How to increase contrast and reduce transparency on a Mac

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 4 October 2026

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS Tahoe 26

App

System Settings

Path

System Settings › Accessibility › Display › Increase contrast and Reduce transparency

Real screenshots

5 of 5 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

1 official, linked below

Menus and sidebars in macOS let the picture behind them shine through, and buttons have faint borders. If that makes the screen hard to read, two switches give it firmer outlines and solid backgrounds.

The screenshots show System Settings on macOS Tahoe 26.

Step by step

1. 

   Open System Settings

   Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.

   Done

2. 

   Click Accessibility, then Display

   Accessibility is in the sidebar on the left. Display is in the Vision group on the right. You may need to scroll down in the sidebar.

   Done

3. 

   Switch on Increase contrast

   It increases the contrast of items on the screen, such as borders around buttons or boxes, without changing the contrast of the screen itself.

   Done

4. 

   Switch on Reduce transparency

   It replaces the transparent effect used on some backgrounds in macOS with a solid background, to improve contrast and readability.

   Done

5. 

   Fine-tune with Display contrast

   The slider at the bottom of the group goes from Normal to Maximum and changes the contrast of the screen as a whole.

   Done

Good to know

Differentiate without color, in the same group, uses shapes in addition to or instead of colour to show a status.

Show toolbar button shapes draws a subtle border around toolbar buttons, so you see where to click.

In short: System Settings, Accessibility, Display, Increase contrast and Reduce transparency.