 · July 9, 2026, 9:10pm

I’m still running Sequoia, and the shortcut still functions perfectly. I make a System settings selection, and shortcuts quits, perfect. Many thanks peavine.