How to Install wget in macOS

This brief guide will take you step by step through the process of installing wget in macOS.

FYI – this guide could just as easily be called “how to install Linux Apps in macOS” – as there are a slew of *nix programs that have been ported to work via Homebrew.

With Homebrew, the “missing package manager for macOS” (more info here), you can easily install wget in macOS with just a few Terminal commands. Even better, Homebrew itself is just as easy to install. Here goes –

Install Homebrew

1. Go to Applications -> Utilities and double-click Terminal. Then copy and paste the following command into Terminal and hit return (Enter) on your keyboard:

/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

2. In all likelihood you’ll see the line The Xcode Command Line Tools will be installed. Hit the return key on your keyboard to continue.
3. Enter your macOS password when prompted.
4. Sit back and wait. Don’t worry if nothing seems to be happening while the software installs, just give it a bit of time.
5. Once the installation has completed you’ll be back at the Terminal prompt. Keep it open, we’ll be using it in the next section too.

Install wget in macOS

1. Now that you have Homebrew installed, it’s time to install wget. To do so, enter the command:

   brew install wget

2. Once again just sit back and wait. Installing wget will take less time than it did to install Homebrew, so don’t go too far away.
3. Once again you’ll be back at the macOS Terminal prompt.
4. Now type wget to make sure everything went smoothly.
5. If you need a refresher on using wget, we’ve got you covered with a guide on using wget. You can also read the manual for wget by entering the command man wget
6. Enjoy!