How to install steam on macOS 2025

Installing Steam on macOS 2025 is normally a GUI task, but you can perform every step from the Terminal — download the official installer, mount the disk image, copy the app to `/Applications`, and launch it.

Step 1: Download the official Steam .dmg

Use the official Steam installer URL and `curl` to download the macOS disk image. This avoids manual browser steps and ensures you get the file directly to the server or workstation: 

or :

curl -L -o ~/Downloads/steam.dmg "https://cdn.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/client/installer/steam.dmg"
ls -lh ~/Downloads/steam.dmg

The -L flag follows redirects. After the download, ls -lh confirms the file and size.

Step 2: Mount the .dmg and copy Steam to /Applications

Mount the downloaded DMG with hdiutil, copy the Steam.app bundle to /Applications, then unmount the image. This is the same as dragging the app in Finder but scripted:

hdiutil attach ~/Downloads/steam.dmg -nobrowse -quiet
cp -R /Volumes/Steam/Steam.app /Applications/
hdiutil detach /Volumes/Steam -quiet

If cp shows a permissions error, re-run with sudo cp -R ….

Step 3: Launch Steam and allow initial updates

Open Steam from the command line. The first run triggers the updater; allow it to finish. Using open launches the GUI app and returns control to the Terminal:

open -a /Applications/Steam.app
# or to run and show logs in Console, open Console.app and filter for "steam"

Wait for Steam’s update to complete. If macOS blocks the app (security), go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and Allow the app under “Security & Privacy”.

Step 4: Verify installation and sign in

After Steam updates and starts, verify it’s present and running. Use ps to check the process and then sign in through the Steam UI:

pgrep -fl Steam || echo "Steam not running — check the app or logs"A
open "steam://open/minigameslist"   # quick Steam URI test to ensure Steam responds

If Steam runs, sign in with your account via the graphical client. Two-factor and email verification may be required.