Installation Guide

Download and install SafeRag on your Mac in just a few minutes. This guide covers system requirements, downloading, and initial setup.

System Requirements

Before installing SafeRag, ensure your Mac meets the following requirements:

Component Requirement
macOS macOS 14.0 (Sonoma) or later
Processor Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) or Intel
RAM 8 GB minimum (16 GB recommended)
Storage 5 GB free space (more for AI models)
Network Internet for initial model download
💡 Performance Tip
Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4) provide significantly better AI performance. If you have an Intel Mac, consider using smaller AI models for faster responses.

Download SafeRag

SafeRag is distributed as a notarized DMG file for easy installation.

Download the DMG

Visit the SafeRag download page and click the download button. The DMG file will begin downloading automatically.

Open the DMG

Once downloaded, double-click the SafeRag.dmg file to mount it. A new Finder window will open showing the SafeRag application.

Drag to Applications

Drag the SafeRag icon to your Applications folder. You can also drag it to your Dock for quick access.

SafeRag DMG installer window showing drag to Applications
Drag SafeRag to your Applications folder to install

First Launch

The first time you launch SafeRag, macOS will verify the app. This is normal for apps downloaded outside the App Store.

Open SafeRag

Open your Applications folder and double-click SafeRag, or use Spotlight (Cmd + Space) and type "SafeRag".

Allow the App

If macOS shows a security dialog, click Open to confirm you want to run the app. SafeRag is notarized by Apple, so you should see a standard open dialog.

Begin Onboarding

SafeRag will start the onboarding process to help you set up Ollama and configure your account. See Onboarding for details.

💡 First Launch Security
On first launch, macOS displays a dialog saying "SafeRag is an app downloaded from the internet. Are you sure you want to open it?" — simply click Open to continue. SafeRag is notarized by Apple and safe to run.

About Ollama

SafeRag uses Ollama to run AI models locally on your Mac. Ollama is a free, open-source tool that manages and runs large language models.

💡 Automatic Setup
SafeRag handles Ollama installation automatically during onboarding. You don't need to install Ollama separately - just follow the prompts in the app.

What Ollama Does

  • Model Management - Downloads and stores AI models on your Mac
  • Local Inference - Runs AI processing entirely on your hardware
  • API Server - Provides a local API that SafeRag uses to communicate with models

Ollama System Requirements

Ollama requires:

  • macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later
  • At least 8 GB of RAM (more for larger models)
  • Several GB of storage per AI model

Uninstalling SafeRag

To remove SafeRag from your Mac:

Quit SafeRag

Make sure SafeRag is not running. Right-click the Dock icon and select Quit, or use Cmd + Q.

Delete the App

Open your Applications folder, find SafeRag, and drag it to the Trash. Alternatively, right-click and select Move to Trash.

Remove Data (Optional)

To completely remove all SafeRag data including chat history and documents, delete the following folder:

~/Library/Application Support/SafeRag
⚠ Data Deletion Warning
Deleting the Application Support folder will permanently remove all your chat history, uploaded documents, and settings. This action cannot be undone.

Next Steps

Now that SafeRag is installed, continue to the onboarding guide to complete setup:

🎯 Complete Onboarding 🛠 Installation Issues?