Mac Settings · Rex Docs
Mac Settings
This page lists every setting in Rex for Mac and where to find it. Anything tagged Bleeding Edge is on that update channel and not yet in Preview.
Integrations
Coding Agents
Teach Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Pi how to use Rex. In Settings > Integrations > Coding Agents.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Integrate with available agents | Installs a Rex skill and session hooks for supported agents. In Settings > Integrations > Coding Agents. |
Agent Behavior
Choose what Rex tells coding agents running in its terminals. In Settings > Integrations > Agent Behavior.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Let agents name sessions | Let agents label the session after the task they’re working on. Shown while Integrate with available agents is on. In Settings > Integrations > Agent Behavior. |
Notifications
In-App Notifications
Choose where floating notifications appear in the window. In Settings > Notifications > In-App Notifications.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Notification position | Click a position in the window diagram to place notifications at the top or bottom, aligned left, center, or right. In Settings > Notifications > In-App Notifications. |
Program Activity
Independently configure tab indicators, system notifications, Dock badges, and sounds for program activity. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Show activity in tabs | Show working dots, progress pies, and needs-attention dots and messages on tabs when a program in them reports its status. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Include idle processes in activity | Keep tabs whose programs report that they’re idle in the Activity filter and popup, even after you’ve seen them. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Show each process in tabs | Split a tab with more than one active pane into a row for each pane in the Activity filter and popup. Clicking a row focuses its pane. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Show system notifications | Send a macOS notification when a program reports a status while Rex is in the background, independently of tab indicators. Clicking it opens the program’s tab. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Badge Dock icon | Show on Rex’s Dock icon how many tabs have a program that’s blocked, failed, or finished that you haven’t seen. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Play sounds | Play a sound when a program in a tab is blocked, reports an error, or finishes. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Working | Enable or disable all activity for working programs, or configure their tab indicators, notifications, Dock badges, and sounds individually. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Blocked | Enable or disable all activity for programs waiting for you, or configure their tab indicators, notifications, Dock badges, and sounds individually. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Error | Enable or disable all activity for programs reporting errors, or configure their tab indicators, notifications, Dock badges, and sounds individually. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
| Done | Enable or disable all activity for finished programs, or configure their tab indicators, notifications, Dock badges, and sounds individually. In Settings > Notifications > Program Activity. |
System Notifications
Choose whether terminal programs can send native macOS notifications, and see the ones Rex sends for Tailscale. In Settings > Notifications > System Notifications.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Terminal notifications | Let programs send native notifications with OSC 9 or OSC 777. In Settings > Notifications > System Notifications. |
| Tailscale sign-in | A native notification when Rex needs you to sign in to Tailscale. In Settings > Notifications > System Notifications. |
| Tailscale device approval | A native notification when a tailnet administrator must approve this Mac. In Settings > Notifications > System Notifications. |
| Tailscale failures | A native notification when Tailscale stops or reports an error. In Settings > Notifications > System Notifications. |
Server
Rex Server
Manage the local server, compatibility, and diagnostics. In Settings > Server > Rex Server.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Server status | See whether the local server is running and for how long, with version and API details in its info popover. In Settings > Server > Rex Server. |
| Compatibility | When an update, compatibility issue, or pending settings change is detected, see the discrepancy and update or restart the server when appropriate. In Settings > Server > Rex Server. |
Remote Address
Check serving progress, copy the address, or pair another device. In Settings > Server > Remote Address.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Remote Address | Check serving progress and certificate readiness, retry, copy the address, or pair a device using its QR code. In Settings > Server > Remote Address. |
Tailscale
Connect Rex to your tailnet and control who can access it. In Settings > Server > Tailscale.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Serve over Tailscale | Enable or disable access to Rex over your tailnet. In Settings > Server > Tailscale. |
| Preferred Hostname | Choose this Mac’s Tailscale hostname while serving. The assigned address may differ. In Settings > Server > Tailscale. |
| Limit access to your Tailscale account | Restrict callers to your account or allow tailnet members. In Settings > Server > Tailscale. |
| Tags | See this device’s Tailscale tags. Sign out and back in to change them. In Settings > Server > Tailscale. |
| Control Server | See which control server this device signs in with. Sign out and back in to change it. In Settings > Server > Tailscale. |
| Sign in to Tailscale | Check your account and sign-out progress, configure a hostname and sign in, reopen or cancel enrollment, or sign out. In Settings > Server > Tailscale. |
Client Info
Choose how this Mac appears to Rex servers and the command line. In Settings > Server > Client Info.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | Name this Mac in client lists and for targeting it from rex commands. In Settings > Server > Client Info. |
| Remote Control | Let Rex and other clients perform actions in this app. In Settings > Server > Client Info. |
Interface
Appearance
Choose the color scheme, interface materials, and theme tint. In Settings > Interface > Appearance.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Color scheme | Select a live Auto, Light, or Dark material preview. Auto follows the system appearance. In Settings > Interface > Appearance. |
| Interface style | Preview Glass or Classic materials with the current theme tint and select a surface style. In Settings > Interface > Appearance. |
| Tint with theme | Apply the selected theme’s colors to interface surfaces. In Settings > Interface > Appearance. |
| Use glass for panes | Available with the Glass interface style: add glass to panes alongside window and tab materials. In Settings > Interface > Appearance. |
Tabs
Choose tab placement, sizing, and pane icon counts and colors. In Settings > Interface > Tabs.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Tab style | Place tabs Above, on the Left Side, or on the Right Side of the window. In Settings > Interface > Tabs. |
| Fill available space | Available with horizontal tabs: expand tabs equally to fill the bar, showing backgrounds only for two or more tabs. In Settings > Interface > Tabs. |
| Use color for tab icons | Show colored icons Always, For active panes, For active tabs, or Never. In Settings > Interface > Tabs. |
| Shell icon theme | Choose Default artwork, Use theme for background and foreground colors, or Use theme accent for accents. In Settings > Interface > Tabs. |
| Show tab icons | Show zero to three pane icons in vertical tabs, or up to five in horizontal tabs. In Settings > Interface > Tabs. |
Window
Available with sidebar tab styles: choose whether the sidebar resizes the window, which swipe shows or hides it, and the size of its text. In Settings > Interface > Window.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Sidebar text size | Available with vertical tabs: set the size of session and tab titles in the sidebar, or follow the Sidebar icon size in System Settings. In Settings > Interface > Window. |
| Preserve width when resizing sidebar | Available with vertical tabs: resize panes when showing or hiding the sidebar, keeping the window width unchanged. In Settings > Interface > Window. |
| Use a gesture to toggle the sidebar | Available with vertical tabs: choose whether a swipe or an Option-swipe shows or hides the sidebar, or turn the gesture off. In Settings > Interface > Window. |
Panes
Adjust pane spacing, headers, and program backgrounds. In Settings > Interface > Panes.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Pane style | Choose Comfortable or Compact pane surfaces and spacing. In Settings > Interface > Panes. |
| Show pane headers | Show the title and controls above each pane. In Settings > Interface > Panes. |
| Match program backgrounds | Color a pane and its header with the background a full-screen program paints. In Settings > Interface > Panes. |
Pane Padding
Set the space between a pane’s edges and its terminal text, and the color drawn there. In Settings > Interface > Pane Padding.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Padding X | Set the space to the left and right of the terminal text. In Settings > Interface > Pane Padding. |
| Padding Y | Set the space below the terminal text, and above it when pane headers are hidden. In Settings > Interface > Pane Padding. |
| Padding color | Use the pane background or extend edge-cell backgrounds into the padding. In Settings > Interface > Pane Padding. |
Active Pane
Highlight the edges of the active pane and fade inactive ones. In Settings > Interface > Active Pane.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Highlight active pane edges | Highlight the edges of the focused pane, following focus. In Settings > Interface > Active Pane. |
| Highlight color | Draw the highlight in the accent, a terminal palette color, or the terminal text color. In Settings > Interface > Active Pane. |
| Highlight opacity | Set how strongly the highlight draws. In Settings > Interface > Active Pane. |
| Animate active pane highlight | Fade the highlight to the newly focused pane, move it there, or switch it at once. In Settings > Interface > Active Pane. |
| Fade inactive panes | Fade unfocused pane surfaces, content, both, or neither. In Settings > Interface > Active Pane. |
| Fade panes for inactive windows | Fade inactive windows while respecting the pane fade choice. In Settings > Interface > Active Pane. |
Splits & Focus
Balance a tab’s splits and let focus follow the pointer. In Settings > Interface > Splits & Focus.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Autobalance splits | Evenly resize a tab’s panes when one opens or closes, keeping dividers you drag. In Settings > Interface > Splits & Focus. |
| Focus follows mouse | Focus a pane by moving the pointer over it, without clicking. In Settings > Interface > Splits & Focus. |
Gestures
Turn trackpad gestures for panes and the sidebar on or off. In Settings > Interface > Gestures.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Use trackpad gestures | Spread two fingers over a pane to zoom it and pinch them to restore it, and swipe to show or hide the sidebar. In Settings > Interface > Gestures. |
Animation
Choose how panes move, open, and close. In Settings > Interface > Animation.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Animation style | Choose Snappy, Natural, or Off for pane motion, the active border, and showing or hiding the sidebar. In Settings > Interface > Animation. |
App Icon
Customize Rex’s app icon and Dock and menu bar icon visibility. In Settings > Interface > App Icon.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| App Icon | Choose Default — Dynamic, Bright, or Twilight artwork for the app icon. In Settings > Interface > App Icon. |
| Show app icon | Show Rex’s icon in the Dock and menu bar, the Dock only, or the menu bar only while no window is open. In Settings > Interface > App Icon. |
Launch
Choose whether Rex opens workspace windows at startup. In Settings > Interface > Launch.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Show window on launch | Automatically open workspace windows when Rex launches. In Settings > Interface > Launch. |
Themes
Light Mode
Select the theme palette used in light appearance. In Settings > Themes > Light Mode.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Light theme | Choose a custom, default, or built-in palette used in light mode. In Settings > Themes > Light Mode. |
| Use extended theme palette | Use the theme’s colors 16–255 in light mode, or xterm’s standard palette when off. In Settings > Themes > Light Mode. |
Dark Mode
Select the theme palette used in dark appearance. In Settings > Themes > Dark Mode.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Dark theme | Choose a custom, default, or built-in palette used in dark mode. In Settings > Themes > Dark Mode. |
| Use extended theme palette | Use the theme’s colors 16–255 in dark mode, or xterm’s standard palette when off. In Settings > Themes > Dark Mode. |
Import Theme
Add a Ghostty or iTerm palette to your custom themes. In Settings > Themes > Import Theme.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Import Theme | Load colors, colours, appearance, background, light, dark. |
Terminal
Typography
Preview and choose the terminal font, size, style, and weight. In Settings > Terminal > Typography.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Terminal font | Browse monospaced or all installed fonts to choose the terminal typeface. In Settings > Terminal > Typography. |
| Font size | Adjust terminal text size in points. In Settings > Terminal > Typography. |
| Font style | Choose an installed face of the terminal font, such as Light or Book. In Settings > Terminal > Typography. |
| Font weight | Adjust the stroke weight of a variable terminal font. In Settings > Terminal > Typography. |
Advanced Font Settings
Adjust character spacing, line height, ligatures, smoothing, and fallback fonts. In Settings > Terminal > Advanced Font Settings.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Character spacing | Tighten or widen terminal character spacing in pixels or percent. In Settings > Terminal > Advanced Font Settings. |
| Line height | Add or remove space between terminal lines. In Settings > Terminal > Advanced Font Settings. |
| Ligatures | Join characters like -> and != into single symbols. In Settings > Terminal > Advanced Font Settings. |
| Bold and italic | Draw bold and italic always, only when the font has them, or turn either off. In Settings > Terminal > Advanced Font Settings. |
| Font smoothing | Smooth the edges of terminal text. In Settings > Terminal > Advanced Font Settings. |
| Fallback fonts | Choose fonts, in order, for characters the terminal font doesn’t have. In Settings > Terminal > Advanced Font Settings. |
Colors
Control terminal text colors and readability. In Settings > Terminal > Colors.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Improve text contrast | Adjust low-contrast text against its background; included when using the theme palette. In Settings > Terminal > Colors. |
| Force theme palette for text | Map RGB and extended text colors to the nearest theme color, then correct contrast. In Settings > Terminal > Colors. |
| Use Display P3 color space | Read theme and program colors as Display P3, like Ghostty’s window-colorspace. In Settings > Terminal > Colors. |
Cursor
Preview and adjust the terminal cursor shape and blinking. In Settings > Terminal > Cursor.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Blink speed | Choose Off, Slow, Normal, Fast, or Custom to edit the blink interval. In Settings > Terminal > Cursor. |
| Blink interval | Set the time between cursor blinks in milliseconds when Blink speed is Custom. In Settings > Terminal > Cursor. |
| Cursor style | Choose a block, bar, or underline cursor. In Settings > Terminal > Cursor. |
| Force style | Ignore application requests to change cursor shape. In Settings > Terminal > Cursor. |
Keyboard
Show key sequence hints and choose how modifier keys behave in terminal input. In Settings > Terminal > Keyboard.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Show key sequence hints | Show the keys that can come next after the first key of a sequence, such as a tmux-style prefix. In Settings > Terminal > Keyboard. |
| Option key | Choose whether the Option key sends Alt or types special characters. In Settings > Terminal > Keyboard. |
Scrolling
Choose how trackpad and Magic Mouse scrolling move through terminal history. In Settings > Terminal > Scrolling.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Smooth scrolling | Move through terminal history by pixels instead of whole lines. In Settings > Terminal > Scrolling. |
Resizing
Choose how terminal text follows a pane as it changes size. In Settings > Terminal > Resizing.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Smooth terminal resizing | Reflow terminal text on the frame a pane changes size, without waiting for the server. In Settings > Terminal > Resizing. |
Selection
Preview selection colors and corners, and customize copying with its animation. In Settings > Terminal > Selection.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Copy on selection | Automatically copy selected terminal text to the clipboard. In Settings > Terminal > Selection. |
| Play animation on copy | Shine across the selection to confirm each copy. In Settings > Terminal > Selection. |
| Selection foreground | Choose the text color inside a selection. In Settings > Terminal > Selection. |
| Selection background | Choose the fill color behind selected text. In Settings > Terminal > Selection. |
| Rounded corners | Round the corners of terminal text selections. In Settings > Terminal > Selection. |
Links
Choose whether terminal links that launch other apps ask first. In Settings > Terminal > Links.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Links that open apps | Ask before, always, or never open links such as ssh:// that launch another app. In Settings > Terminal > Links. |
| Trusted links | Review and remove the links you chose to always open, once Always Open adds one. In Settings > Terminal > Links. |
Integrated Path Browser
Choose what Insert Path lists when it types a path at the cursor. In Settings > Terminal > Integrated Path Browser.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Show recently used paths | List the paths you chose most recently first, shared by every session on a host. In Settings > Terminal > Integrated Path Browser. |
Titles
Choose how terminal tabs and pane headers are named. In Settings > Terminal > Titles.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Prefer generated titles | Show the running program and its directory instead of titles that shells set. In Settings > Terminal > Titles. |
Shell
Choose the command run when a new local terminal opens. In Settings > Terminal > Shell.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Startup command | Set the executable and arguments, or leave empty for the default login shell. In Settings > Terminal > Shell. |
Remote Hosts
Remote hosts
Add, reorder, and manage remote Rex hosts, view connection status, and retry connection failures. In Settings > Remote Hosts > Remote hosts.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Remote hosts | Manage remote connections, machines, servers, add host, remove host, retry, host details. |
Developer
Reveal settings for development and debugging. In Settings > Developer.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Developer Mode | Show update-channel, installation, local API, web-client origin, and experiment settings. In Settings > Developer. |
| Experimental | Try features that aren’t finished when Developer Mode is enabled. In Settings > Developer > Experimental. |
App Version
Choose how Rex.app receives updates when Developer Mode is enabled. In Settings > Developer > App Version.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Update Channel | Choose Preview or Bleeding Edge updates when Developer Mode is enabled. |
Rex Installation
Choose the included server or run Rex from a source checkout. In Settings > Developer > Rex Installation.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Location | Use the server included with Rex.app or a local source checkout. |
| Source Directory | Choose the folder containing the Rex source checkout. |
| Installation status | Check whether the selected Rex installation is ready to run. |
| Version | View and copy the included server version. |
| Commit | View and copy the source commit of the included server. |
| Final SHA-256 | View and copy the included server checksum. |
Local API
Inspect the local server’s API endpoint when Developer Mode is enabled. In Settings > Developer > Local API.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Local API URL | View and copy the local server endpoint when Developer Mode is enabled. |
Web Client Origins
Manage browser origins allowed to open Rex WebSocket streams. In Settings > Developer > Web Client Origins.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Allowed origins | Review the permitted origins and remove custom entries. |
| Origin pattern | Enter a browser origin or wildcard subdomain to allow after restarting Rex. |