Casky

Help

Answers to common questions. If yours isn't here, email support@casky.app.

Requirements

macOS 26 or later. Casky installs apps and tools with Homebrew, and App Store apps with mas. If either is missing, Casky offers to install it. Homebrew also needs Apple's Command Line Tools, which macOS installs when asked.

First launch

The setup assistant checks for Homebrew, the Command Line Tools and mas, then asks a few questions about the apps you use and suggests a selection. You can skip it and open it again later from the Casky menu or Settings.

To install App Store apps, you need to be signed in to the App Store app with your Apple Account.

Admin prompts

Some installs need administrator rights, for example apps that come as an installer package. These show "Needs admin" in the list. Homebrew needs your Mac password for them, so the first time Casky asks for it once and keeps it in your login keychain. After that, each install that needs it asks with Touch ID, or with the system password prompt on Macs without Touch ID. Settings › Advanced › Forget removes the saved password.

Updates

Updates lists every app and tool with a newer version, including App Store apps and apps that update themselves. Choose Update All, or select the ones you want. Hold keeps an app at its current version and leaves it out of Update All.

Casky checks for updates while it's open, every 4 hours, and can show them in the menu bar and notify you. In Settings › Updates you can also have Homebrew apps upgraded every day at 9:00, even when Casky is closed.

Search filters the page you're on: Updates, Installed, Selected, kits and setups. On other pages it searches everything in Browse.

Casky updates itself: Casky › Check for Updates.

Installed apps and uninstalling

Installed lists everything Homebrew and the App Store put on this Mac. To uninstall, tick apps there and choose Uninstall Selected, right-click any installed app in a list and choose Uninstall, or select it and press ⌘⌫. Casky asks first. Apps you installed some other way aren't listed, because Casky can't safely remove them. Settings and documents an app made stay behind.

Apps Homebrew no longer maintains are marked Deprecated. They keep working but get no more updates.

How installs run

Casky downloads everything from Homebrew first, all at once, then installs each item from its download. App Store apps, editor extensions, npm, pipx, uv and Cargo packages, dotfiles and Mac settings each run alongside Homebrew. Something that needs another item first, such as an npm package that needs Node, waits for it. Homebrew itself installs one item at a time, and steps that ask for your password take turns.

Setups and exports

A setup is a saved list of what a Mac should have: apps and tools, Homebrew services, VS Code and Cursor extensions, npm, pipx, uv and Cargo packages, dotfiles from a Git repository, and Mac settings. Save This Mac creates one from what's installed now. Apply runs every step in order and shows a log for each.

Each setup shows what this Mac is missing, and what this Mac has that the setup doesn't; Add to Setup saves the extras. Setups can be exported as a Brewfile, an Ansible playbook, a nix-darwin flake, or a .casky.json file to import on another Mac. Settings › General › Sync keeps setups and kits in iCloud Drive.

Command line

Settings › Advanced › Install adds a casky command. Then:

casky apply work.casky.json applies a setup file, or a saved setup by name. Add --dry-run to list the steps without running them.

Usage data

To see which features get used and what fails, it sends anonymous usage data: pages you open, the installs and updates you run and whether they worked, with a random ID that isn't linked to you. It never sends names, what you search for, setup contents or files. The Privacy Policy lists everything. Turn it off in Settings › General › Share anonymous usage data.

Data and privacy

Your setups, kits, history and settings stay on your Mac, or in your iCloud Drive if you turn on sync. Casky has no accounts. See Usage data for what Casky sends, and the Privacy Policy.

Contact

support@casky.app