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Treadle

Install Treadle and get to your first press

Updated October 1, 2026

Download the Treadle Mac app from the website, drag it into your Applications folder, and open it. macOS shows a "downloaded from the Internet" dialog the first time — click Open. The first-run wizard then sets up the permissions and pairs your iPad or iPhone.

Download and install

  1. Open the download page on this site and download the .dmg file.
  2. Open the .dmg and drag Treadle into your Applications folder.
  3. Open Treadle from Applications.

The first time you open it, macOS shows a Gatekeeper dialog with this wording:

Treadle is an app downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?

Click Open. The app is signed and notarized by Apple, so you only see this once.

Treadle lives in the menu bar

Treadle has no Dock icon. After it opens, look for its icon in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Click it to open the popover with everything you need.

The first-run wizard

On first launch a wizard walks you through the two things you need before your first press:

  1. Granting macOS permissions. See Why Treadle asks for Accessibility, Screen Recording and Automation.
  2. Pairing your iPad or iPhone. See Pair your iPad or iPhone.

Once a device is paired and connected, press a button on the iPad or iPhone and watch it happen on the Mac. If a press does nothing, see A button does nothing when I press it.

Next, learn the words Treadle uses and build your first deck.

Questions & answers

Is Treadle on the Mac App Store?
No. Treadle is a signed, notarized direct download from the website, which is why the first launch shows the normal "downloaded from the Internet" dialog once.
Do I need anything besides the Mac app?
Yes. You also need the Treadle app on an iPad or iPhone. The Mac app runs your actions; the mobile app is the panel you press.

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