> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.minimalmacropad.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Mac App or Browser: Which MinimalPad Studio to Use

> Compare MinimalPad Studio for Mac with MinimalPad Studio for browser, and choose the right configurator for your computer.

MinimalPad Studio comes in two versions. They configure the same pad and write to the same place — the pad's own memory — so a key you set in one shows up in the other.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Studio for Mac" icon="apple" href="/mac/overview">
    **macOS 14 or later.** A native app that finds your pad on its own, saves as you work, and switches the pad's keys to match the app in front of you.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Studio for browser" icon="globe" href="/browser/overview">
    **Windows, Linux, and macOS.** Runs in Chrome or Edge with nothing to install.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The short answer

* **On a Mac?** Use [Studio for Mac](/mac/overview). It does everything the browser version does and adds app profiles, which is the feature most people buy the pad for. It also has keys that open an app, and shortcut libraries for 31 apps.
* **On Windows or Linux?** Use [Studio for browser](/browser/overview). It's the full configurator, and it's the only option on those systems.
* **Setting up someone else's computer, or just want a quick change?** The browser version needs no install, so it's handy anywhere.

## Side by side

|                                                                            | Studio for Mac                             | Studio for browser              |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------- |
| Runs on                                                                    | macOS 14 or later                          | Chrome or Edge, any OS          |
| Install                                                                    | Download and drag to Applications          | Nothing to install              |
| Connects over                                                              | USB-C and Bluetooth                        | USB-C and Bluetooth             |
| Finding your pad                                                           | Automatic, no picker                       | You pick it in a browser dialog |
| Change what a key does                                                     | Yes                                        | Yes                             |
| Layers                                                                     | Yes                                        | Yes                             |
| Lighting and Bluetooth keys                                                | Yes                                        | Yes                             |
| Saving                                                                     | Automatic, a few seconds after each change | You press **Save**              |
| Undo                                                                       | ⌘Z                                         | Discard all changes             |
| **App profiles** — keys follow the app in front                            | Yes                                        | —                               |
| **Profile light colour**                                                   | Yes                                        | —                               |
| **The dial** — volume, scroll, zoom, lights, or two keys, per layer        | Yes                                        | —                               |
| **Open app keys** — a key that opens a Mac app, or brings it forward       | Yes                                        | —                               |
| **Named shortcuts** for 31 apps — Figma, Photoshop, Xcode, Slack, and more | Yes                                        | —                               |
| **Firmware updates from inside the app**                                   | Yes                                        | —                               |
| Menu bar status                                                            | Yes                                        | —                               |
| Advanced ZMK behaviours (mod-tap, sticky keys, caps word)                  | —                                          | Yes                             |

<Note>
  App profiles need MinimalPad firmware **0.3.0 or newer**, Open app keys **0.5.0 or newer**, and changing the dial **0.6.0 or newer**. Studio for Mac carries the current firmware and can install it for you — see [Updates](/mac/updates).
</Note>

## Can I use both?

Yes, but not at the same moment. Only one app can hold the pad's USB connection, so quit or disconnect one before you connect the other. If Studio for Mac says the port is busy, close the browser tab that has the pad connected.

Both write to the same pad, so there's nothing to sync or export. Changes you make in the browser appear in the Mac app the next time it reads the pad, and the other way round.

<Warning>
  If you rename a layer in the browser version while Studio for Mac has a profile on it, Studio for Mac flags that profile as needing repair. It tells you what to fix — see [Layers](/mac/layers).
</Warning>

## What neither can change

Firmware macros — sequences of keys with delays — and behaviours your firmware wasn't built with need a rebuild and reflash. See [Advanced customization](/firmware/advanced).