Install Visual Studio for Mac

Important

Visual Studio for Mac is scheduled for retirement on August 31, 2024 in accordance with Microsoft’s Modern Lifecycle Policy. While you can continue to work with Visual Studio for Mac, there are several other options for developers on Mac such as the preview version of the new C# Dev Kit extension for VS Code.

Learn more about support timelines and alternatives.

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

Learn more about the changes in the release notes.

Prerequisites

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

Installation instructions

  1. Download the installer from the Visual Studio for Mac download page.

  2. Once the download is complete, click the VisualStudioForMacInstaller_<build_number>.dmg to mount the installer, then run it by double-clicking the arrow logo:

    Click the large arrow to begin installation

  3. You may be presented with a warning about the application being downloaded from the Internet. Select Open.

    Warning about app being downloaded from the internet

  4. An alert will appear asking you to acknowledge the privacy and license terms. Follow the links to read them, then select Continue if you agree:

    Follow the links to the privacy and terms, then continue if you agree

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

    Screenshot of the "What would you like to install?" screen in the Visual Studio Mac Installer, showing a list of components available for installation.

    If you do not 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 will need to install Xcode
    iOS only Select iOS platform You will need to install Xcode
    Android only Select Android platform Note that you should also select the relevant dependencies
    Mac only Select macOS (Cocoa) platform You will 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 additional platforms need to be installed beyond Visual Studio for Mac. Refer to the Unity setup guide for more information on installing the Unity extension.
  6. After you've made your selections, select the Install button.

  7. 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.

    Screenshot from the Visual Studio Mac Installer showing an installation progress screen

  8. Once installed, Visual Studio for Mac will prompt you to personalize your installation by signing in and selecting the key bindings that you'd like to use:

    Sign in to the IDE

    Choose which keyboard shortcuts you would like to use

  9. Visual Studio for Mac will launch, and you can open a project or create a new one.

    Visual Studio for Mac launches

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.

Install Visual Studio for Mac behind a firewall or proxy server

To install Visual Studio for Mac behind a firewall, certain endpoints must be made accessible in order to allow downloads of the required tools and updates for your software.

Configure your network to allow access to the following locations:

Next steps

Installing Visual Studio for Mac allows you to start writing code for your apps. The following guides are provided to guide you through the next steps of writing and deploying your projects.

iOS

Android

Xamarin.Forms

Build native cross-platform applications with Xamarin.Forms:

.NET Core apps, ASP.NET Core web apps, Unity game development

For other Workloads, refer to the Workloads page.