MacSync
Keep all your Macs set up the same way: Dock layout, installed apps and, with Pro, settings.
Sync goes through your own iCloud Drive. There is no server.
Status: early access. It has been run on one Mac only, not yet across two physical Macs, and the
builds here are not signed or notarized yet. See docs/RELEASING.md.
What it does
- Dock: apps, folders, spacers, links, order, position and size. Apps match by bundle ID,
so they still line up when their paths differ between Macs.
- Apps: Homebrew casks and formulae, and Mac App Store apps. You tick what you want.
MacSync never uninstalls anything.
- Settings (Pro): about 34 macOS settings (trackpad, keyboard, Finder, Dock behavior,
appearance, screenshots), plus the preferences of apps you pick under the gear menu,
App Preferences. A setting left at its default stays at its default.
- Config files and AI setup: shell, Git, editor and terminal config, fonts, AI skills, rules,
CLAUDE.md, MCP servers and settings. Anything with a key or token in it stays on its Mac.
- Login items, extensions and packages: login items, VS Code and Cursor extensions, npm and uv
tools, Homebrew taps, Claude Code plugins and Steam games.
- Sign-in list: apps that need an account after they install, password manager first.
- Safety: a preview before every apply, a restore point before every apply, and one-click undo.
Pro is behind a single switch, ProLicense.enforced in Sources/MacSyncCore/Pro.swift. It is
false, so Pro is on for everyone until you decide on pricing and add a license check.
How sync works
Each Mac writes only its own file, iCloud Drive/MacSync/machines/<id>.json, so iCloud never
has to merge anything. MacSync checks every 5 minutes and on wake, and it saves this Mac's setup
when it changes. It doesn't change a Mac until you review and apply.
When two Macs change the Dock or settings, the latest change wins. The other Mac is offered
that version, and a restore point is saved before it applies. A newly added Mac never beats an
established one, because its starting setup doesn't count as an edit. If an app in the layout
isn't on this Mac, it is left out and listed. This relies on each Mac's clock.
Only an allowlist of fields is ever synced: names, bundle IDs, paths, Dock options, app lists and
the catalogued settings. Bookmarks stay on the Mac, your user folder is written as ~, and logins
and secret-looking parameters are stripped from Dock links. App preferences you pick are filtered
too: anything that looks like a token, key or password is dropped.
Build and run
Requires Xcode. The app runs on macOS 13 or later.
swift test
scripts/build-app.sh
open build/MacSync.app
CLI
The CLI is inside the app, at MacSync.app/Contents/Helpers/macsync.
macsync status Show each Mac and whether it's in sync
macsync sync Save this Mac's setup and check the others (changes nothing here)
macsync preview Show what applying would change
macsync apply Apply, after showing the preview and asking
--yes Don't ask (required when not run from a terminal)
--no-dock Leave the Dock alone
--no-settings Leave settings alone
--install a,b Also install these (cask:ghostty,formula:jq,mas:497799835)
--all-apps Also install everything your other Macs have
macsync undo [--yes] Undo the last apply
macsync app-prefs List the app preference domains you sync (add|remove <domain>)
macsync restore-points List saved restore points
Raycast
raycast/ has Sync Now, Apply Dock Layout, Undo Last Apply and Show Status. They call the same CLI.
cd raycast && npm install && npm run dev
Good to know
- Mac App Store apps open on their App Store page for you to click Get.
mas install needs root,
so MacSync doesn't use it, and App Store IDs come from Spotlight, so it needs no extra tools.
- Casks that ask for an admin password fail and are reported, because MacSync never waits on a prompt.
- Undo restores the Dock and settings. Installed apps stay installed, and MacSync tells you which ones.
- Some settings (trackpad, keyboard, appearance) need a log out to fully take effect.
Branding and the landing page
scripts/make-icon.swift draws the app icon. build-app.sh turns it into AppIcon.icns.scripts/make-screenshots.sh renders the screenshots in docs/assets/ from a made-up demo
setup, light and dark, so no real names or apps appear in them.docs/index.html is the landing page: one static file that uses those images.
Releasing
scripts/release.sh signs with a Developer ID certificate, notarizes, staples, zips, and fills in
the Homebrew cask from packaging/macsync.rb.template. It publishes nothing. The one-time setup
and the manual steps after it are in docs/RELEASING.md.
Layout
Sources/MacSyncCore: everything that matters, shared by the app and CLISources/MacSyncApp: the menu bar appSources/macsync: the CLITests/MacSyncCoreTests: unit tests, using a simulated Dock and simulated preferencespackaging/: the Homebrew cask templatedocs/: landing page and its images
