You can also install Python 3.x on a Mac through Homebrew, which is my preferred method as a Homebrew user. You’ll also find the simple IDE called IDLE within the /Applications/MacPython3/ directory, which basically gives you the same Python IDE you’d encounter if you ran ‘python3’ at the command prompt in Terminal. Once Python 3 is installed you will find a Python3 folder within the /Applications directory of your Mac. Installation is quick, and you’ll have Python 3.x alongside Python 2.x on the Mac. Python 3.8.x requires about 100mb of disk space to install.

Run the Python installer package and install Python 3 onto the Mac.

Go to downloads page here and download the latest Python installer package.

Perhaps the simplest way to install Python 3 is by using the Python package installer from

With that in mind you should not attempt to update the existing preinstalled Python release on a Mac, instead you will just have a co-installation of Python 3 for full compatibility.Īnd yes, Python 3 and Python 2 can coexist on a Mac without any conflict, the usage commands will just be slightly different. This is essential because apparently some Mac apps rely on Python 2 support, so if you attempt to upgrade Python 2.x to Python 3.x in Mac OS you will eventually find that something is broken, perhaps critically so.

Note that we said install Python 3, not update to Python 3, because how this will work is installing Python 3 while simultaneously maintaining Python 2 on the Mac. This article will discuss how to get an updated Python 3 installation on the Mac by covering two different ways to quickly and easily install Python 3 onto a Mac.

Download python for mac