--- title: "Muse Code desktop app for macOS: install Helicon" url: https://helicon.sh/install/macos description: "One universal DMG for Apple Silicon and Intel, with auto update. Install the muse CLI, sign in, drag Helicon to Applications, and open it the first time with right click." updated: 2026-09-19 site: Helicon --- # 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. ## 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 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. > Helicon is unrelated to the Muse assistant app for Mac. It is a client for the Muse Code CLI. ## Install Helicon, a Muse Code desktop app, on macOS 1. **Sign in with the muse CLI** Helicon uses this login. It stores no credentials of its own. ```sh muse login ``` 2. **Open the DMG** Take Helicon__universal.dmg from the latest GitHub release. One build runs on Apple Silicon and Intel. 3. **Drag Helicon into Applications** The standard macOS install step. 4. **Open it the first time** Right click the app and choose Open, because the builds are not Apple notarized yet. Later launches are normal. 5. **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. ## Related - [Linux](https://helicon.sh/install/linux): An 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 desktop](https://helicon.sh/compare/claude-code-desktop): Two 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 resume](https://helicon.sh/features/session-history): Every 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 users](https://helicon.sh/use-cases/macos-power-users): Several repositories, several threads, and a history that outlives the terminal. A universal DMG, a session sidebar, inline diffs and a cost view. --- Helicon is a free, MIT licensed, unofficial community client for Meta's Muse Code CLI. Not made, sponsored or endorsed by Meta. Source: https://helicon.sh/. Machine readable index: https://helicon.sh/llms.txt