Updated July 2026 · 6 min read
Install on macOS and set permissions
Three things trip people up on macOS: the wrong chip architecture, the source check on first open, and the administrator password that service mode and TUN both need.
Work out which chip you have
M-series machines take the aarch64 build and Intel machines take the x64 one. If you are not sure, click the Apple logo at the top left and read the chip line in the panel that describes your Mac.
The wrong choice does not always announce itself. An Intel build on an M chip runs through Rosetta, which starts fine but costs the core performance, while an aarch64 build on an Intel Mac does nothing at all.
The source check on first open
A package downloaded through a browser carries a quarantine flag, so the first double-click may be refused with a message about an unverified developer. That is default macOS policy, not a sign of a broken app.
Control-click the app icon in Finder and choose open, which offers an extra allow option. The privacy and security page in System Settings also lists the blocked app with a button to open it anyway. Skip the commands that disable the check wholesale.
A missing menu bar icon does not mean the app is not running. On a crowded narrow screen it gets pushed out of sight, so check the process first.
Service mode and TUN want a password
Installing service mode raises a system authorisation dialog. What it wants is the administrator password of the local Mac account, not your Apple account password. Get it wrong or cancel it, and the service does not install.
Without the service, the TUN switch flips back to off the moment you touch it and leaves a permission line in the log. So when TUN will not start, check that authorisation step instead of toggling the switch again.
System proxy and TUN need different rights
The system proxy only writes a few fields into the network settings, which is a low bar, so it usually takes effect the moment you click. Its icon lives in the menu bar at the top right of the screen, not in the Dock.
TUN has to create a virtual adapter and rewrite routes, and that only happens through the privileged helper. Hence the common macOS pairing: a working system proxy next to a TUN switch that refuses to stay on. They are not the same permission.
What is the project?
Clash Verge Rev is a Tauri-based GUI for Mihomo with profile management, system proxy, TUN mode, rule editing and WebDAV backups.