macOS 12 Monterey or later

Installing NexusCompute on your Mac

This guide walks you through every step — no technical knowledge needed. The whole process takes about 5 minutes.

Download the NexusCompute agent

Click the button below to download the Mac installer. It will save to your Downloads folder automatically.

Version 1.0 · ~38 MB · Supports Intel and Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4)

Apple Silicon vs Intel

The same download works on both Intel Macs and Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4). The installer detects your chip automatically.

Open the installer

Open your Downloads folder and double-click NexusCompute.dmg. A window will open — drag the NexusCompute icon into your Applications folder.

macOS may block the app at first

If you see "NexusCompute can't be opened because it's from an unidentified developer", here's what to do:

Open System Settings → Privacy & Security
Scroll down to the Security section
You'll see a message about NexusCompute — click "Open Anyway"
Confirm in the dialog that appears

This is a standard macOS precaution for apps outside the App Store. NexusCompute is safe to run.

Grant network and background permissions

When NexusCompute opens for the first time, macOS will ask for a few permissions. You need to allow these for the agent to work.

""NexusCompute" would like to find devices on your local network"

Click Allow — This lets the agent communicate with NexusCompute servers.

""NexusCompute" would like to add items to Login Items"

Click Allow — This starts the agent automatically when you log in, so you never have to remember to launch it.

Sign in and link your account

Sign in with the same email address you used to register on this website. This links the agent to your provider account so your earnings are credited correctly.

If the sign-in window doesn't open automatically, you can launch it from Terminal:

# Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal) and run:
open -a NexusCompute --args --auth --email your@email.com

Replace your@email.com with the email you signed up with.

Verify the agent is running

Look for the NexusCompute icon in your menu bar (the row of icons at the top-right of your screen, near the Wi-Fi and battery icons).

Green icon

Active — receiving jobs

Amber icon

Idle — waiting for work

Grey icon

Paused by you

You can also check from Terminal:

nexuscompute status
# Expected output:
# ✓ Agent running · Tier: Standard · Status: Idle
# ✓ Account linked: your@email.com
# ✓ Jobs completed today: 0

You're live! 🎉

Once the icon is green or amber, your Mac is on the network and ready to earn. Jobs route to your machine automatically during your idle hours. Click the menu bar icon any time to pause or check your stats.

Common issues on macOS

The app won't open — 'App is damaged and can't be opened'

xattr -cr /Applications/NexusCompute.app

The menu bar icon doesn't appear

Try quitting and reopening the app from Applications. If your menu bar is full, some icons may be hidden — try making your menu bar bigger in System Settings → Control Centre.

It says 'account not found' when signing in

Make sure you've completed the setup wizard on the NexusCompute website first. Your provider account needs to be registered before the agent can link to it.

My Mac gets warm when the agent is running

This is normal — the agent is using your GPU, which generates heat. The agent automatically pauses if your CPU temperature exceeds safe limits. Ensure your Mac has good ventilation.

No jobs after 24 hours

This is normal when first joining — demand builds over time. Verify the icon is green or amber during your idle hours. You can also check your listing status on the provider dashboard.

Using Windows?

We have a separate guide with Windows-specific steps.

Switch to Windows Guide

Go to Provider Dashboard Back to Home Compute overview

Want to earn more with dedicated hardware?

🏗️ View the home hardware setup guide