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How to Install Windows on a Mac with Boot Camp (Intel Macs Only)

Tap each step to follow along in order.

  1. Confirm you have an Intel Mac

    Boot Camp Assistant only works on Macs with an Intel processor β€” it is not available on Apple silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4, and later).

  2. If you have an Apple silicon Mac, check the alternative

    On an Apple silicon Mac, you will need to use virtualization software such as Parallels Desktop to install an ARM version of Windows instead.

  3. Open Boot Camp Assistant

    Launch "Boot Camp Assistant" from the Applications > Utilities folder.

  4. Partition the disk

    Adjust the slider to decide how much storage space to allocate to Windows, then proceed with the partition.

  5. Select a Windows installation image

    Choose a properly licensed Windows ISO installer file and point Boot Camp Assistant to it.

  6. Install and restart

    After downloading the necessary support software (drivers), restarting automatically takes you into the Windows installer, where you follow the on-screen instructions to finish.

  7. Hold Option to switch operating systems

    Once installation is complete, you can hold the Option (Alt) key at startup each time to choose whether to boot into macOS or Windows.

When you need a Windows-only program or game

If you need to run a Windows-only program or game that does not work well on a Mac, an Intel Mac can install a full, native copy of Windows through Boot Camp without any third-party software, giving near-native performance.

Weigh the tradeoffs against virtualization

Boot Camp requires restarting to switch between operating systems and dedicates a fixed chunk of storage to Windows, so if you mainly need occasional Windows access rather than full performance, virtualization software may be a more convenient fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Boot Camp on an Apple silicon Mac?

No β€” Boot Camp Assistant is Intel-only. On Apple silicon Macs (M1 and later), you need virtualization software like Parallels Desktop to run an ARM version of Windows instead.

Can I resize the partition later?

Resizing a partition you set up with Boot Camp Assistant after the fact is tricky, so it is best to plan generously for how much space you will need when you first partition the disk.