Install
Requirements, the download, and what happens on the first launch.
Requirements
| macOS | 14.4 or later |
| Mac | Apple silicon or Intel |
| Account | A BetterApps account with a trial or subscription for BetterLibrary |
| Network | Needed for AI tagging, Ask, and the account check |
Download
Download the app from usebetterapps.com/betterlibrary/download. Open the disk image and drag BetterLibrary to your Applications folder.
The command line tool ships inside the app. Nothing else is installed. See The command line.
The first launch
The app is locked until your account has a live trial or subscription for BetterLibrary. On the first launch it plays a short tour, then makes the offer.
- Three slides show what the app does: the library, AI tagging and Ask, and Claude Code. Use the arrow keys or the Continue button.
- The last slide is the offer: a seven-day free trial with 300 AI credits, nothing charged today, then the monthly price shown on the slide. Click Start free trial.
- Your browser opens on dashboard.usebetterapps.com. Create your account or sign in, and start the trial there.
- Come back to the app. It unlocks on its own once the trial is live.
If you already have an account, use the Sign in link in the footer of every slide. If this Mac already holds an account from BetterEdits, the footer offers Use a different account instead.
While the browser is open the app shows a Finish in your browser panel. Open the browser again brings the page back if the tab got lost. Cancel returns to the offer.
After the first launch
The app remembers the library you had open and reopens it. If you closed the library before quitting, the welcome screen shows instead, with your recent libraries. See Libraries.
The tour plays once. A later launch without a live subscription shows a short panel with the same offer and no slides.