Installing Python 3 on a Mac is a simple process. Follow this step-by-step guide to get Python up and running on your macOS.

Step 1: Check If Python is Already Installed

macOS comes with a pre-installed version of Python, but it might be outdated. To check the installed version:

1. Open Terminal (Cmd + Space, type Terminal, and press Enter).
2. Type the following command and press Enter:

   python3 --version

    

3. If Python 3 is installed, you will see an output like:

   Python 3.x.x

    

4. If Python 3 is not installed or you see an outdated version, or command not found error, proceed with the installation.

Step 2: Install Python 3 Using Homebrew (Recommended Method)

(A) Install Homebrew (If Not Already Installed)

Homebrew is a package manager for macOS that makes installing software easy.

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run the following command to install Homebrew:

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

    

3. Once the installation is complete, verify Homebrew is installed by running:

   brew --version

   
   If installed, it will display the Homebrew version.

(B) Install Python 3 with Homebrew

Once Homebrew is installed, install Python 3 by running:

brew install python

This will install the latest version of Python 3.

Step 3: Verify Python Installation

After installation, confirm Python is installed correctly by running:

python3 --version

You should see output like:

Python 3.x.x

To check if pip (Python’s package manager) is installed, run:

pip3 --version

If installed, it will display the pip version.

Step 4: Set Python 3 as Default (Optional)

On macOS, running python may still refer to Python 2.7. To always use Python 3, follow these steps:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run the following command to update your shell configuration:

   echo 'alias python="python3"' >> ~/.zshrc source ~/.zshrc

    

3. Now, typing python will default to python3.

Step 5: Run Python in Interactive Mode

To start Python in interactive mode, open Terminal and type:

​​​​​​​python3

This will open the Python shell (>>>), where you can run Python commands.

To exit Python, type:

exit()

or press Ctrl + D.

Congratulations! Python 3 is now installed on your Mac!

You’re now ready to write and run Python programs 🚀