# Install from source

> Clone the repo and run make install. Runs on macOS 15+. Building needs the Command Line Tools for Xcode 26 (macOS 15.6+), not Xcode. Permissions explained.

Source: https://reelbird.app/docs/install/

Building it yourself takes a few minutes and needs no Xcode.

You need:

- macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon. It also compiles for Intel Macs that run macOS 15, but it hasn't been tested on one yet.
- The Command Line Tools for Xcode 26 or later (`xcode-select --install`), which bring Swift 6.2 and the macOS 26 SDK. They install on macOS 15.6 and later. Xcode 26 works too but isn't required.

```sh
git clone https://github.com/btahir/reelbird.git
cd reelbird
make install
```

`make install` builds a release copy of the app and copies it to `/Applications`, asking first if Reelbird is already there. Then open it:

```sh
open /Applications/Reelbird.app
```

Reelbird lives in the menu bar. Look for the robin.

Some Command Line Tools installs ship a stale SwiftPM file that breaks every `Package.swift`. The scripts detect this and work around it on their own (see `scripts/env.sh`), so you don't need to do anything. Run `make` to see every target.

## Permissions on first run

The welcome tour asks for each permission in turn. You can change them later in **Settings… → Permissions** or in **System Settings → Privacy & Security**.

| Permission | Needed for |
|---|---|
| Screen & System Audio Recording | Recording the screen and system sound. Required. |
| Microphone | Your voice. |
| Camera | The camera bubble. |
| Accessibility and Input Monitoring | Optional. The keystroke overlay (**Settings… → Recording → Record keystrokes**). |
| Speech Recognition | Captions on macOS 15 only. macOS 26 and later doesn't ask. |

**Screen Recording takes effect only after Reelbird reopens.** After you turn it on, choose **Quit & Reopen** in Reelbird (or quit it from the menu bar and open it again).

## Keep permissions across rebuilds (optional)

By default the app is signed ad hoc. That signature changes with every build, so macOS forgets the Screen Recording permission each time you rebuild. If you build often, create a local signing certificate once:

```sh
scripts/dev-signing.sh
export RB_SIGN_IDENTITY="Reelbird Local Signing"   # add this to your ~/.zshrc
make install
```

The script creates a self-signed certificate named "Reelbird Local Signing" in your login keychain and does nothing if it already exists. Every build signed with it has the same identity, so the permission sticks. The first build asks whether `codesign` may use the key. Choose **Always Allow**. `scripts/dev-signing.sh --remove` deletes the certificate. It never leaves your Mac and isn't trusted for anything except signing your own builds.