macOS Preferences for Sequoia

This document outlines how I configure macOS manually on a clean install of macOS Sequoia (15.4) on an Apple Silicon Mac. The focus is on privacy, usability, and performance, with added guidance for security-conscious users and developers. Scripts are intentionally avoided to ensure users understand and control each change.

Feel free to fork, tweak, or contribute.

• Finder
• iCloud
  • iCloud Drive
  • iMessage
    • On your Mac
    • On your iOS Devices
• System Settings
  • Notifications
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy & Security
  • Desktop & Dock
  • Lock Screen
  • Keyboard
  • Trackpad
• Security
  • Startup Security Utility
  • Other Security Enhancements

Finder

• Open Finder:

  • View → Show Path Bar
  • Finder → Settings:
    • General: "New Finder windows show" → <home folder>
    • Sidebar: Enable quick access folders (e.g. Movies, Music, Pictures)
    • Advanced:
      • Show all filename extensions → ON
      • Keep folders on top:
        • In windows when sorting by name → ON
        • On Desktop → ON
      • When performing a search → Search the Current Folder

• With the home folder open:

  • View → Show View Options:
    • Always open in icon view → ON
    • Browse in icon view → ON
    • Grid spacing → Max
    • Show item info → ON
    • Show Library Folder → ON
    • Use as Defaults

iCloud

iCloud Drive

• System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → iCloud Drive → Desktop & Documents Folders → ON

iMessage

On your Mac

1. Open Messages
2. Settings → iMessage tab:
   • Enable Messages in iCloud → ON
   • Send Read Receipts → ON
   • Start new conversations from → <Apple ID>

On your iOS Devices

Settings → Messages:

• Show Contact Photos → OFF
• Text Message Forwarding → Your Mac → ON
• Send Read Receipts → ON
• Keep Messages → Forever
• Audio Messages → Expire → Never
• Low Quality Image Mode → OFF
• Share Name and Photo:
  • Name & Photo Sharing → ON
  • Share Automatically → Contacts Only

System Settings

Listed in the order they appear in System Settings on macOS Sequoia.

Notifications

• System Settings → Notifications → Allow notifications when display is sleeping → OFF

Accessibility

• System Settings → Accessibility → Pointer Control → Trackpad Options:
  • Use trackpad for dragging → ON
  • Dragging Style → Three Finger Drag

Privacy & Security

• System Settings → Privacy & Security:
  • FileVault → ON (enabled by default on Apple Silicon)
  • Advanced → Require administrator password to access system-wide settings → ON
  • Analytics & Improvements:
    • Share Mac Analytics → OFF
    • Improve Siri & Dictation → OFF
• System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → Advanced Data Protection → ON

Desktop & Dock

• System Settings → Desktop & Dock:
  • Minimize windows into application icon → ON
  • Show suggested and recent apps in Dock → OFF

Optional Terminal Customizations:

# Adjust Dock icon size
defaults write com.apple.dock tilesize -int 36

# Lock the Dock size
defaults write com.apple.dock size-immutable -bool true

# Apply changes
killall Dock

Lock Screen

• System Settings → Lock Screen:
  • Start Screen Saver when inactive → Never
  • Turn display off on battery → 2 minutes
  • Turn display off on power adapter → 10 minutes
  • Require password after screen saver or display is off → Immediately

Keyboard

• System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → Edit:
  • Correct spelling automatically → OFF
  • Capitalize words automatically → OFF

Trackpad

• System Settings → Trackpad:
  • Tap to click → ON

Security

Startup Security Utility

Apple Silicon Macs do not support firmware passwords. The settings below are available through macOS Recovery.

1. Restart Mac → Hold ⌘ + R immediately
2. Authenticate to enter Recovery
3. Utilities → Startup Security Utility
4. Set the following:
   • Secure Boot → Full Security
   • Allowed Boot Media → Disallow booting from external or removable media

Other Security Enhancements

1. Enable Find My Mac

   • System Settings → Apple ID → iCloud → Find My Mac → ON

2. Disable Guest User

   • System Settings → Users → Guest User → Allow guests to log in → OFF

3. Review Login Items

   • System Settings → General → Login Items
   • Remove unused apps under "Open at Login"

4. Disable Wake for Network Access (optional)

   • System Settings → Battery → Options → Wake for network access → Never