Install Visual Studio for Mac

Article
03/02/2022

Applies to: Visual Studio for Mac Visual Studio

To start developing native, cross-platform .NET apps on macOS, install Visual Studio for Mac following the steps below.

Download Visual Studio for Mac

Learn more about the changes in the release notes.

Prerequisites

A Mac with macOS High Sierra 10.13 or above.

To build Xamarin apps for iOS or macOS, you'll also need:

A Mac that is compatible with the latest version of Xcode. See Apple's minimum requirements documentation
The latest version of Xcode. It may be possible to use an older version of Xcode if your Mac isn't compatible with the latest version.
An Apple ID. If you don't have an Apple ID already, you can create a new one at https://appleid.apple.com. It's necessary to have an Apple ID for installing and signing into Xcode.

Installation instructions

Download the installer from the Visual Studio for Mac download page.
Once the download is complete, select the VisualStudioforMacInstaller.dmg to mount the installer, then run it by double-clicking the arrow logo:
You may be presented with a warning about the application being downloaded from the Internet. Select Open.
Wait while the installer checks your system:
An alert will appear asking you to acknowledge the privacy and license terms. Follow the links to read them, then press Continue if you agree:

The list of available workloads is displayed. Select the components you wish to use:

If you don't wish to install all platforms, use the guide below to help you decide which platforms to install:

Type of App	Target	Selection	Notes
Apps Using Xamarin	Xamarin.Forms	Select Android and iOS platforms	You'll need to install Xcode
	iOS only	Select iOS platform	You'll need to install Xcode
	Android only	Select Android platform	You should also select the relevant dependencies
	Mac only	Select macOS (Cocoa) platform	You'll need to install Xcode
.NET Core applications		Select .NET Core platform.
ASP.NET Core Web Applications		Select .NET Core platform.
Azure Functions		Select .NET Core platform.
Cross-platform Unity Game Development		No more platforms need to be installed beyond Visual Studio for Mac.	For more information on installing the Unity extension, see the Unity setup guide.

After you've made your selections, press the Install button.
The installer will display progress as it downloads and installs Visual Studio for Mac and the selected workloads. You'll be prompted to enter your password to grant the privileges necessary for installation.
Once installed, Visual Studio for Mac prompts you to personalize your installation by signing in and selecting the key bindings that you'd like to use:

If you have network trouble while installing in a corporate environment, review the installing behind a firewall or proxy instructions.

Note

If you chose not to install a platform or tool during the original installation (by unselecting it in step #6), you must run the installer again if you wish to add the components later.