First-Time Clash Install on Windows and macOS: Client Choices and Initial Setup Compared

Neither Windows nor macOS has a single official installer simply called "Clash." The original Clash core is no longer maintained, and the graphical clients in common use today are built around the community-maintained Clash Meta core (the core project is now called mihomo). Common options include Clash Verge, alternatives to the old Clash for Windows, and various Tauri/Electron-based clients. When choosing a source, it helps to rule out risk in this order:

1. Get the installer from the project's release page or this site's download links, rather than an unverified reposted link.
2. Make sure the installer's architecture matches your system: Windows comes in x64/ARM64 builds, macOS in Intel and Apple Silicon builds.
3. Check which core the client ships with. A single client may bundle multiple core versions you can switch between, but on a first install there's no need to change anything manually — the default core already covers everyday proxying and traffic splitting.

Windows package format

.exe installer wizard / portable .zip build

macOS package format

.dmg disk image, drag into the Applications folder

Shared core

Clash Meta / mihomo, supports Rule and TUN modes

Config file format

YAML, parsed identically on both platforms and fully portable between them

Both platforms will trigger OS-level security prompts during installation. This is the standard warning operating systems show for apps not distributed through an app store, and how you respond differs by platform — but in either case it doesn't mean the installer itself is faulty.

Once the client is installed and open, it usually drops you straight into the main panel — but a few OS-integration toggles aren't on by default, and skipping them leads to the classic "it looks like it's running, but traffic isn't actually going through the proxy" problem.

Launch at login

Most clients have a dedicated "launch at login" toggle in settings, and its default state varies by version. It's worth confirming manually once:

• On Windows, this is usually under "General" or "Basic settings." Turning it on writes a startup entry you can double-check under the "Startup apps" tab in Task Manager.
• On macOS, the equivalent toggle is usually labeled "Launch at login" near the top of the settings panel. Once enabled, it will show up in System Settings → General → Login Items.

System proxy

The system proxy determines whether apps like your browser route traffic through Clash. The "system proxy" toggle in the client is just a shortcut — what actually gets written is the proxy field in your OS network settings:

• On Windows, this corresponds to "Use a proxy server" under Settings → Network & Internet → Proxy. After enabling the client's system proxy toggle, this field should auto-fill with a local address and port.
• On macOS, this corresponds to the "Web Proxy (HTTP)" and "Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS)" fields under System Settings → Network → [your network service] → Details → Proxies.

If you rely on the system proxy alone, some apps that ignore system proxy settings (certain command-line tools, some game clients) will still connect directly. Handling those cases requires TUN mode for full traffic capture, which is an advanced setting you don't need to deal with on day one.

Core version

The "core version" field in settings shows which Clash Meta / mihomo build is currently active, usually with a one-click switch or upgrade button nearby. On a first install, it's best to stick with whatever default core the client ships with rather than manually switching to a beta or dev branch, to avoid running into incompatible rule fields that break config parsing.

Check 1

Does the launch-at-login toggle match what's actually in your system's startup list?

Check 2

Has the system proxy field actually been filled in with a local address and port?

Check 3

Is the core version the stable build the client ships with by default?

Check 4

Have you imported at least one working subscription or local config?

Most issues at the first-install stage come down to incomplete permission grants or the system proxy failing to write. Here are a few common symptoms and where to look.

• The panel shows connected, but the browser can't reach anything outside. First check whether the system proxy field was actually written, then confirm the selected node is actually usable — if the latency shown stays stuck on "timeout," switch nodes and test again.
• Turning on TUN mode on macOS breaks the network entirely. This is usually a conflict between the virtual adapter and local DNS settings. Turn off TUN mode to fall back to system proxy mode, confirm basic connectivity works, then troubleshoot the DNS configuration step by step.
• Launch at login doesn't work after rebooting Windows. Check whether security software blocked the startup entry from being written, or whether a client update reset the toggle. Simply re-enable it and save once more.
• The client reports it failed to parse the config file. This usually means the subscription contains fields the core doesn't support. Try a simple test config first to confirm the client itself works, then go back and inspect the subscription content.