# tmux Mac Setup: Install, Configure and Split Panes

> How to use tmux on a Mac: install it with Homebrew, a short .tmux.conf with mouse and clipboard, sessions that survive closing the window, and splitting panes.

Canonical: https://monok.io/blog/tmux-on-mac.md

[Terminal](https://monok.io/blog/category/terminal)

Nemo · November 8, 2026 · 4 min read

To use tmux on a Mac, install it with Homebrew (`brew install tmux`), run `tmux` in any terminal, and press Ctrl+b followed by `%` or `"` to split the window into panes. A few lines in `~/.tmux.conf` make it feel at home on macOS: mouse support, copying to the system clipboard and splits that open in the current folder. The real reason to use it is sessions: your shells keep running after you close the terminal window, and you attach to them again later.

## How do you install tmux on a Mac?

macOS doesn’t ship tmux, so install it with a package manager:

```
brew install tmux
tmux -V        # prints the version
```

With MacPorts it is `sudo port install tmux`. Then open the terminal (our guide on [how to open the terminal on a Mac](https://monok.io/blog/how-to-open-terminal-on-mac) lists every way) and type `tmux`. A green status bar at the bottom means you are in.

## What are the first commands to learn?

Every tmux key starts with the prefix, Ctrl+b by default: press it, let go, then press the next key.

| Keys | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+b % | Split into left and right panes |
| Ctrl+b “ | Split into top and bottom panes |
| Ctrl+b arrow | Move to the pane in that direction |
| Ctrl+b z | Zoom the current pane, again to unzoom |
| Ctrl+b c | New window (a tab, in tmux terms) |
| Ctrl+b d | Detach: leave tmux running in the background |
| `tmux attach` | Come back to the last session |

The full list, with sessions, windows and copy mode, is in our [tmux cheat sheet](https://monok.io/blog/tmux-cheat-sheet).

## What should a Mac .tmux.conf have?

Create `~/.tmux.conf` with a few lines that fix the usual Mac annoyances:

```
set -g mouse on                      # click panes, drag borders, scroll
bind | split-window -h -c "#{pane_current_path}"
bind - split-window -v -c "#{pane_current_path}"
set -g base-index 1                  # number windows from 1
bind -T copy-mode-vi y send -X copy-pipe-and-cancel "pbcopy"
setw -g mode-keys vi
```

Reload it with `tmux source-file ~/.tmux.conf`. The `pbcopy` line sends text you copy in tmux’s copy mode to the macOS clipboard, so Cmd+V works in other apps. The `-c "#{pane_current_path}"` part makes new panes start in the folder you were in.

## Which terminal works best with tmux?

Any of them. The built-in Terminal is fine; terminals with their own splits matter less once tmux draws the panes. Two settings help: let the Option key act as Meta if you use Alt bindings (Terminal: Settings, Profiles, Keyboard), and pick a theme with good contrast for the status bar. [The best terminal for Mac](https://monok.io/blog/best-terminal-for-mac) compares the main options.

## How do you work with sessions?

A session is a set of windows and panes that keeps running on its own. Name one per project and switching projects becomes one command:

```
tmux new -s site        # start a session called "site"
tmux ls                 # list running sessions
tmux attach -t site     # go back to it
tmux kill-session -t site
```

Inside tmux, Ctrl+b s shows the sessions as a list you can pick from, and Ctrl+b $ renames the current one. Sessions live as long as the tmux server does: they survive closing the terminal window, but not a restart of the Mac.

## Do you need tmux if your app already splits?

It depends on what you want from it:

| You want | tmux | App splits (iTerm2, a browser with panes) |
|---|---|---|
| Shells that keep running after you close the window | Yes, detach and attach | No |
| The same setup over SSH on a server | Yes | No |
| Panes next to web pages | No | Yes, in a browser with panes |
| No prefix key to learn | No | Yes |

Monok borrows the tmux layout for a browser: every tab is a tree of panes, and a pane can be a web page or a [native terminal](https://monok.io/blog/browser-with-built-in-terminal) running your login shell. Cmd+D splits right, Shift+Cmd+D splits down, Option+Cmd+arrows move the focus and Shift+Cmd+Return zooms a pane, with no prefix. Layouts come back with the session, but a terminal comes back as an empty pane: it doesn’t keep processes running the way tmux does. So the two work together well. Run `tmux` inside a Monok terminal pane and you get detachable sessions next to your pages. The [home page](https://monok.io/) shows the panes in a real window.

## FAQ

### Is tmux built into macOS?

No. Install it with `brew install tmux` or MacPorts.

### How do I scroll in tmux on a Mac?

Add `set -g mouse on` to `~/.tmux.conf` and scroll with the trackpad, or press Ctrl+b then [ to enter copy mode and use the arrow keys.

### Can I change the Ctrl+b prefix?

Yes. Many people use Ctrl+a: add `unbind C-b`, `set -g prefix C-a` and `bind C-a send-prefix` to the config.

### Why do my colors look wrong inside tmux?

tmux needs to know the terminal supports more colors. Adding `set -g default-terminal "screen-256color"` to the config fixes most cases.

### Does Monok replace tmux?

No. Its panes cover splitting a window; tmux adds sessions that outlive it. Monok 0.1.0 is on the [download page](https://monok.io/download).

Early preview · macOS

Monok is a small Mac browser with a native terminal and a file manager.

Magic Bar, tmux-style panes, your own shell and ad blocking built in. Free while in preview.

 [Go to the download](https://monok.io/download)

**About this article.** Written by Nemo, who is building Monok. Performance numbers here are v1 targets unless a post says they were measured, and on what. Spotted something wrong or out of date? [Tell us](mailto:support@monok.io).

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