How to Download Apps on a Mac UPDATED Free

How to Download Apps on a Mac

How to Install Applications on Your Mac

Posted on March 23rd, 2021 past and Kirk McElhearn

Installing new apps on your Mac should be straightforward. However, it can sometimes be confusing – installation methods are varied, and you'll occasionally see scary warnings. In this commodity, nosotros'll bear witness y'all the various ways you tin can install apps on Mac, and tell you about the warnings you may meet.

How to install apps from the Mac App Store

The Mac App Shop is one of the best ways to get and install apps on your Mac. It has its pros and cons, but for ease of use, information technology gets the highest rating.

Select App Store from the Apple carte du jour and the Mac App Store will open up. When signed in with your Apple ID, you can download apps: click Get and then install app for a free app, or i with in-app purchases, or click the toll label for a paid one. In-app purchases are indicated adjacent to the Get button, if there are whatever. You lot'll demand to confirm payment by entering your Apple tree ID/password.

Apple tree reviews every Mac App Store app (and update) prior to release, minimizing the likelihood of bug.

The App Store is as well a bully way to centralize your app updates. In System Preferences > Software Update, you tin choose to have App Store updates installed automatically.

How to install Mac apps downloaded from third-party websites

Apple imposes limitations on developers, meaning some cannot – or choose non to – release their apps on the Mac App Shop. Reasoning varies from a lack of deep organization admission for utilities to app creators wanting the ability to immediately issue updates rather than having them wait Mac App Store review.

If you lot decide to download app installers from the Internet, simply do and so from reputable sources. Ideally, download from developer websites (similar Intego's) and not from app list websites.

Unless yous've changed your browser's settings, downloaded installers volition exist sent to ~/Downloads, and they come in a variety of forms:

DMG files are mountable disk images. When y'all double click a DMG file, a Finder window opens. DMGs may contain an installer that itself must exist opened, later which point you lot follow on-screen instructions. Virtually, though, simply contain a copy of the app.

Do not run the app from inside the DMG – instead elevate it to your Applications folder. A folder shortcut may be provided to make this easier. When y'all're washed, unmount the DMG by clicking the eject icon next to its proper name in the Finder sidebar, or past Ctrl-clicking inside the DMG'south window and selecting Squirt.

ZIP files (and, very occasionally, RARs) are athenaeum that tend to contain simply an app. Again, elevate the app to your Applications folder earlier opening it. In part, this keeps things tidy, just some apps won't run unless they're in that folder. (Some will offer to motility themselves when opened from the incorrect location.)

PKG files are installation packages that incorporate scripts to direct installation, and files to be installed. These atomic number 82 you through a multi-step installation process, and tend to be used for apps and utilities that require additional components, arrangement services, and/or files to be placed elsewhere on your estimator. (This is automated; you substantially click a few times to allow the PKG to do its affair.)

One time you've installed your apps, you lot can delete the DMG, Zero, or PKG files, only you may want to keep them, if the apps are large, and your bandwidth is express, in case you need to reinstall the apps, or install them on another Mac.

How to install Mac apps from third-party app stores

There are some third-party equivalents to the Mac App Store. They're typically specialized in nature, and comprise a core app that when launched enables you to manage which products from the service you install on your Mac. Games store Steam is the near pop. It assumes yous'll launch purchased games from within its app rather than /Applications, although information technology is possible to create desktop shortcuts you can afterwards move.

A more than Mac-like case of a tertiary-party app store is Setapp. Information technology'due south sort of like a curated Netflix for apps – for a monthly fee, you get access to dozens of hand-picked apps. Installed apps are placed within /Applications/Setapp. Don't manually mess about with these; apply Setapp's interface for subsequent management.

Clear warnings when installing apps

When installing and launching apps, your Mac may display security warnings. For instance, when you download an app from the Internet, your Mac volition ask for confirmation before you run information technology the outset fourth dimension. (This assumes that in the Security & Privacy pane of Organization Preferences you lot allow apps downloaded from identified developers. That is the default setting; it can exist adjusted past clicking the lock, entering your admin password, and selecting the relevant radio button.)

Y'all may too go dialogs from apps, the first fourth dimension y'all launch them, requesting admission to things like your Downloads folder, camera, microphone, and other elements.

In some cases, such as granting access to your Downloads folder, you merely need to click OK on a dialog. But in others, such as the case above, yous have go to System Preferences to explicitly grant permission. These settings are recorded in System Preferences > Privacy, and there is a whole column of areas where you can grant or deny permission to apps. When granting permission, you demand to click the padlock, enter your password, and so bank check the appropriate boxes.

In the General pane of Organization Preferences is a setting to permit apps downloaded from the App Store, or from the App Store and identified developers. These latter are developers who have accounts with Apple tree, and sign their apps with an Apple-provided certificate, to ensure their provenance.

Just at that place are times when you lot may want to open apps from unidentified develops. To practise this, select the app in the Finder, right-click or Control-click, and then choose Open up.

If you attempt to open up an app from an unidentified developer by double-clicking, you can also open it by going to System Preferences > General, where there volition be a button, about the bottom of the window, proverb Open Anyway. Click this button to open up the app. The button is visible for about an hour later on you first launch the app.

You won't need to do this after the showtime time you launch an app; your Mac remembers your settings.

How tin I acquire more?

Each week on the Intego Mac Podcast , Intego'south Mac security experts discuss the latest Apple news, security and privacy stories, and offering practical advice on getting the most out of your Apple devices. Be certain to follow the podcast to make sure you don't miss whatsoever episodes.

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About Craig Grannell

Craig Grannell is a engineering science writer, by and large specialising in Macs, iOS, apps, and games. He'due south been immersed in all things Apple for over twenty years, and enamoured with computers since getting his hands on a VIC-20 as a kid. He also has a Korg Gadget addiction. Send help. Or alternatively, visit his website, craiggrannell.com, and follow him on Twitter at @craiggrannell. View all posts past Craig Grannell →