---
title: appearance
framework: appkit
role: symbol
role_heading: Instance Property
path: appkit/nsapplication/appearance
---

# appearance

The appearance associated with the app’s windows.

## Declaration

```swift
var appearance: NSAppearance? { get set }
```

## Mentioned in

Choosing a Specific Appearance for Your macOS App

## Discussion

Discussion When the value of this property is nil (the default), AppKit applies the current system appearance to the app’s user interface elements, including its windows, views, panels, and popovers. Assigning an NSAppearance object to this property causes the app’s interface elements to adopt the specified appearance instead. Individual windows and views may still override the app’s appearance to customize their own appearance.

## See Also

### Managing the app’s appearance

- [effectiveAppearance](appkit/nsapplication/effectiveappearance.md)
- [currentSystemPresentationOptions](appkit/nsapplication/currentsystempresentationoptions.md)
- [presentationOptions](appkit/nsapplication/presentationoptions-swift.property.md)
- [NSApplication.PresentationOptions](appkit/nsapplication/presentationoptions-swift.struct.md)
- [applicationShouldSuppressHighDynamicRangeContent](appkit/nsapplication/applicationshouldsuppresshighdynamicrangecontent.md)