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macos-settings-ui

Builds native macOS settings windows with SwiftUI NavigationSplitView and liquid glass chrome.

Updated Sep 11, 2026
Search Tags:#macos#swiftui#navigationsplitview#liquid glass#nswindowcontroller#settings window#preferences ui
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/celeroncoder/skills --skill macos-settings-ui-celeroncoder
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: macos-settings-ui
Source: https://github.com/celeroncoder/skills/tree/main/macos-settings-ui
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/celeroncoder/skills --skill macos-settings-ui-celeroncoder

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? SwiftUI's declarative Window scene cannot produce the macOS 26 liquid glass settings window appearance, leaving developers with opaque backgrounds, missing rounded corners, and non-native layouts when building preferences UI. ## Core Features & Use Cases - NSWindowController-based window: Creates the settings window programmatically with .fullSizeContentView so macOS 26 renders rounded liquid glass corners and a translucent title bar. - NavigationSplitView layout: Provides a sidebar plus detail pane structure with back/forward toolbar navigation history and grouped Form sections. - Reference implementations: Ships complete Swift files for the window controller, root settings view, and a template detail pane with Toggle, Picker, Slider, and LabeledContent patterns. - Use Case: A developer building a menu-bar-only macOS app needs a preferences window; this skill supplies the window controller, activation policy handling, and pane templates to ship a native-looking settings screen. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to add a native macOS settings window with liquid glass styling to your SwiftUI app using this skill.

Frequently Asked Questions about macos-settings-ui

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I create a settings window in a SwiftUI macOS app?▼

Create an NSWindowController that builds an NSWindow programmatically with the .fullSizeContentView style mask, then host a NavigationSplitView with a sidebar list and grouped Form detail panes. Avoid SwiftUI's Window scene, which cannot expose the window style mask.

Why doesn't my macOS settings window have the liquid glass effect?▼

The liquid glass chrome requires .fullSizeContentView set at window creation time, which SwiftUI Window scenes do not expose. You also need .scrollContentBackground(.hidden) on each Form so the translucent window chrome shows through instead of an opaque background.

Does this settings UI pattern work on macOS versions before 26?▼

The core pattern of NSWindowController with .fullSizeContentView, NavigationSplitView, and grouped Form works on macOS 14 and later. Only the scrollEdgeEffectStyle(.soft) API is macOS 26-only and must be wrapped in an availability check.

How do I show a settings window from a menu-bar-only macOS app?▼

Menu-bar apps using the .accessory activation policy need reference-counted activation policy management: switch to .regular and activate the app when the window shows, then return to .accessory when it closes. The reference window controller implements this via enter and leave calls.

Should I use SwiftUI Window scene or NSWindowController for macOS preferences?▼

Use NSWindowController for preferences windows because SwiftUI's Window scene does not expose the NSWindow style mask needed for liquid glass chrome, and injecting it later via NSViewRepresentable is unreliable since SwiftUI resets the window configuration.

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