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macOS Developer Setup

This guide covers the necessary steps to build and run the OpenClaw macOS application from source.

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Prerequisites

Before building the app, ensure you have the following installed:
  1. Xcode 26.2+: Required for Swift development.
  2. Node.js 22+ & pnpm: Required for the gateway, CLI, and packaging scripts.

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1. Install Dependencies

Install the project-wide dependencies: 
pnpm install

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2. Build and Package the App

To build the macOS app and package it into dist/OpenClaw.app, run: 
./scripts/package-mac-app.sh
If you don’t have an Apple Developer ID certificate, the script will automatically use ad-hoc signing (-). For dev run modes, signing flags, and Team ID troubleshooting, see the macOS app README: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/main/apps/macos/README.md
Note: Ad-hoc signed apps may trigger security prompts. If the app crashes immediately with “Abort trap 6”, see the Troubleshooting section.

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3. Install the CLI

The macOS app expects a global openclaw CLI install to manage background tasks. To install it (recommended):
  1. Open the OpenClaw app.
  2. Go to the General settings tab.
  3. Click “Install CLI”.
Alternatively, install it manually: 
npm install -g openclaw@<version>

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Troubleshooting

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Build Fails: Toolchain or SDK Mismatch

The macOS app build expects the latest macOS SDK and Swift 6.2 toolchain. System dependencies (required):
  • Latest macOS version available in Software Update (required by Xcode 26.2 SDKs)
  • Xcode 26.2 (Swift 6.2 toolchain)
Checks: 
xcodebuild -version
xcrun swift --version
If versions don’t match, update macOS/Xcode and re-run the build.

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App Crashes on Permission Grant

If the app crashes when you try to allow Speech Recognition or Microphone access, it may be due to a corrupted TCC cache or signature mismatch. Fix:
  1. Reset the TCC permissions: 
    tccutil reset All bot.molt.mac.debug
  2. If that fails, change the BUNDLE_ID temporarily in scripts/package-mac-app.sh to force a “clean slate” from macOS.

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Gateway “Starting…” indefinitely

If the gateway status stays on “Starting…”, check if a zombie process is holding the port: 
openclaw gateway status
openclaw gateway stop

# If you’re not using a LaunchAgent (dev mode / manual runs), find the listener:
lsof -nP -iTCP:18789 -sTCP:LISTEN
If a manual run is holding the port, stop that process (Ctrl+C). As a last resort, kill the PID you found above.