How to stop the wallpaper tinting windows on a Mac

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-stop-the-wallpaper-tinting-windows-on-a-mac/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Pro · macOS Tahoe 26

3 of 3 steps with real screenshots · 4 official sources below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS Tahoe 26 (MacBook Pro)

App

System Settings

Path

System Settings › Appearance

Real screenshots

3 of 3 steps

Checked

October 2026

Sources

4 official, linked below

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 Appearance in the sidebar

   Appearance is below Accessibility.

   Done

3. 

   Switch off Tint window background with wallpaper color

   It is under the heading Windows, below Sidebar icon size. In the picture it is on.

   Done

If you do not see this option

• macOS Sequoia or Sonoma Apple's guide for those versions calls the switch Allow wallpaper tinting in windows, in Appearance settings. Source: Change Appearance settings on Mac (macOS Sequoia 15)
• The switch has a slightly different name Apple's guide for macOS Tahoe 26 calls it Tint window background with wallpaper style; our Mac shows wallpaper color. It is the row under Windows that starts with Tint window background. Source: Change Appearance settings on Mac (macOS Tahoe 26)

If this does not work

• Buttons and menus still look coloured That comes from the theme. Apple says Color under Theme sets buttons, pop-up menus and other controls; ours is set to Multicolor. Source: Change Appearance settings on Mac
• Window backgrounds look see-through Apple says Reduce transparency, in Accessibility, Display, replaces the transparent effect on some backgrounds with a solid one. Source: Change Display settings for accessibility on Mac

About this guide

macOS lets colours from the wallpaper subtly tint certain window areas. With a strongly coloured wallpaper, windows can look slightly pink, green or blue. If you want neutral windows, switch the tint off.

The screenshots show System Settings on macOS Tahoe 26.

Good to know

How much see-through effect the system uses is a different setting: how to increase contrast and reduce transparency on a Mac.

In short: System Settings, Appearance, Tint window background with wallpaper color off.