Install OpenClaw on Mac: Step-by-Step Guide (macOS)

macOS is the most popular platform for running OpenClaw — thanks to its native Unix terminal, the Homebrew ecosystem, and solid Node.js support. This guide is written specifically for Mac users, walking you through every step from preparing your machine to installing the menu bar companion app. Covers both Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) Macs.

Not sure which installation method to use? The How to Install OpenClaw: Complete A-Z Guide covers all 4 methods. This article focuses on the best approach for macOS specifically.

---

Before you start: requirements checklist

Verify your Mac meets these requirements. If anything is missing, the steps below will guide you through installing it.

Component	Requirement	How to check
macOS	Monterey (12) or later	Apple menu → About This Mac
Chip	Intel or Apple Silicon (M1–M4)	Same About This Mac screen → Chip
RAM	2 GB minimum, 4 GB+ recommended	About This Mac → Memory
Disk space	5 GB free	Finder → right-click drive → Get Info
Node.js	Version 24 (recommended) or 22.16+	Open Terminal → run node -v
Xcode CLT	Required (to build native modules)	Run xcode-select -p

Opening Terminal: Press Cmd + Space → type “Terminal” → Enter. Terminal is a built-in app on every Mac — you’ll use it throughout this guide.

---

Step 1: Install Xcode Command Line Tools

Xcode CLT provides the compilers that many Node.js packages need to build. This is a commonly skipped step that causes problems later — without it you’ll hit node-gyp or sharp build errors when installing OpenClaw.

xcode-select --install

A popup will appear asking if you want to install — click Install and wait 5–10 minutes.

Verify: Run xcode-select -p again — if it shows a path like /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools, you’re done. If the path was already showing before this step, you already had it — move on.

---

Step 2: Install Homebrew (if you don’t have it)

Homebrew is the most popular package manager for macOS — it lets you install Node.js, Git, and dozens of other tools with a single command. Check first:

brew --version

If it shows a version number → you already have it, skip this step. If you get command not found, install it:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Important note for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4)

On Apple Silicon, Homebrew installs to /opt/homebrew instead of /usr/local (Intel). After installation, you must add Homebrew to your PATH so Terminal can find the brew command:

echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Verify: Run brew --version again — a version number means it worked.

Intel Mac: You don’t need the PATH step above. Homebrew on Intel installs to /usr/local/bin which is already in your PATH.

---

Step 3: Install Node.js 24

OpenClaw requires Node.js 24 (recommended) or at minimum 22.16+. Two options on Mac:

Option A: Via Homebrew (simplest)

brew install node@24

If Homebrew doesn’t link it automatically (common when you have another Node version):

brew link --overwrite node@24

Verify: node -v shows v24.x.x.

Option B: Via nvm (recommended for developers)

nvm (Node Version Manager) lets you switch between Node.js versions easily — useful if you work on multiple projects with different Node requirements:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash

Close Terminal, reopen it, then:

nvm install 24
nvm use 24
nvm alias default 24

Verify: node -v shows v24.x.x.

---

Step 4: Install OpenClaw

With Node.js ready, install OpenClaw using the official one-liner:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

The script downloads and installs OpenClaw automatically. You’ll see progress output. Wait until you see a success message.

Verify: Run openclaw --version — if a version number appears (e.g. v2026.4.8), OpenClaw is installed.

---

Step 5: Run the Onboard Wizard + install the daemon

This is the most important step. The Onboard Wizard sets up everything OpenClaw needs:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard walks you through 4 things:

1. Install the Gateway daemon — a macOS LaunchAgent that keeps OpenClaw’s Gateway running in the background, even when Terminal is closed. The daemon starts automatically each time you log in.

You can verify the daemon is running at any time:

launchctl list | grep openclaw

2. Choose your AI model — select Claude, GPT, Gemini, or another model, then paste your API key when prompted. No API key yet? See OpenClaw API Key Configuration Guide — takes about 5 minutes.

3. Connect a channel — choose which messaging app to use (Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, Discord, etc.). The wizard tells you exactly where to get the token and how to paste it.

4. Configure your Workspace — the wizard creates ~/.openclaw/workspace with three config files:

• AGENTS.md — how the agent should behave and what tasks it handles
• SOUL.md — the agent’s personality and communication style
• TOOLS.md — which tools and integrations the agent can use

You can edit all of these later to customize how OpenClaw behaves.

Verify the whole setup: Run:

openclaw doctor

This checks Gateway, model connection, and channel status. If everything shows “OK” or green checkmarks, you’re ready.

---

Step 6: Install the Menu Bar App (optional but recommended)

OpenClaw has a native macOS companion app that lives in your menu bar — giving you quick access to OpenClaw without opening Terminal.

What the menu bar app does:

• Shows Gateway status at a glance (running / stopped)
• Quick-start and stop the Gateway
• Notification center integration — see when OpenClaw finishes a task
• Voice wake word — say your trigger phrase and OpenClaw starts listening (works with your Mac’s microphone)
• One-click access to Workspace config files

Install:

openclaw install-companion --mac

Or download the .dmg directly from the OpenClaw GitHub releases page.

After installation: The app appears in your menu bar. Click it to see the status indicator — a green dot means the Gateway is running.

Set up voice wake word (optional):

In the menu bar app → Settings → Voice → enter your wake word (e.g. “Hey Claw”). Make sure macOS has granted microphone access to the app in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone.

---

Step 7: Give your first task and verify

Open the messaging app you connected in Step 5 (e.g. Telegram) and send the OpenClaw bot a message:

“Summarize the top 3 tech news stories today”

If the bot replies with a real summary — OpenClaw is working correctly.

A few other things to try:

• “Write a short LinkedIn post about productivity tools”
• “What’s the weather like in [your city] right now?”
• Send a PDF file and ask: “Summarize this document”

---

Common macOS errors and fixes

openclaw: command not found after install

The shell hasn’t picked up the new PATH. Fix:

source ~/.zshrc

Or close Terminal completely and reopen.

Error: node-gyp failed or sharp build error

Missing Xcode CLT. Fix:

xcode-select --install

Then run the OpenClaw install script again.

brew: command not found on Apple Silicon after install

The Homebrew PATH wasn’t added. Fix:

echo 'eval "$(/opt/homebrew/bin/brew shellenv)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Gateway shows as stopped in menu bar app

Reload the LaunchAgent:

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/io.openclaw.gateway.plist

If still failing, run openclaw doctor to see which component has a problem.

15+ errors covered in detail: OpenClaw Troubleshooting Guide

---

Updating and uninstalling on macOS

Update to a new version

openclaw update

Choose a channel: --channel stable (stable), beta (new features), or dev (latest development build). The daemon restarts automatically after updating.

Uninstall OpenClaw completely

# Stop the daemon
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/io.openclaw.gateway.plist

# Uninstall OpenClaw
npm uninstall -g openclaw

# Remove config data (optional — only if you don't need a backup)
rm -rf ~/.openclaw

---

Alternative: Use TryOpenClaw.io instead

If you’d rather not install anything on your Mac, or want OpenClaw running 24/7 even when your Mac is off or asleep, TryOpenClaw.io is the cloud option — dedicated instance, daily backups, 99.9% uptime, starting from $4/month.

Detailed comparison: OpenClaw Self-Hosted vs Cloud — Which Should You Choose?

---

Summary

Installing OpenClaw on Mac takes 7 steps (or 5 if you already have Xcode CLT and Homebrew):

1. Install Xcode Command Line Tools
2. Install Homebrew (note the PATH step for Apple Silicon)
3. Install Node.js 24 (via Homebrew or nvm)
4. Run the OpenClaw install script
5. Run openclaw onboard --install-daemon (the most important step)
6. Install the menu bar companion app (optional)
7. Test your first task + voice

Estimated time: 10–15 minutes if you’re comfortable with Terminal, 20–30 minutes if you need to install Homebrew and Node.js from scratch.

---

Next step: OpenClaw API Key Configuration Guide to connect and optimize your AI model.

Or: Sign up at TryOpenClaw.io — skip the whole installation, start in 2 minutes.