How to Install Claude Code on Mac

Claude Code is Anthropic's AI-powered coding assistant that integrates with your development environment. This guide walks you through downloading and installing Claude Code on macOS using the official installer.

1. Download Claude Code from Anthropic. Open your web browser and navigate to claude.ai/code. Click the 'Download for Mac' button to download the .dmg installer file. The download will save to your Downloads folder automatically.
2. Open the installer package. Locate the downloaded .dmg file in your Downloads folder and double-click it. A new window will open showing the Claude Code application icon and an Applications folder shortcut.
3. Install Claude Code to Applications. Drag the Claude Code icon onto the Applications folder shortcut in the installer window. macOS will copy the application to your Applications folder. Wait for the progress bar to complete.
4. Launch Claude Code for the first time. Open Finder and navigate to Applications. Double-click Claude Code to launch it. macOS will display a security warning since this is the first time running the app.
5. Allow Claude Code to run. Click 'Open' in the security dialog to confirm you want to run Claude Code. If the dialog doesn't appear, go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General and click 'Open Anyway' next to the Claude Code entry.
6. Sign in with your Anthropic account. Claude Code will open and display a sign-in screen. Enter your Anthropic account credentials or create a new account if you don't have one. Click 'Sign In' to authenticate.
7. Configure your development environment. Complete the initial setup wizard by selecting your preferred code editor integration and file access permissions. Grant necessary permissions when prompted to allow Claude Code to work with your projects.