To install Python on macOS, follow these steps:

Step 1: Check if Python is already installed

Open Terminal and run:

python3 --version

macOS comes with Python 2.x preinstalled (deprecated), but you want Python 3.x.

Step 2: Install Python 3 (Recommended via Homebrew)

1. Install Homebrew (if not installed)

Run this in Terminal:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Verify installation:

brew --version

2. Install Python 3

brew install python

This installs the latest Python 3 version and pip3.

Verify installation:

python3 --version
pip3 --version

Step 3: Optional – Set Up a Virtual Environment

Navigate to your project folder and run:

python3 -m venv env
source env/bin/activate

To deactivate:

deactivate

Step 4: Test Python

Run Python interactive shell:

python3

You should see something like:

Python 3.x.x (default, ...)
>>>

Troubleshooting

• If python3 still shows the old version, try restarting the terminal or re-linking:

  brew link python