OpenClaw on Mac M3: Install and Run Your AI Agent

OpenClaw turns your Mac M3 into a personal AI agent that you can talk to through Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp — any time, from any device. It runs quietly in the background, handles tasks for you automatically, and stays online as long as your Mac is on.

Mac M3 handles background tasks without slowing anything else down. Whether you have a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac — it all works the same way and the setup is identical.

By the end of this guide you will have OpenClaw installed, connected to your messaging app, and ready to use. Everything is explained step by step — no experience needed.

Install OpenClaw on your Mac M3 with one command
Connect it to Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp
Keep your agent running 24/7 even when the screen is off
Fix the most common problems if anything goes wrong

What You Need Before You Start

Before you begin, make sure you have these things ready:

What You Need	Details
A Mac with M3	MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or iMac — M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max all work
macOS version	macOS 14 Sonoma or macOS 15 Sequoia — your Mac already has one of these
An AI provider key	A free or paid API key from Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google
A messaging app	Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp installed on your phone
Internet connection	Needed during install and when your agent is responding

You do not need to install Node.js separately. The OpenClaw installer handles that for you.

How to Install OpenClaw on Mac M3

Step 1: Open Terminal on Your Mac

Terminal is a built-in app that lets you type commands. You will only need it for two commands in this guide. Here is how to open it:

Press Command + Space on your keyboard
A search bar will pop up — type Terminal
Press Enter to open it

A black or white window will open with a blinking cursor. That is Terminal. You are ready for the next step.

Step 2: Run the Install Command

Copy the command below and paste it into Terminal. Then press Enter. Do not change anything in the command — paste it exactly as it is.

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

This will take about 30 to 60 seconds. You will see some text scrolling by — that is normal. It is downloading and installing OpenClaw and everything it needs. When it stops and you see a new line with a cursor, the install is done.

Step 3: Run the Setup Wizard

Now paste this second command into Terminal and press Enter. This starts the setup and also makes sure OpenClaw starts automatically every time you turn on your Mac.

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The setup wizard will ask you a few things one by one:

Disclaimer — read it and press Enter to accept and continue
AI provider — use the arrow keys to pick your provider (for example Anthropic for Claude) and press Enter
API key — paste your API key and press Enter. The key will not show on screen as you type — that is normal
Gateway port — just press Enter to use the default. You do not need to change this
Messaging app — pick Telegram, Discord, or WhatsApp and follow the steps to connect it. OpenClaw will show you a QR code or link to scan

When the wizard finishes, your AI agent is running. You can now open your messaging app and send it a message to test it.

How to Keep Your Agent Running 24/7

The setup already made OpenClaw start on every reboot. But there is one more thing you need to do. By default, your Mac goes to sleep when you are not using it. When it sleeps, OpenClaw stops working. Here is how to prevent that:

Click the Apple logo in the top left corner of your screen
Click System Settings
Scroll down and click Battery
Click Options at the bottom of the Battery page
Find Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off and turn it on
Click Done to save

This tells your Mac to stay awake even when the screen turns off, so your agent keeps running through the night and when you step away.

How to Check Your Agent is Working

Open Terminal and run this command to see if OpenClaw is running:

openclaw gateway status

If it says running, your agent is live and ready. You can also open a dashboard in your browser to see everything in one place:

openclaw dashboard

Or type this address into any browser on your Mac:

http://127.0.0.1:18789/

The dashboard shows your agent status, connected channels, and recent activity. New to OpenClaw? Read our guide on what OpenClaw is and how it works.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

It says openclaw command not found after install

This happens because your Mac does not know where OpenClaw was installed yet. It is a very common thing on new Macs and is easy to fix.

Fix

Close Terminal completely, open it again, and try the openclaw command. If it still does not work, run the command below and then try again.

source ~/.zprofile

My agent stops working when the screen turns off

Your Mac is going to sleep which stops OpenClaw from running. This happens even if you set it up correctly because macOS has a sleep setting that needs to be turned off separately.

Fix

Go to System Settings, click Battery, click Options, and turn on Prevent automatic sleeping when the display is off. After that your agent will keep running overnight.

openclaw gateway status

My AI agent replies with an error about my API key

This means the API key you entered during setup is wrong, has expired, or the account has run out of credits. The agent connects fine but cannot get a reply from the AI service.

Fix

Run the setup command again and enter your API key fresh. Make sure you copy the whole key and do not add any extra spaces.

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Something is wrong but I am not sure what

OpenClaw has a built-in tool that checks everything for you. Instead of trying to figure out what went wrong on your own, just run this one command.

Fix

Run openclaw doctor in Terminal. It will scan your setup and tell you exactly what the problem is and how to fix it.

openclaw doctor

Mac M3 Local vs Ampere.sh

Running OpenClaw on your Mac M3 is free and keeps everything on your own machine. The only downside is your agent needs your Mac to be on and awake. If you want your agent running 24/7 without depending on your Mac, Ampere.sh hosts it for you in the cloud. Here is how the two options compare.

Feature	Mac M3 (Local)	Ampere.sh
Time to get started	10 to 20 minutes	Under 2 minutes
Agent works when Mac is off	No	Yes
Agent works when Mac sleeps	No	Yes
Setup needed	Yes — install and configure	No — just sign in
Maintenance	You handle updates	Fully managed
Cost to start	Free — pay for API only	Free credits included

Frequently Asked Questions

Does OpenClaw work on my Mac M3?

Yes. OpenClaw works perfectly on all M3 Macs including MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac. It runs natively on Apple Silicon so you do not need any extra tools or settings.

Does it also work on M3 Pro and M3 Max?

Yes. M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max all work. If you have a Pro or Max, you get more memory which is helpful if you want to run more than one agent at the same time.

Do I need to know coding to set this up?

No. You just need to open Terminal and copy-paste two commands. This guide walks you through every single step so you do not need any coding knowledge.

What is Terminal and where do I find it?

Terminal is a built-in app on your Mac that lets you type commands. To open it, press Command and Space at the same time, type Terminal, and press Enter.

What is an API key and where do I get one?

An API key is like a password that connects OpenClaw to an AI service like Anthropic or OpenAI. You create a free account on their website and they give you a key to copy and paste.

Will my agent stop working when my Mac goes to sleep?

Yes, it will stop unless you turn off automatic sleeping. This guide shows you exactly how to do that in System Settings so your agent keeps running even when the screen is off.

Which messaging apps can I connect?

You can connect Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, and several others. During setup the wizard asks you which one you want to use and walks you through connecting it.

How do I update OpenClaw later?

Just run the install command again: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash. It updates everything without changing your settings or disconnecting your messaging apps.