Folders, icons, much more: MacOS 26 allows more theming to

Long-time MacOS users could not help but gave themselves a certain shock when they took a look at MacOS 26 alias Tahoe for the first time: With “Liquid Glass” Apple changes its design language in many places-often subtle, but quite visible. As part of the current beta, there will certainly be changes, but it is also clear that this is a new look. In addition, Apple users give significantly more options for the first time to work themselves: there are entire theming options for the new MacOS. These affect the icon display, the marking color or the folders, which are now freely adaptable.

Transparent and hard to read

So there is now a new setting option for the icon and widget style. Here you can choose from four options: Standard (looks similar as before, with a few adjustments), dark (Dark-Mode icons including the appropriate widgets), Clear (fairly extreme glass look) and tinted (colored). “Clear” will hardly please older eyes in particular, because icons and widgets are difficult to read depending on the background. But also “tinted” alias colored can look extreme: All icons then have the same coloring, which can be largely freely selected, as has been known since iOS 18 and iPados 18 from iPhone and iPad.

If you want (see picture above), you can even design the background image and icon color tone-in-tone, and other UI elements are colored appropriately. This can also be defined for dark or light mode. There are also innovations in the highlight color, which may differ from button or pop-up colors. The folder color is also freely selectable, and folders can also be missed emojis or other symbols.

Evaluation of the changes

Fortunately, Apple does not force anyone to use the new theming. However, desktop hobbyists should please that it is available. Individual special tools for adapting the look are no longer needed in the areas that Apple is now covering – and many – many – are no longer required.

You should also be careful with the settings. In particular, coloring and said “Clear” look do not serve the friendliness of use, because a distinction between individual controls is becoming increasingly difficult. Accordingly, the question arises.