# Build 3D Slicer for MacOS arm64?

**URL:** <https://discourse.slicer.org/t/build-3d-slicer-for-macos-arm64/35699>\
**Category:** Feature requests\
**Tags:** macos\
**Created:** [April 24, 2024, 3:58am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/build-3d-slicer-for-macos-arm64/35699 "2024-04-24T03:58:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 11

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**Author:** ![jamesobutler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.slicer.org/jamesobutler/32/7511_2.png) [@jamesobutler](https://discourse.slicer.org/u/jamesobutler)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 11:18am UTC](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/build-3d-slicer-for-macos-arm64/35699/11 "2025-09-10T11:18:03Z")

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The following discourse post provides some details primarily about building for developing features with Slicer, but does include a comment of mine about the qt-easy-build process to build Qt from source while on a macOS arm machine which is necessary for packaging and distribution to other computers to be successful. Even on Intel Macs it is currently required to build Qt for on source to successfully package and distribute. And Yes these instructions will work for distribution onto Intel Macs as well as the arm Macs which will run it through Rosetta.

> [@Developing for Slicer on Apple Silicon (build targeting x86\_64)](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/developing-for-slicer-on-apple-silicon-build-targeting-x86-64/40686):
>
> The [developer docs](https://slicer.readthedocs.io/en/latest/developer_guide/build_instructions/macos.html) may need a minor update addressing development on the newer Macs (M-series chips). Here is a sufficient-for-development build from source on arm64 MacOS without requiring niche workarounds for specific libraries. The following steps explain how to build Slicer from source on M-chip computers. Note that the Slicer build still targets x86\_64 (i.e. run through Rosetta 2), but native arm64 builds may be rolled out at a future date. To summarize the steps: Install Qt5 with x86\_64…

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.slicer.org/t/build-3d-slicer-for-macos-arm64/35699)._