Install on macOS

Install Helicon on macOS

Install the muse CLI and sign in with muse login, open the Helicon DMG for your chip from the latest GitHub release, and drag the app into Applications. The download button picks Apple Silicon or Intel when your browser reports the chip; otherwise it gives you the universal DMG, which runs on both. The app updates itself. The builds are not Apple notarized yet, so the first launch needs System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway on macOS 15 or later.

Last updated 29 October 2026 · Markdown version

Before you start

macOS on Apple Silicon or Intel. Each has its own DMG, and the universal DMG runs on both.
The muse CLI (curl -fsSL https://dev.meta.ai/install.sh | bash), signed in with your own muse login. That needs a Muse Code plan or pay-as-you-go billing.
Nothing else. Node.js is bundled inside the app.

The Gatekeeper warning, explained

The DMG is updater signed but not Apple notarized yet, so macOS warns you on first launch. On macOS 15 or later the warning only offers Done and Move to Trash: click Done, open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway, then enter your password. On macOS 14 or earlier, right click the app and choose Open. After that it launches normally. Notarization is a known gap rather than a decision, and it is stated here rather than buried.

Prefer Terminal? This clears the quarantine flag macOS put on the download, so the warning never appears:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Helicon.app

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 serve host 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

1
Install the muse CLI. Meta's installer for macOS and Linux. Skip this if muse --version already works.
```
curl -fsSL https://dev.meta.ai/install.sh | bash
```
2
Sign in with the muse CLI. Needs a Muse Code plan or pay-as-you-go billing. Helicon uses this login. It stores no credentials of its own.
```
muse login
```
Open 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. Open Helicon and click Done on the warning. Then go to System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down and click Open Anyway. On macOS 14 or earlier, right click the app and choose Open instead. 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. On macOS 15 or later, click Done, then System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway. On macOS 14 or earlier, right click the app and choose Open. Or run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/Helicon.app in Terminal.

Is there a separate Apple Silicon build?

Yes, since 0.23.1. Each release has an Apple Silicon DMG (about 43 MB) and an Intel DMG (about 45 MB), next to the 86 MB universal DMG that runs on both.

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.