System requirements: macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, Apple Silicon or Intel. ~300 MB disk. Works alongside Xcode, VS Code, and Cursor — nothing to uninstall.
Install in 2 minutes
Download
Two ways:
- From the Mac App Store — auto-updates, signed by Apple: apps.apple.com/us/app/lingcode
- Direct download — DMG installer, same binary: LingCode-v2.0-Installer.dmg
Install
From Mac App Store: tap Get; macOS installs it like any app. From DMG: open the file, drag LingCode.app to your Applications folder, eject the DMG. Done.
First launch
Open LingCode from Applications. On first run, macOS asks permission to allow keyboard input monitoring (for global shortcuts) and access to specific folders when you open them. Grant both when prompted.
If macOS blocks the app with "can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software" (rare, only for DMG downloads), right-click the app in Applications → Open → Open anyway in the dialog. System Settings → Privacy & Security has a recovery button for this too.
Connect an AI provider
LingCode's AI features work through Claude (Anthropic). You need either a Claude API key or an anthropic.com subscription — LingCode doesn't resell tokens, so these come directly from your Anthropic account.
Get a Claude API key
Go to console.anthropic.com/settings/keys. If you don't have an account, create one and add a payment method ($5 minimum top-up, typical use is a few dollars per month).
Click Create Key, name it "LingCode", and copy the key that starts with sk-ant-. It's only shown once.
Paste into LingCode
In LingCode, open Settings → AI (Cmd+,). Paste the key into the Claude API key field. LingCode stores it in macOS Keychain — it never leaves your Mac except to Anthropic's API.
Pick a model. For most work, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is the sweet spot (fast, cheap, strong). For heavy refactors or architecture review, switch to Opus 4.7.
Test the connection
Open the chat input (bottom of any project window) and send "hello". If you get a reply, you're wired up. If you see an error, check that your key is active at console.anthropic.com/settings/keys and that your account has billing enabled.
Prefer Claude Code CLI? LingCode has a built-in Claude Code tab that shells out to the official claude CLI. If you've already configured that on your Mac (claude login), LingCode uses the same credentials — no API key needed. See Claude Sessions for running multiple sessions side-by-side.
Open your first project
File → Open Folder
Or Cmd+O. Pick any folder on your Mac — LingCode indexes the tree and opens the project window. Works on any language (Swift, JS, Python, Go, Rust, anything).
Get oriented
Four panels you'll use most:
- File tree (left) — Cmd+B to toggle.
- Editor (center) — open files by clicking, searchable with Cmd+Shift+F.
- Chat (right) — Cmd+L to focus. Type
/to see slash commands. Type@to attach a file or selection. - Terminal / Logs (bottom) — Cmd+J to toggle. Runs in your project dir.
Try a skill
Select a chunk of code. In chat, type /review and press Enter. Claude reviews the selection and suggests improvements — the same pattern works for /explain, /optimize, /fix, and 25+ others. Full list at the skills guide.
Ship your first deploy
This is what the rest of the docs are about. Pick your target:
- iOS / macOS app → App Store Connect setup
- Android app → Google Play setup
- Web app (Vercel, Netlify, Railway, Fly.io, Heroku) → Web platforms setup
- Your own server → Before-launch & After-deploy cookbook
Each guide walks the one-time platform setup (~5–15 min) and what LingCode automates on every deploy after that.
Customize LingCode to your taste
A few settings worth touching early:
- Theme — Settings → Appearance. Light, dark, or system. Editor themes are separate from app chrome.
- Keyboard shortcuts — Settings → Shortcuts. Every command is rebindable; export/import JSON profiles if you want the same bindings on a second Mac.
- Font & size — Settings → Editor. JetBrains Mono, Geist Mono, SF Mono, or any monospaced font installed on your Mac.
- Git integration — enabled by default if the project has a
.gitdir. Cmd+Shift+G opens the Git panel; optional AI-generated commit messages from the diff.
If something breaks on install
- App won't open / "damaged" error (Intel Macs on older macOS): right-click LingCode in Applications → Open → Open anyway. macOS remembers the permission after the first successful launch.
- Keyboard shortcuts don't work globally: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring → toggle LingCode on. Relaunch.
- Claude chat returns "401 Unauthorized": your API key is inactive. Regenerate at console.anthropic.com/settings/keys and paste the new one.
- App is slow on large repos: LingCode indexes the whole folder by default. Add a
.lingcodeignore(same syntax as.gitignore) to excludenode_modules,build, vendor dirs, etc. - Something else: see the support page for contact info.
What to read next
- LingCode Skills — slash commands reference — the full 25+ commands available in chat.
- Claude Sessions — running multiple parallel AI sessions on one project.
- Remote Control — controlling LingCode from your phone while a long task runs.
- Deploy hub — ship your first build.
- Deploy FAQ — common questions when setting up a deploy target.
- Glossary — every term used across the docs.
Not downloaded yet?
Download for Mac