Install on macOS
Install Helicon on macOS
Sign in with muse login, open the universal Helicon DMG from the latest GitHub release, and drag the app into Applications. One build covers Apple Silicon and Intel and updates itself. The builds are not Apple notarized yet, so the first launch needs a right click then Open.
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Before you start
- macOS on Apple Silicon or Intel. One universal DMG covers both.
- The muse CLI, signed in with your own
muse login. - Nothing else. Node.js is bundled inside the app.
The Gatekeeper warning, explained
The DMG is updater signed but not Apple notarized yet. macOS will warn you on first launch. Right click the app and choose Open, and the warning turns into a dialog with an Open button. After that it launches normally. Notarization is a known gap rather than a decision, and it is stated here rather than buried.
What happens after install
- Helicon looks for the muse CLI and tells you plainly if it cannot find it.
- Add a directory and it starts a
muse servehost for that workspace. - Sessions already on disk for that directory are listed, including ones from the terminal TUI.
- Auto update keeps the app current without another download.
Install Helicon, a Muse Code desktop app, on macOS
Sign in with the muse CLI. Helicon uses this login. It stores no credentials of its own.
muse loginOpen the DMG. Take Helicon_<version>_universal.dmg from the latest GitHub release. One build runs on Apple Silicon and Intel.
Drag Helicon into Applications. The standard macOS install step.
Open it the first time. Right click the app and choose Open, because the builds are not Apple notarized yet. Later launches are normal.
Add a project. Point Helicon at a working directory to start a muse serve host and list its sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Why does macOS warn me on first launch?
The builds are updater signed but not Apple notarized yet. Right click the app and choose Open the first time.
Is there a separate Apple Silicon build?
No, one universal DMG covers Apple Silicon and Intel.
Is this the Muse app for Mac?
No. Helicon is a client for the Muse Code CLI and has nothing to do with the Muse assistant app for Mac.
Can I install with Homebrew?
The published artifacts are the DMG and the Windows installer on GitHub Releases. Running from source also works and needs Node 22 or newer.
Keep reading
- LinuxAn x86_64 AppImage that runs on most distributions and updates itself. Make it executable, run it, and point it at a muse CLI that is signed in.
- Claude Code desktopTwo desktop apps for two different coding agents. What Helicon borrows from the Claude Code desktop experience, and what changes because the agent underneath is Muse Code.
- Session history and resumeEvery Muse Code session, grouped by project, with full history and one click resume. Sessions started in the muse terminal TUI are discovered and resumable too.
- macOS power usersSeveral repositories, several threads, and a history that outlives the terminal. A universal DMG, a session sidebar, inline diffs and a cost view.
Same Muse Code. Same subscription. Better interface.
Free and MIT licensed. Signed Windows installer, universal macOS DMG, and a web build against a daemon you run.