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Install Onwarder on a Mac

Download Onwarder for Mac, open it from Applications and start writing. Your library stays on your Mac and the app keeps itself up to date.

For Mac. Checked 17 October 2026.

Onwarder for Mac runs on Macs with Apple silicon or Intel processors. It is free, it works without an account, and your books are saved on your Mac as you write.

Install it

  1. On onwarder.com, choose Mac, then Download for Mac.
  2. Open the downloaded file. A window shows the app, called Onwarder Studio.
  3. Drag Onwarder Studio into your Applications folder.
  4. Open it from Applications or Launchpad.

Onwarder is signed and checked by Apple, so your Mac opens it like any other app. If macOS asks whether you are sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet, choose Open.

Start your first book

When Onwarder opens you will see Opening your library, then your bookshelf.

  1. In Start a book, type a working title.
  2. Choose Start writing.

Your book opens with Chapter One and an Untitled scene. Start typing. There is no save button to remember: Onwarder saves as you write. See Your first book for a tour.

Where your books are kept

Your library is saved on this Mac, inside your user folder’s Application Support area. You never need to open that folder. To keep a copy somewhere else, open Settings (Cmd+,), then Storage and backup, and choose Save to file.

The Mac app can also copy your library to a folder of your choice by itself while it is open. Turn this on under Settings, Recovery, Automatic backups. See Backups and restoring.

Updates

Onwarder keeps itself up to date. New versions download quietly. When one is ready, a notice in the corner of the window names it, for example Onwarder 1.0.8 is ready:

  • Restart to update saves your writing, closes Onwarder and opens the new version.
  • Later leaves it until the next time you quit.

To check yourself, open the app menu (the bold one next to the Apple menu) and choose Check for Updates…. You can turn automatic updates off under Settings, Updates, Update automatically.

Useful to know

  • Settings is in the app menu as Settings…, or press Cmd+,.
  • The View menu has Story bible (Cmd+Shift+E). Most other commands are in the window itself. See Keyboard shortcuts.
  • To quit, press Cmd+Q. Your writing is saved before it closes.