Claude Code won't install on my Mac
Claude Code needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. No Mac from 2012 to 2015 gets there.
What it means
Anthropic's coding tool for the terminal requires macOS 13.0 or later and 4 GB of memory. The Claude desktop app, by contrast, asks for macOS 11: on 2013 and later Macs the chat works, but Claude Code doesn't.
| Mac (newest macOS it takes) | Does it install? |
|---|---|
| 2012 (10.15 Catalina) | No |
| 2013–2014 (11 Big Sur) | No |
| Mac mini 2014, 2015 (12 Monterey) | No |
| 2017 MacBook Pro (13 Ventura) | Yes |
What you can do
- To chat: claude.ai in Firefox, or the Claude app on Macs with macOS 11 or later. To work on your project's files, as Claude Code does, there's no alternative on the Mac.
- Install Linux: Claude Code is officially supported on Ubuntu 20.04 or later, with the same one-line installer as on Mac.
If you want to keep using this Mac with everything up to date
Linux is a free system that still gets updates on these Macs. With it you get up-to-date apps like Chrome, Steam, Signal or VS Code again, and security patches for the whole system. The ResucitaTuMac Kit installs it for you with a wizard, in English or Spanish, without sending the Mac anywhere: you can keep macOS alongside and choose at power-on.
It's for Intel Macs from 2012 to 2015 and the 2017 MacBook Pro without Touch Bar. One-off payment of €24.99.
Check for free whether your Mac worksSee how it's done
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