Install Visual Studio for Mac

Applies to: yesVisual Studio for Mac noVisual Studio

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

  • A Mac with macOS High Sierra 10.13 or above.

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, select the VisualStudioforMacInstaller.dmg to mount the installer, then run it by double-clicking the arrow logo:

    Select the large arrow to begin installation

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

  4. Wait while the installer checks your system:

    The installer checks your system for installed components

  5. 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:

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

  6. 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 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.
  7. After you've made your selections, press the Install button.

  8. 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 for The .NET developer toolkit for Mac.

  9. 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:

    Sign in to the IDE

    Choose which keyboard shortcuts you would 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.

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.