In macOS, transparency – or more properly, translucency – is a visual effect many apps use to create a sense of depth by hinting at content residing in the background.

how to disable transparency in macos 00
An example of transparency is when content behind a window shows through in interface elements like menus and sidebars. It's evident in the screenshot above, for example, in which the colors of the desktop wallpaper bleed through the sidebar in the Photos app.

A similar effect is sometimes used within app interface elements that are windowed, allowing window content to show through other elements like toolbars. An instance of this can be seen below, where the folders are visible through Finder's toolbar as if through frosted glass.

how to disable transparency in macos 000

Transparency enabled (left); transparency disabled

The effect can look cool, but it can also be distracting if you're trying to focus on content, especially if you're editing photos. Fortunately, macOS lets you turn off transparency, but the way to do it isn't immediately obvious. The following steps show you how.

How to Disable Transparency in macOS Mojave

  1. Launch System Preferences from your Mac's Dock, from the Applications folder, or from the Apple menu bar ( -> System Preferences...).
    how to disable transparency in macos 01

  2. Select the Accessibility preference pane.
  3. In the sidebar, under Vision, click Display.
    how to disable transparency in macos 02

  4. Check the box next to Reduce transparency.
Related Forum: macOS Mojave

Top Rated Comments

martyjmclean Avatar
90 months ago
Setting your Accent Colour to Greyscale also turns off wallpaper window tinting. Another tip to increase legibility.
[doublepost=1544791052][/doublepost]
Does this save resources at all? I used to do this on my iphones back in the day thinking I saved CPU cycles and ram.
None of this makes any difference on modern computers.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
martyjmclean Avatar
90 months ago
There's no accent color called "Greyscale". It's called "Graphite".
You still knew which colour I was talking about.
I hope you realize that's an issue with whatever third-party browser and/or theme you're using.
I hope you realise they were being sarcastic.

Stop being obtusely fastidious.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigMcGuire Avatar
90 months ago
I still do this on my iPhone XR (started with the iPhone 5 and iOS 7). It’s less about resources at this stage, and more that I’ve come to prefer low transparency and reduced motion.
Same here! I thought I was the only one that did this. I am so happy to have found Reduced Motion for my MacBook thanks to this article, all these years I had no clue it existed (same for transparency for Mac OS). I've used both since my 6+ iPhone and prefer it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
edrozenberg Avatar
90 months ago
Setting your Accent Colour to Greyscale also turns off wallpaper window tinting. Another tip to increase legibility.
[doublepost=1544791052][/doublepost]
Recent betas remove the window tinting when using any accent color with reduce transparency enabled (I'm on 10.14.3 Beta (18D21c)). This is great. Tinting still remains in the dock, notification center, and alerts - no big deal, window tinting was the one that was really annoying.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2499723 Avatar
90 months ago
Does this save resources at all? I used to do this on my iphones back in the day thinking I saved CPU cycles and ram.
I still do this on my iPhone XR (started with the iPhone 5 and iOS 7). It’s less about resources at this stage, and more that I’ve come to prefer low transparency and reduced motion.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jbarley Avatar
90 months ago
Really wish I could get rid of this dropdown menu transparency, it's almost a deal breaker for me.



Attachment Image
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone Air

Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air

Wednesday October 22, 2025 3:22 am PDT by
Apple is "drastically" cutting production of the iPhone Air and shifting focus toward the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models, Nikkei Asia reports. The business publication claims to have learned of a major cut to iPhone Air production motivated by weaker-than-expected consumer interest, nearly to "end of production levels." Despite early reports of the iPhone Air selling out within hours of...
sam sung auction

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Wednesday October 22, 2025 4:44 pm PDT by
Back in 2012, an Apple retail employee named Sam Sung went viral because his name is similar to Samsung, one of Apple's main competitors. In a recent interview with Business Insider, he detailed that period in his life, how Apple responded, and he explained why he ultimately changed his name. Someone posted an image of Sung's Apple business card on Reddit in 2012, and it spread rapidly....
cadillac lyric infotainment

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars

Wednesday October 22, 2025 11:34 am PDT by
General Motors began phasing out support for CarPlay in its electric vehicles back in 2023, leading to complaints from iPhone users, but the company has no plans to back down. In fact, GM is going further and plans to remove CarPlay from all future gas vehicles, too. In an interview with The Verge, GM CEO Mary Barra said that the company opted to prioritize its platform for EVs, but the...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:15 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. iOS 26.1 is currently in beta testing. The update will likely be released in the first half of November, and it is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer, but some...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple's Plan to Launch Three New iPhone Designs Allegedly Revealed

Wednesday October 22, 2025 6:24 am PDT by
Apple plans to launch a new type of iPhone every year for the foreseeable future, according to an Asia-based source. The detailed information was shared by the account "yeux1122" in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver, citing domestic trend and component research companies. Corroborating other reports, Apple will apparently launch its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
maxresdefault

Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80%

Wednesday October 22, 2025 10:48 am PDT by
iPhone Air demand failed to meet Apple's expectations and the company's supply chain is scaling back shipments and production, reports Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80 percent between now and the first quarter of 2026, and some components with longer lead times will be discontinued ...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Report: Apple to Skip 'iPhone 19' Name for 'iPhone 20'

Thursday October 23, 2025 4:28 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhone lineup launched in the fall of 2027 will be called the "iPhone 20" models, rather than the "iPhone 19," according to research firm Omdia. Speaking at a conference in Seoul (via ETNews), Omdia Chief Researcher Heo Moo-yeol corroborated rumors that Apple plans to move the launch of its standard iPhone to the first half of the year and provided some additional clarity about...
iOS 26

What's New in iOS 26.1 Beta 4

Monday October 20, 2025 1:02 pm PDT by
Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below. Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness,...