Install PlexiDesk on a Mac
Download one installer for Apple silicon and Intel Macs on macOS 11 or later, drag PlexiDesk into Applications and open it.
PlexiDesk for Mac comes as a single disk image (a .dmg file). The same download runs on Macs with Apple silicon and on Intel Macs, so there is no version to choose. To install it, you copy PlexiDesk into your Applications folder and open it from there.
Before you start
- A Mac with Apple silicon (M-series) or an Intel processor. One universal installer covers both.
- macOS 11 Big Sur or later.
- Plans. PlexiDesk installs the same way on every plan.
If you use a Windows PC, see Install PlexiDesk on Windows instead.
Download and install
- Go to the Download page and choose Download for Mac (.dmg).
- When the download finishes, open the disk image from your Downloads folder. Its name starts with PlexiDesk.
- A window opens showing PlexiDesk on the left and a shortcut to your Applications folder on the right. Drag PlexiDesk onto the Applications shortcut and wait for the copy to finish.
- Eject the disk image: in the Finder sidebar, click the eject button next to the PlexiDesk disk.
- Open your Applications folder and double-click PlexiDesk.
- The first time you open it, macOS asks whether you are sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet. Confirm, and PlexiDesk opens.
When PlexiDesk opens
Get started with PlexiDesk walks you through your first launch, from the first screen to your first desk.
PlexiDesk does not ask for any special access when you install it. macOS asks for each permission the first time you use a feature that needs it:
- Microphone and camera, for voice and video notes, meetings, calls and body doubling. See Allow microphone, camera and screen recording on a Mac.
- Screen recording, when you share your screen in a meeting. See the same article.
- Accessibility, only if you set up SpeedDeck buttons that press keys, type text or control media in other apps. See Allow keyboard control on a Mac.
Keep PlexiDesk in your Applications folder
PlexiDesk installs its own updates: when a new version is out, an Update to button appears in the footer, and one click downloads it, installs it and reopens PlexiDesk. See Keep PlexiDesk up to date.
That works when PlexiDesk lives in your Applications folder. If you open it straight from the disk image, it runs from a read-only location and cannot replace itself. In that case, when you try to update, PlexiDesk opens the download page instead, and the footer may ask you to move PlexiDesk into your Applications folder first.
Common questions
Which Macs can run PlexiDesk?
Any Mac with Apple silicon or an Intel processor running macOS 11 Big Sur or later. The one download works on both kinds of Mac.
How do I find out which version I have?
Look at the left end of the footer, the thin bar along the bottom of the window. It shows the version number and its date, for example v4.3.25. Clicking it checks for an update. See The footer.
Do I need to download PlexiDesk again for every new version?
No. PlexiDesk checks for new versions while it is open and installs them from the footer. If you ever need to install a version by hand, download it from the Download page, quit PlexiDesk, then drag the new PlexiDesk into Applications and choose to replace the older copy.
How do I remove PlexiDesk?
Quit PlexiDesk, then drag it from your Applications folder to the Bin (called Trash on some Macs). Removing the app does not remove your workspace from your Mac, so if you install PlexiDesk again later, your desks are still there.
Next steps
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