# Set Up on macOS

The public macOS client requires Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and uses Metal. Intel Macs are not supported.

## Install

1. Sign in and open [Computers](/console/computers).
2. Choose **Add lead computer**, or select a cluster and choose **Add child computer**.
3. Copy the macOS / Linux command and run it in Terminal within 10 minutes.
4. Let installation and authorization finish, then open a fresh terminal.

Use the exact command the website provides. The generic CLI installer places files under `~/.actual/bin` and may expose `actual` through a launcher in `~/.local/bin`. App packaging can differ by release channel; use the installed command rather than assuming every release installs the same app bundle.

## Verify and start

```bash
command -v actual
actual --version
actual whoami
actual
actual status
```

A launcher or symlink in `~/.local/bin` is a valid result from `command -v actual`. Confirm the version and account, then check that the computer is online in Computers. If login is incomplete, run `actual login` and open the exact URL it prints; a valid pending code authorizes automatically after sign-in.

Startup can leave the daemon idle with no model. [Download a model](/docs/model-discovery), wait for installation, then run `actual models load` and check `actual status` again.

## Use the Mac menu

On builds with the menu app, **Model** shows the loaded model and its capability icons. **API · Private Relay** or **API · Localhost** identifies the selected API mode. See [Private Relay](/docs/private-relay) for connection and endpoint checks.

## Troubleshooting

If `actual` is not found, open a new terminal or reload your shell profile. For the generic CLI installation, try:

```bash
"$HOME/.actual/bin/actual" --version
```

If the direct command works, inspect your PATH for stale copies before reinstalling. If the daemon is running but the computer is absent from the website, compare `actual whoami` with your browser account and inspect `actual status --format json`.

A `dquote>` prompt means zsh is waiting for a closing quote. Press **Ctrl-C** and rerun `actual models load` to choose a model interactively.

See [Machine Installation](/docs/machine-installation) for expired credentials and startup options, or [Logs & Telemetry](/docs/logs-and-telemetry) for failures after startup.