macOSnetworkingTested on real hardware

Install Tailscale on macOS

Install Tailscale on macOS via Homebrew or the Mac App Store. Includes subnet routing and exit node setup for homelab access.

Shellbash
Updated
Script
bash
# Install via Homebrew (recommended for CLI control)
brew install --cask tailscale

# Start the Tailscale menu bar app
open /Applications/Tailscale.app

# OR: use the CLI directly after install
/Applications/Tailscale.app/Contents/MacOS/Tailscale up

What this does

Installs Tailscale on macOS using Homebrew Cask, which installs the full menu bar application. The CLI (tailscale) is bundled inside the .app bundle.

Prerequisites

  • Homebrew installed
  • macOS 12 Monterey or later (Tailscale requires Network Extension entitlement)
  • A Tailscale account

Alternative: Mac App Store

If you prefer not to use Homebrew, install directly from the Mac App Store. The App Store version is identical functionally.

Add the CLI to your PATH

The Tailscale CLI lives inside the app bundle. Add a convenient alias:

# Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile
alias tailscale="/Applications/Tailscale.app/Contents/MacOS/Tailscale"

Then reload: source ~/.zshrc

Useful CLI commands

tailscale status           # show all connected nodes
tailscale ping hostname    # test connectivity to a Tailscale node
tailscale ip -4            # show your Tailscale IPv4 address
tailscale up --accept-routes  # accept subnet routes advertised by other nodes

Access your homelab subnets

If a node on your network advertises subnet routes (e.g. 192.168.1.0/24), enable route acceptance:

/Applications/Tailscale.app/Contents/MacOS/Tailscale up --accept-routes

Then approve the route in the Tailscale admin console.

Notes

  • Tailscale on macOS uses the Network Extension framework — macOS will prompt for permission on first run
  • The menu bar icon shows connection status and lets you switch exit nodes
  • System sleep/wake is handled automatically; Tailscale reconnects on wake
All playbooks