Install Waymaker on Your Mac
Install Waymaker Companion, sign in once, and Companion installs Waymaker Commander for you and keeps it up to date.
Overview
Install Waymaker Companion, sign in once, and Companion installs Waymaker Commander for you and keeps it up to date.
Waymaker for Windows is on the way. This guide covers macOS only.
The two Mac apps
| App | What it does |
|---|---|
| Waymaker Companion | Lives in your menu bar. Signs you in to Waymaker on this Mac, installs your Waymaker apps, and keeps them up to date. |
| Waymaker Commander | The desktop app: your workspaces, projects, My Vault, repositories and terminals in one window. |
You install Companion yourself. Companion installs Commander. Commander is only installed and updated through Companion, so you always need Companion on your Mac.
Before you start
| You need | Details |
|---|---|
| macOS 14 Sonoma or later | Waymaker Companion needs macOS 14 or later, and Commander is installed through Companion. Check your version under Apple menu → About This Mac. |
| Apple silicon or Intel | Both apps run on Apple silicon (M-series) and Intel Macs. |
| A Waymaker account | The email address and password you use to sign in to Waymaker. No account yet? See Account Setup. |
| An administrator account on the Mac | Apps are installed into your Applications folder. |
Both apps are signed by Waymaker One and notarised by Apple, so macOS recognises them as coming from Waymaker and opens them without security warnings.
Install Waymaker Companion
1. Download Companion
Download WaymakerCompanion.dmg from:
https://downloads.waymakerone.com/mac/companion/WaymakerCompanion.dmg
The file lands in your Downloads folder.
2. Move Companion to Applications
- Double-click WaymakerCompanion.dmg to open it
- Drag Waymaker Companion onto the Applications folder in the same window
- Eject the disk image — click the eject button next to Waymaker Companion in the Finder sidebar
[screenshot: the Waymaker Companion disk image window, with the app icon and the Applications folder side by side]
3. Open Companion
- Open your Applications folder and double-click Waymaker Companion
- macOS asks whether you're sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet — this is normal for any downloaded app. Click Open
Companion adds a Waymaker icon to your menu bar, at the top right of your screen. It has no Dock icon — the menu bar is where you find it.
The first time you open Companion, its Waymaker window opens too, ready for you to sign in.
[screenshot: macOS menu bar with the Waymaker Companion icon highlighted]
Sign in
- In the Waymaker window, click Sign in (or click the menu bar icon, then Sign in)
- Enter your Email address and Password
- Click Sign In
One sign-in covers every Waymaker app on this Mac. Commander uses Companion's sign-in, so you never sign in to Commander separately.
[screenshot: the "Sign in to Waymaker" window]
Install Waymaker Commander
Once you're signed in, the Waymaker window shows Your apps.
- Find the Waymaker Commander card
- Click Install
- Wait while Companion downloads and installs it — the card shows the progress
Companion installs Commander into your Applications folder.
If you closed the window, click the Companion icon in the menu bar and choose Waymaker apps… to open it again.
[screenshot: the Waymaker window, Your apps, with the Waymaker Commander card and its Install button]
Finish setting up
The first time Commander installs, Companion shows Waymaker Commander is installed with a couple of things to make it feel at home:
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your vault | Click Connect, then Connect again to confirm. Your My Vault notes sync on this Mac. |
| Your AI agent | Commander works with Claude Code, Codex or Gemini. If none is installed, Companion shows a link to get one. |
| Extras (optional) | Nothing here is needed to use Commander. |
Click Open Waymaker Commander to start, or Later to finish another time. You can come back to these any time in Companion's Settings → This Mac.
If your vault is already connected on this Mac, Commander opens straight away.
[screenshot: the "Waymaker Commander is installed" sheet with Your vault and Your AI agent]
Open Commander
Open Commander any of these ways:
- Click the Companion icon in the menu bar, then Open Waymaker Commander
- Click Open on the Commander card in the Waymaker window
- Press ⌃⌥⌘D (Control-Option-Command-D) from anywhere
- Open it from your Applications folder, Launchpad or Spotlight like any other app
Commander shows who you're signed in as at the bottom of its sidebar.
Updates
Updates are automatic. You don't need to download anything again.
- Companion checks for updates in the background, several times a day
- Updates download in the background and install when the app isn't running — an app is never replaced while it's open
- If Commander is open when an update arrives, the update waits. It installs the next time you quit Commander. The Commander card shows "Version … is ready. It installs when Waymaker Commander quits."
- To install a waiting update right away, open Commander's Settings → Updates and click Restart to update
Manage updates
In the Waymaker window, click Manage updates to:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Update automatically | On by default, for each app. Turn it off and Companion sends you a notification when an update is available instead. |
| Check now | Checks for updates straight away. |
| Install now | Installs an available update. |
| Get beta releases | Receive early releases before everyone else. Leave this off unless you've been asked to test. |
Important fixes install even when Update automatically is off. They still wait until the app isn't running.
You can also check from Commander: Settings → Updates → Check now.
Switch organisation
If you belong to more than one organisation, switch in Commander:
- Click your name at the bottom of Commander's sidebar
- Choose Switch organisation
- Pick the organisation
Sign out
Signing out signs you out of every Waymaker app on this Mac. Do either of these:
- Click the Companion icon in the menu bar, then Sign out
- In Commander, click your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then Sign out (also signs out Companion)
Companion settings
Click the Companion icon in the menu bar, then Settings…:
| Tab | What's there |
|---|---|
| General | Launch at login (on by default), the ⌃⌥⌘D shortcut for Commander, and Companion's version |
| This Mac | Your vault connection, your AI agent, and optional extras |
| Account | Who's signed in, and Sign Out |
Keep Launch at login on. Commander needs Companion running to sign you in and to receive updates.
Uninstall
- Quit Waymaker Commander
- Click the Companion icon in the menu bar and choose Sign out, then Quit Waymaker Companion
- In your Applications folder, drag Waymaker Commander and Waymaker Companion to the Bin
- Empty the Bin
Removing the apps doesn't touch your work. Everything in your Waymaker account stays in your account, and your repositories and other folders on this Mac stay where they are.
If you connected your vault on this Mac, remove the Mac's access in My Vault under Notes → Settings → Connect → Connected devices. See MyVault Overview.
To also remove the apps' settings from this Mac, delete these folders in Finder (Go → Go to Folder…):
~/Library/Application Support/com.waymaker.commander~/Library/Application Support/Waymaker
Troubleshooting
I can't sign in
- Check you're using the same email address and password you use to sign in to Waymaker on the web
- Make sure your Mac is online
- If you've forgotten your password, reset it from the sign-in page at waymakerone.com, then sign in to Companion again
Commander says "Companion isn't running"
Commander signs in through Companion, so Companion must be open.
- Open Waymaker Companion from your Applications folder (or, in Commander, click your name at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Open Companion)
- Check the Waymaker icon appears in your menu bar
- Commander picks up your sign-in automatically — if Companion says you're signed out, sign in to Companion first
To stop this happening, turn on Launch at login in Companion's Settings → General.
Commander's card shows an error
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Couldn't reach Waymaker's update server. | Check your internet connection, then try again from Manage updates → Check now. |
| The app is running. It updates when it quits. | Nothing to fix. Quit Commander and the update installs. |
| The download failed | Check your connection and click Install again. |
| The download isn't signed by Waymaker. Nothing was installed. or The app isn't signed by Waymaker. Nothing was installed. | Companion refused a download it couldn't verify, so nothing on your Mac changed. Try again later. If it keeps happening, contact support. |
macOS says the app "can't be opened"
This shouldn't happen — both apps are notarised by Apple. If you see it:
- Drag Waymaker Companion from Applications to the Bin
- Download WaymakerCompanion.dmg again from the link above — the first download may have been incomplete
- Install it again
If it still won't open, contact support.
Commander doesn't appear after installing
- Check your Applications folder for Waymaker Commander
- Click the Companion icon in the menu bar — once Commander is installed, Open Waymaker Commander appears in the menu
My Mac is managed by my company
If your organisation manages your Mac (for example, through a device management profile), your IT team may need to:
- Allow apps from identified developers, so Waymaker Companion and Waymaker Commander can open
- Allow Waymaker Companion as a login item, so it starts when you log in
- Give you permission to install apps into the Applications folder
If installation is blocked, send your IT team a link to this page.
Related
- Account Setup — create your Waymaker account
- MyVault Overview — your private notes vault
- Contact Support