Apple UI Colors

macOS Control Accent

NSColor.controlAccentColor
Desktop Control Surface
Adaptive System Token•macOS 10.10+ / 10.14+, AppKit

Complete technical specification and developer reference for Control Accent in Apple's macOS design system. In light appearance, it resolves to HEX #007AFF; in dark appearance, it dynamically adapts to HEX #007AFF. Features wide-gamut Display P3 values, UIKit bridge (UIColor.controlAccentColor), AppKit bridge (NSColor.controlAccentColor), WCAG contrast audit, and Xcode drop-in initializers.

Light Mode#007AFF
Dark Mode#007AFF
Control Accent Color Preview

The accent color people select in System Settings.

ColorNSColor.controlAccentColor
Copy:
Dynamic Asset
Desktop Control Surface
macOS 10.10+ / 10.14+, AppKit
Initializers & Color Spaces
Color(r:g:b:)Color(red: 0.000, green: 0.478, blue: 1.000)
Color(r:g:b:op:)Color(red: 0.000, green: 0.478, blue: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(hue:sat:bri:)HSBColor(hue: 0.587, saturation: 1.000, brightness: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(.displayP3)Wide GamutColor(.displayP3, red: 0.204, green: 0.471, blue: 0.965, opacity: 1.00)
Color(.sRGB)Color(.sRGB, red: 0.000, green: 0.478, blue: 1.000, opacity: 1.00)
Color(hex:)ExtensionColor(hex: "#007AFF")
#colorLiteralXcode#colorLiteral(red: 0.000, green: 0.478, blue: 1.000, alpha: 1.00)
Color(uiColor:)iOSColor(uiColor: UIColor(red: 0.000, green: 0.478, blue: 1.000, alpha: 1.00))
Active HEX: #007AFFP3 R: 0.204 G: 0.471 B: 0.965

Technical Color Specifications

Exact resolved HEX codes, sRGB 8-bit components, HSL, and normalized Swift floating-point decimals for Light and Dark modes.

Color Metric / SpaceLight AppearanceDark AppearanceSwift Code Literal
HEX Code#007AFF#007AFFColor(hex: "#007AFF")
sRGB (0–255)rgb(0, 122, 255)rgb(0, 122, 255)(r: 0.000, g: 0.478, b: 1.000)
Display P3 (Wide Gamut)P3 (0.204, 0.471, 0.965)P3 (0.204, 0.471, 0.965)Color(.displayP3, ...)
HSL / HSBhsl(211, 100%, 50%)hsl(211, 100%, 50%)Color(hue:sat:bri:)
Platform BridgeUIKit: UIColor.controlAccentColorAppKit: NSColor.controlAccentColorColor(uiColor:) / Color(nsColor:)

Light Appearance

Light Theme
HEX Code
#007AFF
RGB (0–255)
rgb(0, 122, 255)
HSL
hsl(211, 100%, 50%)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 0.000, g: 0.478, b: 1.000)

Dark Appearance

Dark Theme
HEX Code
#007AFF
RGB (0–255)
rgb(0, 122, 255)
HSL
hsl(211, 100%, 50%)
Normalized Swift Literal:
(r: 0.000, g: 0.478, b: 1.000)

Drop-In Developer Snippets

Ready-to-paste code blocks for Xcode asset catalogs and Swift files.

Xcode Location: Save as Contents.json inside Assets.xcassets/Control Accent.colorset/
Includes Light + Dark Modes
Contents.json
{
  "colors": [
    {
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.000",
          "green": "0.478",
          "blue": "1.000",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    },
    {
      "appearances": [
        {
          "appearance": "luminosity",
          "value": "dark"
        }
      ],
      "color": {
        "color-space": "srgb",
        "components": {
          "red": "0.000",
          "green": "0.478",
          "blue": "1.000",
          "alpha": "1.000"
        }
      },
      "idiom": "universal"
    }
  ],
  "info": {
    "author": "xcode",
    "version": 1
  }
}

Live UI Component Sandbox

Preview Color.control accent inside standard Apple interface components.

Interactive Controls
Active TagBadge 99+
Toggle Tint
Container & Typography Styling

●SwiftUI Notification

Just now

Demonstrates how Apple designers pair system background tints with dynamic Control Accent accents.

Dynamic Headline in Control Accent

.foregroundStyle(NSColor.controlAccentColor)

Platform Implementation Snippets

Ready-to-use Swift code for SwiftUI, UIKit, and AppKit applications.

AppKit (macOS Swift)
// AppKit (macOS)
let button = NSButton()
button.contentTintColor = NSColor.controlAccentColor

// Custom Layer Tint
let layer = CALayer()
layer.backgroundColor = NSColor.controlAccentColor.cgColor

// Bridging AppKit into SwiftUI
let swiftUIColor = Color(nsColor: .controlAccentColor)

WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Contrast Audit

Contrast calculations of Control Accent against pure white and iOS OLED dark surfaces.

Light Mode (#007AFF)on White (#FFF)
Contrast Ratio:4.02:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail
Dark Mode (#007AFF)on Dark (#1C1C1E)
Contrast Ratio:4.24:1
Normal Text (4.5:1 AA): Fail

Recommended HIG Use Cases

  • Buttons, popups, and segmented controls
  • Active selection rings and focus states
  • Slider tracks and progress indicators

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

  • Long-form document text
  • Static non-interactive headers

Browse More macOS Colors

Quickly jump to other Apple system colors and semantic tokens.

All 53 Colors →
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System Brown
System Gray
Label
Secondary Label
Tertiary Label
Quaternary Label
Quinary Label

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use NSColor.controlAccentColor in macOS AppKit apps?

In AppKit, assign NSColor.controlAccentColor to NSView, NSTextField, or NSButton styling. In SwiftUI on macOS, bridge it using Color(nsColor: .controlAccentColor).

What is the HEX code for macOS Control Accent in light and dark mode?

In light appearance, Control Accent resolves to #007AFF. In dark appearance, it automatically adapts to #007AFF.

How do I bridge NSColor.controlAccentColor into SwiftUI?

In SwiftUI views on macOS, instantiate Color(nsColor: .controlAccentColor) to access the native AppKit dynamic color token.

Does Control Accent adapt to Dark Mode and vibrancy in macOS?

Yes, NSColor.controlAccentColor is an appearance-aware NSColor that updates automatically when switching between light and dark modes or across vibrant desktop materials.

Why use AppKit system colors instead of hardcoded hex values?

NSColor system tokens adapt automatically to user accent color preferences, Dark Mode, and accessibility contrast settings.