How to download and install GitHub Desktop on Mac
GitHub Desktop is GitHub’s free app for working with Git repositories without the command line. Here is which build to download, how to install it and what to set up before your first commit.
GitHub Desktop
- macOS 12 or later
- Apple Silicon and Intel
- Free, open source
Or the installer straight from the developer’s server:
The links go to the developer’s website (github.com, central.github.com). MacWashing is not affiliated with the developer and keeps no installers.
Open Terminal (Applications › Utilities) and run:
brew install --cask githubHomebrew downloads the app from the developer’s server, checks the file and puts the app in Applications.
No Homebrew yet? How to install Homebrew: one command from brew.sh.
Which version to download
GitHub Desktop has separate builds for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. GitHub’s download page usually picks the right one. To check your chip yourself:
- Choose Apple menu › About This Mac.
- If you see Chip with Apple M1, M2 or later, take the build for Apple Silicon. If you see Processor with Intel, take the one for Intel.
GitHub Desktop needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. Download it only from github.com or desktop.github.com.
How to install GitHub Desktop
- Open the downloaded
GitHubDesktop-arm64.ziporGitHubDesktop-x64.zipin your Downloads folder: Finder unpacks GitHub Desktop next to it. - Drag GitHub Desktop to the Applications folder.
- Open it from Applications and click Open when macOS asks about an app downloaded from the internet.
What to set up after the first launch
- Sign in to GitHub. Choose GitHub Desktop › Settings, open Accounts, click the sign-in button for GitHub and finish signing in in your browser.
- Your name and email for commits. In GitHub Desktop › Settings › Git, type your name and choose the email address your commits will show. Anyone can see it in public repositories.
- Repositories take space. Each repository you clone is a full copy with its history. Remove the folders of projects you no longer work on.
- The archive. Once GitHub Desktop runs, move the
.zipfrom Downloads to the Trash: it takes about half a gigabyte.
If GitHub Desktop won’t install or open
- «GitHub Desktop is damaged and can’t be opened». The download was incomplete. Delete the file and download it again from GitHub’s website.
- GitHub Desktop doesn’t start on an older Mac. Check your macOS version in About This Mac: GitHub Desktop needs macOS 12 or later.
- An old copy gets in the way. Remove GitHub Desktop completely and install it again: see how to uninstall GitHub Desktop on Mac.
Alternatives to GitHub Desktop
Keep your Mac tidy
Developer tools keep caches and logs that grow over time. System Junk in MacWashing finds the caches apps and developer tools build up, and the Uninstaller removes GitHub Desktop with its files if you no longer need it.
Free trial · macOS 14 or later
Questions and answers
Is GitHub Desktop free?
Yes. GitHub Desktop is free and open source.
Do I need a GitHub account?
Only to work with repositories on GitHub. You sign in once in the app’s settings. GitHub Desktop isn’t in the Mac App Store: download it from GitHub’s website or install it with Homebrew.
Does GitHub Desktop work with other Git hosts?
Yes. Besides GitHub, it works with repositories hosted on other Git services and with local repositories on your Mac.