Product facts on this page were checked against publisher documentation on . Software changes. Confirm important details with the publisher before you rely on them.
System requirements for v2
Raycast's v2 requirements page states two minimums: macOS Tahoe, and an Apple Silicon Mac. If the Mac is still on Sequoia or earlier, that page says the operating system has to be upgraded before v2 is installed. It also asks people migrating from v1 to be on Raycast v1.104.16 or newer so the import path works.
Installing v2 replaces v1. The requirements page says a handful of features were still missing at launch and would be added later. This guide does not guess that list.
Intel Macs and older macOS
Raycast publishes a separate unsupported-Mac page. On the review date it listed older builds for Intel Macs and for macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina, and Mojave, with version numbers such as v1.104.31 for the newer of those systems and older numbers further back. Those builds are not the v2 manual this site is describing.
If a feature on the explorer mentions a v2 behavior, do not assume an older build has it.
Permissions that change what works
- File Search asks to scan the home folder, or only the folders you select. A narrower grant means a narrower index. The index stays on the Mac and is not uploaded.
- Content Search uses Spotlight. If a folder is excluded from Spotlight, the content toggle stays disabled until Spotlight covers it.
- Window Management needs Accessibility access. The manual says that setting is renamed Device Control and Data Access on macOS 27.
- Script commands that touch Accessibility, Automation, or Full Disk Access should be approved for Raycast, because Raycast runs them.
Behavior that is specifically Mac
Move to Next Space, Stage Manager gaps, and the Universal Clipboard option are documented in Mac terms. Ask Finder is a macOS AI extension beside Ask File Search. Focus can also be started from Apple Shortcuts on the Mac, which the manual does not claim for Windows. Menu-bar controls for Notes and Focus match the Mac desktop. Windows uses a taskbar or system tray for the equivalent settings the manual bothers to rename.
How this relates to Spotlight
Spotlight remains the system index. Raycast can search file names with its own local index and, if you turn Content Search on, read Spotlight's content index. Choosing Raycast does not remove Spotlight. The comparison page is the place to decide whether you need both.
iPhone and iPad
A Mac subscription can cover iOS as well, because the billing manual says one subscription covers macOS, Windows, and iOS. The iOS app is not a desktop launcher. Cloud Sync v2 for iOS was still described as unavailable. Manage an App Store subscription from Apple's subscription screen if that is where it was bought. Raycast's billing manual says the publisher cannot cancel those for you.