1# Zed on macOS
  2
  3Zed is developed primarily on macOS, making it a first-class platform with full feature support.
  4
  5## Installing Zed
  6
  7Download Zed from the [download page](https://zed.dev/download). The download is a `.dmg` file—open it and drag Zed to your Applications folder.
  8
  9For the preview build, which receives updates about a week ahead of stable, visit the [preview releases page](https://zed.dev/releases/preview).
 10
 11After installation, Zed checks for updates automatically and prompts you when a new version is available.
 12
 13### Homebrew
 14
 15You can also install Zed using Homebrew:
 16
 17```sh
 18brew install --cask zed
 19```
 20
 21For the preview version:
 22
 23```sh
 24brew install --cask zed@preview
 25```
 26
 27### Building from Source
 28
 29To build Zed from source, see the [macOS development documentation](./development/macos.md).
 30
 31## System Requirements
 32
 33- macOS 10.15.7 (Catalina) or later
 34- Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) or Intel processor
 35
 36Zed uses Metal for GPU-accelerated rendering, which is available on all supported macOS versions.
 37
 38## Installing the CLI
 39
 40Zed includes a command-line tool for opening files and projects from Terminal. To install it:
 41
 421. Open Zed
 432. Open the command palette with `Cmd+Shift+P`
 443. Run `cli: install`
 45
 46This creates a `zed` command in `/usr/local/bin`. You can then open files and folders:
 47
 48```sh
 49zed .                    # Open current folder
 50zed file.txt             # Open a file
 51zed project/ file.txt    # Open a folder and a file
 52```
 53
 54See the [CLI Reference](./command-line-interface.md) for all available options.
 55
 56## Uninstall
 57
 581. Quit Zed if it's running
 592. Drag Zed from Applications to the Trash
 603. Optionally, remove your settings and extensions:
 61
 62```sh
 63rm -rf ~/.config/zed
 64rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Zed
 65rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Zed
 66rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Zed
 67rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/dev.zed.Zed.savedState
 68```
 69
 70If you installed the CLI, remove it with:
 71
 72```sh
 73rm /usr/local/bin/zed
 74```
 75
 76## Troubleshooting
 77
 78### Zed won't open or shows "damaged" warning
 79
 80If macOS reports that Zed is damaged or can't be opened, it's likely a Gatekeeper issue. Try:
 81
 821. Right-click (or Control-click) on Zed in Applications
 832. Select "Open" from the context menu
 843. Click "Open" in the dialog that appears
 85
 86This tells macOS to trust the application.
 87
 88If that doesn't work, remove the quarantine attribute:
 89
 90```sh
 91xattr -cr /Applications/Zed.app
 92```
 93
 94### CLI command not found
 95
 96If the `zed` command isn't available after installation:
 97
 981. Check that `/usr/local/bin` is in your PATH
 992. Try reinstalling the CLI via `cli: install` in the command palette
1003. Open a new terminal window to reload your PATH
101
102### GPU or rendering issues
103
104Zed uses Metal for rendering. If you experience graphical glitches:
105
1061. Ensure macOS is up to date
1072. Restart your Mac to reset the GPU state
1083. Check Activity Monitor for GPU pressure from other apps
109
110### High memory or CPU usage
111
112If Zed uses more resources than expected:
113
1141. Check for runaway language servers in the terminal output (`zed: open log`)
1152. Try disabling extensions one by one to identify conflicts
1163. For large projects, consider using [project settings](./reference/all-settings.md#file-scan-exclusions) to exclude unnecessary folders from indexing
117
118For additional help, see the [Troubleshooting guide](./troubleshooting.md) or visit the [Zed Discord](https://discord.gg/zed-community).