# How to Quickly Toggle True Tone on Mac (One-Click Toggle or Custom Shortcut) Whether you’re a designer who needs accurate colors or an office worker trying to reduce eye strain, **True Tone** is one of the most useful macOS display features. It automatically adjusts your screen’s color temperature based on the ambient light, making the display feel more natural throughout the day. The problem is that Apple hides the True Tone toggle deep inside System Settings. There’s no built-in keyboard shortcut, and switching it on or off takes several clicks each time. If you change lighting environments often, this quickly becomes frustrating. In this guide, we’ll show you the **standard way** to enable True Tone in macOS—and a much faster **“Pro” method** that lets you toggle it instantly using the menu bar or a custom keyboard shortcut. ## What Is True Tone and Why Should You Use It? True Tone uses ambient light sensors to adjust your Mac’s display so colors appear consistent under different lighting conditions—almost like looking at ink on paper instead of a backlit screen. - **The benefit:** It can significantly reduce eye fatigue during long work sessions, especially in changing light environments. - **The catch:** For tasks like photo editing, design work, or color grading, True Tone should be turned off to maintain color accuracy. Many users end up switching it on and off multiple times a day, which is exactly why a faster way to toggle True Tone matters. ## The Standard Method: How to Enable True Tone in macOS Settings Apple’s official way to turn True Tone on or off is: 1. Click the **Apple menu ()** in the top-left corner. 2. Open **System Settings**. 3. Select **Displays** from the sidebar. 4. Toggle **True Tone**. This method works, but it usually takes four to five clicks each time. For occasional changes, that’s fine—but for daily workflows, repeatedly opening System Settings is slow and distracting. Compared to a menu bar toggle, this method is inefficient for frequent changes. ## The Efficient Way: Toggle True Tone Instantly with [1Setter](/content/site-root.html) If you want to skip system menus entirely, 1Setter offers a much faster approach. 1Setter is a lightweight macOS utility that brings frequently used system toggles directly to your menu bar. [Download 1Setter for free](https://github.com/josephchidev/1Setter/releases/latest/download/1Setter.dmg) and try it yourself. ### One-Click Menu Bar Toggle With 1Setter, you can turn True Tone on or off directly from the menu bar. There’s no need to open System Settings or dig through display options—just one click and you’re done. ### Use a Custom Keyboard Shortcut In addition to the menu bar toggle, 1Setter lets you assign a **custom keyboard shortcut** to True Tone. This means you can switch it instantly without touching your mouse or interrupting your workflow. For users who toggle True Tone frequently, a shortcut is the fastest possible solution. ### Designed for Real Workflows 1Setter is more than a True Tone toggle. It’s a lightweight menu bar tool with 30+ commonly used macOS controls, including Dark Mode, Keep Awake, Night Shift, and more. You can also create custom combos to group multiple settings together—so one click or shortcut adjusts everything you need at once. All changes are temporary and reversible. Turn them on when you need them, turn them off when you’re done—without digging through System Settings or disrupting your workflow. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Is True Tone the same as Night Shift? No. True Tone adjusts your display based on ambient light in real time, while **Night Shift** shifts colors toward warmer tones depending on the time of day to reduce blue light exposure. ### Is there a keyboard shortcut for True Tone on Mac? macOS doesn’t include a native keyboard shortcut for True Tone. However, tools like **1Setter** allow you to create a custom shortcut, making it possible to toggle True Tone instantly without opening System Settings. ### Why is True Tone missing on my Mac? True Tone requires specific hardware sensors to detect ambient light. It is natively available on MacBook Air and MacBook Pro (2018 and later), and iMac (2020 and later). **Pro Tip: True Tone on Desktop Macs and External Monitors** - If you use your MacBook in **Lid Closed Mode (clamshell mode)**, True Tone is usually disabled because the laptop’s sensors are covered. - True Tone will still work with **Apple Studio Display** or **Pro Display XDR**, which have their own built-in ambient light sensors. - For third-party monitors without sensors, True Tone remains hidden while the lid is closed. With 1Setter, you can still toggle True Tone quickly even in these setups, using the menu bar or a custom keyboard shortcut. ### Does keeping True Tone on drain battery life? The power impact is minimal. The bigger cost is time and focus if you have to manually navigate system settings every time you want to switch it. ## Conclusion True Tone is excellent for eye comfort, but controlling it shouldn’t slow you down. If you find yourself switching it on and off throughout the day, relying on System Settings quickly becomes inefficient. With 1Setter, you can toggle True Tone instantly—either from the menu bar or with a custom keyboard shortcut—so your Mac adapts to you, not the other way around. ## One Click. Total Control. Bring all your daily macOS settings and tools to the menu bar. Try 1Setter free for 14 days—no account required.