How to Change Accent Colors in macOS 13

Personalizing your Mac's interface can make daily navigation feel distinct and tailored to your aesthetic preferences. This guide provides a quick, straightforward walkthrough on how to customize the accent and highlight colors for buttons, menus, and other user interface elements in macOS 13 Ventura using the updated System Settings menu.

Steps to Change the Accent Color

1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select System Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. In the sidebar on the left, click Appearance.
4. Locate the Accent color section near the top of the window.
5. Click on any of the available color swatches (such as Blue, Purple, Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, or Graphite) to set your preferred color.

Selecting the multicolor icon (the first option on the left) allows app developers to define their own accent colors within their applications, reverting macOS to its default dynamic behavior.

Adjusting the Highlight Color

Directly below the Accent color settings, you will find the Highlight color dropdown menu. By default, this is set to match your chosen accent color.

If you prefer a different color specifically for highlighted text and selected items:

1. Click the dropdown menu next to Highlight color.
2. Choose one of the preset colors, or select Other to open the macOS color picker and create a custom shade.

Your changes take effect immediately across the operating system without requiring a restart. Buttons, dropdown menus, radio buttons, and focus rings will now reflect your newly selected accent color.