Download and install Steam on your Mac in five minutes

Steam installs on Mac the same way most other applications do: download the installer from Steam's website, open it, and drag Steam into your Applications folder. The whole process takes about five minutes, though the first time you launch Steam it will download additional files that can take longer depending on your internet speed.

You'll need macOS 10.13 or newer. If your Mac is older than that, Steam won't run — you can check your macOS version by clicking the Apple menu in the top left, selecting "About This Mac", and looking at the version number under "System Software".

Key Takeaways

  • Download the Steam installer from steampowered.com, then drag the Steam icon into your Applications folder to complete installation.
  • Steam requires macOS 10.13 or newer; older Macs cannot run the current version.
  • The first launch downloads additional files and can take 10 to 30 minutes depending on your internet connection.
  • You'll need to create a Steam account or sign in with an existing one before you can download games.
  • Not all games available on Steam work on Mac — check the store page for each game to see if a Mac version exists.

Step-by-step installation

Go to steampowered.com in your web browser. In the top right corner, click "Install Steam". The page will detect that you're on a Mac and show you the macOS installer. Click the blue "Install Steam Now" button.

A file called "Steam.dmg" will download to your Downloads folder. Open it by double-clicking it. A window will open showing the Steam icon on the left and an Applications folder icon on the right. Drag the Steam icon onto the Applications folder icon. Your Mac will copy Steam into the Applications folder.

Once the copy finishes, close the window. Open your Applications folder (you can do this by clicking the Finder icon in the dock, then clicking "Applications" in the sidebar). Find Steam in the list and double-click it to launch the application for the first time.

What happens when you first open Steam

The first time you launch Steam, the application will download additional files it needs to run. This can take 10 to 30 minutes depending on how fast your internet connection is. You'll see a progress bar showing the download status. Let it finish — closing the window will interrupt the download and you'll have to start over.

Once the download finishes, Steam will ask you to sign in. If you already have a Steam account, enter your username and password. If you don't have one, click "Create a new account" and follow the steps to set one up. You'll need a valid email address and a password at least 8 characters long.

Steam may ask you to verify your account by clicking a link in an email. Check your email inbox (and spam folder) for a message from noreply@steampowered.com, click the link, and return to Steam to finish signing in.

Checking if games work on your Mac

Not every game sold on Steam has a Mac version. Before you buy or download a game, check its store page to see if it runs on macOS. On the game's store page, scroll down to the "System Requirements" section. You'll see separate requirements listed for Windows, macOS, and Linux. If macOS isn't listed, the game doesn't have a Mac version.

Some games run on Mac through compatibility tools like Proton, which translates Windows code to run on macOS. These games will show "macOS" in the system requirements but may run slower than on Windows. Read the reviews and comments to see what other Mac players report about performance.

Troubleshooting installation problems

If Steam won't open after you drag it to Applications, your Mac may be blocking it because it's not from the App Store. Right-click the Steam icon in Applications and select "Open". A dialog will appear asking if you're sure you want to open it. Click "Open" again. After you do this once, Steam will open normally in the future.

If the installer won't download or keeps stopping, try downloading it again. Make sure you have at least 10 GB of free space on your Mac before you start — Steam itself takes about 2 GB, and you'll need room for the additional files it downloads on first launch. You can check your free space by clicking the Apple menu, selecting "About This Mac", clicking "Storage", and looking at the available space.

If Steam launches but gets stuck on a loading screen, try restarting your Mac. If it still doesn't work, uninstall Steam by dragging it from Applications to the Trash, empty the Trash, and download the installer again from steampowered.com.

Moving Steam to an external drive

If your Mac's internal drive is running low on space, you can move Steam and your game library to an external drive. Plug in an external drive with at least 100 GB of free space, then drag the Steam folder from Applications to the external drive. Steam will remember where it is and launch from the external drive.

Keep the external drive plugged in whenever you want to play games. If you unplug it, Steam will show your games as uninstalled until you plug it back in. You can move Steam back to your Mac's internal drive anytime by dragging it back to Applications.

Setting up your Steam profile and library

After you sign in, Steam will show you your library page. This is where all your games appear once you buy or download them. At first, your library will be empty. Click the "Store" tab at the top to browse games, or use the search box to find a specific title.

Before you start downloading games, take a moment to set up your profile. Click your username in the top right corner and select "Profile". You can add a profile picture, write a bio, and set your privacy settings. These settings control who can see your games and activity — you can keep everything private if you prefer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay to use Steam?

No. Creating a Steam account and downloading the application are free. You only pay when you buy games. Some games on Steam are free to download and play, while others cost money.

Can I use the same Steam account on multiple Macs?

Yes. Sign in with the same username and password on each Mac, and your game library will appear on all of them. You can play on only one Mac at a time with the same account, though you can download games on multiple Macs.

What should I do if Steam won't download games?

Check that you have enough free space on your drive — Steam needs at least 10 GB free to download most games. If you have space, try pausing the download and resuming it. If that doesn't work, restart Steam and try again.

Can I play games I bought on Windows Steam on my Mac?

Only if the game has a Mac version. If you own a game that doesn't have a Mac version, it won't appear in your library on Mac. You can still play it on a Windows computer with the same account.

How much internet speed do I need to download games?

Any internet connection will work, but faster is better. A 10 Mbps connection will download a 50 GB game in about 11 hours. A 100 Mbps connection will do it in about 1 hour. You can pause downloads and resume them later without losing progress.