cfprefsd is the macOS preferences server: apps that use Apple's preferences APIs read and write their settings through it, and several copies running is normal. If an app keeps losing its settings or cfprefsd stays busy, move that app's .plist out of ~/Library/Preferences and let the app create a fresh one.
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One Mac, macOS 26.5 (25F71) on Apple silicon, read with ps and codesign on October 29, 2026
| Path | /usr/sbin/cfprefsd |
|---|---|
| Runs as | your user account and macOS system accounts |
| Signed by | Apple (Software Signing), identifier com.apple.cfprefsd |
| Note | Several copies, one per account (for example _locationd). |
cfprefsd manages the macOS preferences system. It handles reading and writing all .plist preference files for both system and user applications. When any app calls NSUserDefaults or CFPreferences, cfprefsd brokers the actual file I/O, provides caching, and ensures data consistency across processes that share preferences.
High CPU from rapid preference reads/writes by a misbehaving application
Corrupted preferences causing apps to lose their settings
Preferences changes not persisting after restart
Slow app launches due to preference file bloat or corruption
Check Console.app for cfprefsd messages mentioning specific preference domains (like com.apple.finder or a third-party app's bundle ID). This identifies which application's preferences are causing issues.
Navigate to ~/Library/Preferences/ and find the .plist file for the problematic app (e.g., com.app.name.plist). Move it to the Desktop as a backup and restart the app. It will recreate the file with default settings.
Run 'killall cfprefsd' in Terminal. The system will immediately restart it and rebuild its preferences cache from disk. This resolves issues where the in-memory cache has diverged from the on-disk preference files.
Open Disk Utility, select your startup volume and click First Aid. It checks the file system for errors that can stop cfprefsd from reading or writing preference files.
cfprefsd running quietly in the background with minimal resource usage is normal. Be concerned if it shows sustained high CPU or if applications repeatedly lose their settings — this can indicate filesystem corruption affecting the preferences directory or a rogue app writing preferences at an excessive rate.
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System Settings › Privacy & Security › Developer Tools
cfprefsd is the preferences management daemon that handles all application and system preference storage on macOS. Every time an app saves a setting or reads a configuration value, cfprefsd manages that operation. It provides caching, file locking, and cross-process synchronization for the entire preferences subsystem.
App settings can reset if the preference plist file becomes corrupted, if cfprefsd's cache diverges from disk, or if a macOS update resets certain preferences. Try restarting cfprefsd with 'killall cfprefsd' to resync its cache. If settings keep resetting, the preference file may be in a non-writable location or have incorrect permissions.
Yes. cfprefsd is a fundamental Apple system process that manages application preferences. It is code-signed by Apple, runs several copies (one for your user account, others for macOS system accounts), and is protected by System Integrity Protection. Every macOS installation depends on cfprefsd for preference storage.
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