How do I update all my Homebrew apps at once?

Run brew update && brew upgrade. The first command refreshes the package list and the second upgrades every installed formula and cask to its latest version.

How do I free up space used by Homebrew?

Run brew cleanup to remove outdated versions and cached downloads. Add --prune=all to also clear the entire download cache.

How do I see everything I have installed?

Run brew list to print every installed formula and cask, or brew leaves to see only the top-level packages you installed directly (not dependencies).

How to Use Homebrew on Mac (2026)

To use Homebrew, run brew <command> in Terminal: brew install to add software, brew upgrade to update everything, brew uninstall to remove it, and brew doctor to fix problems.

Install & remove

brew install <tool>

Install a command-line tool (formula), e.g. brew install git.

brew install --cask <app>

Install a graphical app (cask), e.g. brew install --cask arc.

brew uninstall <name>

Remove a formula. Add --cask for an app.

brew list

List everything you have installed.

Find software

brew search <term>

Search for formulae and casks by name.

brew info <name>

Show version, dependencies, and the homepage for a package.

Keep things current

brew update

Refresh the catalog of available packages.

brew upgrade

Upgrade everything you have installed to the latest version.

brew outdated

See which installed packages have updates available.

Maintenance & repair

brew doctor

Diagnose common problems with your Homebrew setup.

brew cleanup

Delete old versions and free up disk space.

brew bundle dump

Write a Brewfile of your current setup so you can reproduce it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Run brew update to refresh the catalog, brew install <name> (add --cask for apps) to add software, brew upgrade to keep everything current, and brew uninstall <name> to remove it. brew doctor and brew cleanup keep the install healthy.