Installing the Desktop App on a Mac

The Nextcloud desktop app lets you use the files on your Nextcloud server from Finder on your Mac. The files appear as a separate location in the Finder sidebar and are downloaded when you open them, so not all of your files take up space on your Mac.

Requirements

macOS 13 or later. For macOS 11 and 12, Nextcloud offers a legacy app on the same page. Your Nextcloud address, username and password.

Downloading and installing the app

1. Open nextcloud.com/install and, under Nextcloud Files, download the desktop app for macOS (.pkg file).
2. Double-click the downloaded file and follow the installation steps. The installer may ask for your Mac password.
3. When installation finishes, the Nextcloud app opens and the account wizard starts. The app icon appears in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

Adding your account

1. When the app opens, enter your Nextcloud address; it is the same address you use in the browser (example: https://bulut.sirketiniz.com). Then click the login button.
2. The Nextcloud login page opens in your browser. If it does not, you can open it with the button in the app.
3. Log in with your username and password. If two-factor authentication is on, enter the verification code as well.
4. You are asked to give the app access; click Grant access and return to the app.

With this method your password is not stored in the app; the app receives a password for this device only. If you lose the device, you can remove its access from the device list on the Settings > Security page in Nextcloud.

Your files in Finder

For newly added accounts, files work integrated with Finder (Nextcloud calls this the File Provider): Nextcloud appears as a separate location in the Finder sidebar. You see all your folders, but a file is not downloaded to your Mac until you open it.

• A cloud with a down arrow next to a file means it has not been downloaded yet, a pie chart means it is transferring and a filled circle with a pin means it is kept on the Mac.
• To open a file or folder without an internet connection, right-click it and choose Always keep downloaded among the Nextcloud options at the bottom of the menu. Items marked this way are not removed from the Mac to free up space. From the same menu you can download a file right away, open the sharing options or lock the file.
• Just copy your files into the Nextcloud location in Finder; they are uploaded to the server automatically.

If you want all files to be kept in a folder on your Mac at all times, you can turn off this Finder integration in the app settings and use classic sync. The two cannot be used together on the same account.

Everyday use

• The Nextcloud icon in the menu bar shows recent activity and opens the settings. In the settings you can make the app start with your Mac, add another account and find the Finder integration (Enable File Provider).
• The app checks for new versions and updates itself automatically.

If you cannot connect

• Make sure you entered the address with https://, exactly as you open it in the browser.
• If your company network uses a proxy server, you can enter it in the proxy settings on the login screen.
• If the problem continues, you can open a support ticket from the client area.

Screenshots: Nextcloud user manual, © Nextcloud GmbH and Nextcloud contributors, used unchanged under the CC BY 3.0 licence.