# Migrate to Warp from macOS Terminal

Warp gives Terminal.app users everything they already have — shell, theme, font, prompt — plus split panes, tabs, blocks, and Agent Mode for an AI-assisted workflow. This page walks through both an agent-driven migration and the manual GUI steps.

## What transfers automatically

Warp doesn't ship a Terminal.app importer, but it can do most of the work for you agentically. Most Terminal.app users run near-default settings, so the migration usually takes only a few minutes either way.

## Use Warp's agent to migrate your settings (recommended)

The fastest way to bring over a Terminal.app theme is to ask Warp's agent to translate it directly. Warp ships a [`settings.toml` file](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/settings) and a bundled `modify-settings` skill that lets the agent read your Terminal.app preferences and write equivalent values into Warp's settings, including creating a matching [custom theme](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/appearance/custom-themes).

1. In Warp, open a new tab and switch to [Agent Mode](https://docs.warp.dev/agent-platform/warp-agents) with `⌘+I`.
2. Paste a prompt like:

   > Read my Terminal.app preferences with `defaults read com.apple.Terminal` and port the active profile (theme, font, window size) into my Warp `settings.toml` using the `modify-settings` skill. Create a matching custom theme. Show me a diff before applying.
3. Review the proposed diff and approve. Warp hot-reloads `settings.toml`.

If you'd rather configure each setting manually through the Settings UI, the steps below cover the most common cases.

## What to reconfigure manually

### Shell

Warp auto-detects your login shell on first launch. macOS has shipped with `zsh` as the default since Catalina (2019); if you changed your shell with `chsh`, Warp picks that up too.

To change it later, go to **Settings** > **Features** > **Session** and pick a shell from **Startup shell for new sessions**.

### Theme and colors

Terminal.app ships with a handful of profiles (Basic, Pro, Homebrew, Ocean, etc.). Match them in Warp:

1. Open **Settings** > **Appearance** > **Themes**.
2. Pick a preset theme. Warp's built-in library includes many themes similar to Terminal.app's defaults.
3. For exact color matches, [create a custom theme](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/appearance/custom-themes) using the ANSI color values you can inspect in Terminal.app's **Settings** > **Profiles** > **Text** tab.

### Font

1. In **Settings** > **Appearance** > **Text, fonts, & cursor**, pick your font family and size to match what you use in Terminal.app.

### Window size and transparency

Configure in **Settings** > **Appearance** > **Size, opacity, & blurring**. See [size, opacity, and blurring](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/appearance/size-opacity-blurring).

### Prompt

Terminal.app uses whatever prompt your shell's PS1 (or zsh's PROMPT) defines. In Warp, choose:

1. [**Warp prompt**](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/appearance/prompt#warp-prompt) - Warp's native prompt with drag-and-drop chips for git branch, directory, and more.
2. [**Shell prompt (PS1)**](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/appearance/prompt#custom-prompt) - keeps your existing shell prompt exactly as it appears in Terminal.app.

Configure in **Settings** > **Appearance** > **Prompt**.

## Warp-native equivalents

Most Terminal.app features have a Warp equivalent with additional capabilities on top:

| From Terminal.app            | In Warp                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Profiles                     | [Tab configs](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/windows/tab-configs) for layouts and startup commands; [themes](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/appearance/themes) for appearance (Warp has no single profile object) |
| Window groups / arrangements | [Tab configs](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/windows/tab-configs)                                                                                                                                                 |
| Tabs                         | [Tabs](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/windows/tabs), [vertical tabs](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/windows/vertical-tabs)                                                                                        |
| Split panes                  | [Split panes](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/windows/split-panes) (Terminal.app doesn't support)                                                                                                                  |
| Copy-on-select               | **Settings** > **Features** > **Session**                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Inspector                    | [Command inspector](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/editor/command-inspector) (exit code, duration, working directory)                                                                                             |

Beyond matching Terminal.app, Warp adds [Agent Mode](https://docs.warp.dev/agent-platform/warp-agents) for natural-language commands, [blocks](https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/blocks) for structured command output, and [Warp Drive](https://docs.warp.dev/knowledge-and-collaboration/warp-drive) for shared workflows. New to Warp? Start with the [Warp quickstart](https://docs.warp.dev/getting-started/quickstart).


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