1---
  2title: Zed on macOS
  3description: "Zed is developed primarily on macOS, making it a first-class platform with full feature support."
  4---
  5
  6# Zed on macOS
  7
  8Zed is developed primarily on macOS, making it a first-class platform with full feature support.
  9
 10## Installing Zed
 11
 12Download Zed from the [download page](https://zed.dev/download). The download is a `.dmg` file—open it and drag Zed to your Applications folder.
 13
 14For the preview build, which receives updates about a week ahead of stable, visit the [preview releases page](https://zed.dev/releases/preview).
 15
 16After installation, Zed checks for updates automatically and prompts you when a new version is available.
 17
 18### Homebrew
 19
 20You can also install Zed using Homebrew:
 21
 22```sh
 23brew install --cask zed
 24```
 25
 26For the preview version:
 27
 28```sh
 29brew install --cask zed@preview
 30```
 31
 32### Building from Source
 33
 34To build Zed from source, see the [macOS development documentation](./development/macos.md).
 35
 36## System Requirements
 37
 38- macOS 10.15.7 (Catalina) or later
 39- Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) or Intel processor
 40
 41Zed uses Metal for GPU-accelerated rendering, which is available on all supported macOS versions.
 42
 43## Installing the CLI
 44
 45Zed includes a command-line tool for opening files and projects from Terminal. To install it:
 46
 471. Open Zed
 482. Open the command palette with `Cmd+Shift+P`
 493. Run `cli: install`
 50
 51This creates a `zed` command in `/usr/local/bin`. You can then open files and folders:
 52
 53```sh
 54zed .                    # Open current folder
 55zed file.txt             # Open a file
 56zed project/ file.txt    # Open a folder and a file
 57```
 58
 59See the [CLI Reference](./reference/cli.md) for all available options.
 60
 61## Uninstall
 62
 631. Quit Zed if it's running
 642. Drag Zed from Applications to the Trash
 653. Optionally, remove your settings and extensions:
 66
 67```sh
 68rm -rf ~/.config/zed
 69rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Zed
 70rm -rf ~/Library/Caches/Zed
 71rm -rf ~/Library/Logs/Zed
 72rm -rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/dev.zed.Zed.savedState
 73```
 74
 75If you installed the CLI, remove it with:
 76
 77```sh
 78rm /usr/local/bin/zed
 79```
 80
 81## Troubleshooting
 82
 83### Zed won't open or shows "damaged" warning
 84
 85If macOS reports that Zed is damaged or can't be opened, it's likely a Gatekeeper issue. Try:
 86
 871. Right-click (or Control-click) on Zed in Applications
 882. Select "Open" from the context menu
 893. Click "Open" in the dialog that appears
 90
 91This tells macOS to trust the application.
 92
 93If that doesn't work, remove the quarantine attribute:
 94
 95```sh
 96xattr -cr /Applications/Zed.app
 97```
 98
 99### CLI command not found
100
101If the `zed` command isn't available after installation:
102
1031. Check that `/usr/local/bin` is in your PATH
1042. Try reinstalling the CLI via `cli: install` in the command palette
1053. Open a new terminal window to reload your PATH
106
107### GPU or rendering issues
108
109Zed uses Metal for rendering. If you experience graphical glitches:
110
1111. Ensure macOS is up to date
1122. Restart your Mac to reset the GPU state
1133. Check Activity Monitor for GPU pressure from other apps
114
115### High memory or CPU usage
116
117If Zed uses more resources than expected:
118
1191. Check for runaway language servers in the terminal output (`zed: open log`)
1202. Try disabling extensions one by one to identify conflicts
1213. For large projects, consider using [project settings](./reference/all-settings.md#file-scan-exclusions) to exclude unnecessary folders from indexing
122
123For additional help, see the [Troubleshooting guide](./troubleshooting.md) or visit the [Zed Discord](https://discord.gg/zed-community).