How to install Notion desktop app on Mac: step by step, macOS 13 and later

The desktop app is Notion in its own window. You install it once, log in, and it can live in your Dock. The steps are short. A few details trip people up, especially the chip build and the security prompt. This guide covers both, plus the settings worth changing on day one.

Check your macOS version before you download

Notion's system requirements page sets the minimum for the desktop app at macOS 13 or later. Click the Apple menu, choose About This Mac, and read the version number. If it says 13 or higher, you can install the app without changing anything. If it says lower, update macOS first.

Older Macs need a different plan. Adaptd reports that 7.38.1 is the last Notion desktop version for macOS 12. After that, macOS 12 gets no new features or security fixes. If you cannot move to macOS 13, the Notion web app in your browser is the practical choice.

Choose the right Notion build for your chip

Notion's download page lists three builds: Universal, Apple Silicon and Intel x64. The page does not say which one to choose. The chip label answers that question. Apple's support page confirms that Apple silicon Macs show a Chip label and Intel Macs show a Processor label.

Here is a worked example. Say your Mac shows a Chip label in About This Mac. Pick the Apple Silicon build, download it, and open it. If you later see the error 'You can't use this version of the application', you grabbed the wrong file. The fix is covered in the troubleshooting section.

What the installer does and where Notion ends up

Notion's official help says to open the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions. That is the whole instruction. Many third-party guides describe dragging Notion into the Applications folder. Notion's own page does not confirm that step, so follow what your installer window asks.

The Applications folder is still the right place for a personal Mac. Notion's deployment guide says the default install location is /Applications, which all users share. A copy in ~/Applications belongs to one user only. Pick the shared folder unless you have a reason not to.

Get past the blocked app warning

Sometimes macOS stops Notion before it opens. Apple's guide for blocked apps sends you to System Settings, under Privacy & Security. Look in the Security section. The Open Anyway button appears there for about an hour after the blocked attempt.

Confirm with your login password. Click Open, then Open Anyway, type your password, and click OK. Notion should open after that. If the button has gone, run the install again so macOS blocks Notion once more, then go back to the settings within the hour.

Skip Terminal fixes you find in blog posts. Some suggest commands that strip the quarantine flag. Those are not from Apple or Notion, and they carry security risk. Open Anyway is the route Apple documents.

What the desktop app adds over the web app

The desktop app runs in a standalone window. That makes it easier to keep Notion beside your other work. Notion's help lists the main differences from the web app. Command Search works outside the app. Notion AI works outside the app. Push notifications arrive for mentions, task assignments and reminders.

The web app has no Command Search. If you want to jump to any page from anywhere on your Mac, the desktop app is where you get that. Command Search also has a shortcut you can change.

Links can still open in the browser. The web app's Settings control whether links open in the desktop app. If a link ignores the desktop app, the troubleshooting section below has the fix.

Set up Command Search and the menu bar icon

Open Settings, then Preferences, to change how Command Search behaves. You can turn it on or off, change its shortcut, and show or hide Notion in the menu bar. Notion's search help does not state a default shortcut. Read the field in your own Preferences window instead of trusting a blog post.

Two more options matter for new tabs. Open Search when creating a new tab sends a fresh tab straight into search. Turn it on if you open tabs mainly to look things up. Leave it off if you usually start new pages from the sidebar.

Notion desktop keyboard shortcuts on Mac

Notion's help lists no ⌥, ⌃ or ⇧ shortcuts for the Mac app. Two shortcuts that help with install and launch come from macOS itself. ⌘Space opens Spotlight. ⇧⌘A opens Applications in Finder.

Build one habit first. Press ⌘P instead of clicking through the sidebar when you know the page name. Use ⌘F when the answer sits halfway down a long page.

How to update Notion on Mac

Notion updates automatically, so most people never think about it. To check by hand, click Notion in the menu bar and choose Check for Updates. A normal update needs nothing else from you.

To see when the app last updated, click ? in the left sidebar, then More. Notion's help says ⌘R refreshes the app. If you expect a fix and it has not arrived, press ⌘R and check again.

Admins can turn automatic updates off per user, as Notion's deployment guide explains. Most people on their own Mac should leave them on. A stale app misses the fixes in each release.

Recent Notion desktop releases

Version numbers here come from third-party trackers. Notion's own release index did not show desktop version numbers when this guide was checked. Releasebot lists 7.42.1 and 7.42.3, both dated Nov 4, 2026.

Version 7.42.1 fixed macOS keyboard shortcuts for Command Search and Notion AI. Version 7.42.3 changed how organization settings and creator profile links open, so those links now open in the browser. Trackers can lag, so a newer build may already exist. Check your own version under ? > More.

Desktop beta: opt in for faster tabs

Desktop beta makes tabs faster and lighter, according to Adaptd's report on version 7.39. It is opt-in. Open Settings > Preferences > Desktop beta, or choose Try Desktop Beta in the tab bar.

To leave, click the Beta button in the tab bar. It has a bug icon. Choose Leave beta. Notion restarts each time you join or leave, so save your work first.

Common install mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is the wrong chip build. The error 'You can't use this version of the application' means the download does not match your processor. Uninstall, check About This Mac, and install the matching build from notion.com/desktop.

The second mistake is waiting too long at the security prompt. Once the blocked attempt happens, go straight to System Settings. Do not wander off to read something else first, because the Open Anyway button only lasts about an hour.

The third mistake is hunting for Command Search in the web app. The web app has no Command Search. Look for that setting in the desktop app's Preferences instead.

Uninstall Notion or reinstall the right build

To remove the app, quit Notion first. Then open Applications, drag Notion to the Trash, and empty the Trash. Notion's troubleshooting says to uninstall first when a build does not match your chip.

Removing the app does not delete your Notion account. You sign in again with your email when you reinstall. Keep the account email handy, because the login screen asks for it.

Is the Mac App Store an option?

Notion's help tells you to download the Mac app from notion.com/desktop. The help never mentions the Mac App Store. This guide did not confirm a store listing, so stick with the official page. A search result that promises a store copy is not proof that one exists.

Who gets the most from the desktop app

The desktop app fits people who keep Notion open all day. Product managers who move between specs, chat and docs get the most from Command Search. Students who take study notes in Notion can use it the same way. See Notion for product managers on Mac or Notion for students on Mac for setups aimed at each group.

If you check Notion once a week, the web app is enough. The desktop app earns its place through Command Search, the standalone window and notifications.

Next steps after the install

Open one page you use every day. Press ⌘P, type its name, and press Return. Then check which notifications you get, and turn off the ones you do not want.

Turn on Launch at login only if you want Notion every time you start your Mac. Leave Desktop beta off unless you want to test faster tabs. When you move to a new Mac, come back to these steps and start from the chip check.