publik.

How to install Hickeyfield on Mac

Hickeyfield does what Higgsfield does, and Higgsfield costs $15–$270/mo. This guide gets you the free one.

What you end up with

Hickeyfield installed like any other app on your Mac. It is free, and it stays free — there is no account, no trial and no subscription at the end of this.

Time
About 45 minutes
Steps
17
Cost
Free

Before you start

These are one-time installs. If you have used Terminal before, you may have them already — the first step checks.

  1. Install Git

    Apple opens a small installer.

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    xcode-select --install

    You know this worked when: Git responds with a version number

  2. Install Node LTS

    Choose the macOS Installer (.pkg).

    Open download

    You know this worked when: Node responds with a version number

Install Hickeyfield

  1. Open Terminal

    Keep it open beside this page.

    You know this worked when: Terminal is open

  2. Check Git and Node

    Use Terminal. Git and the current Node LTS are required.

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    git --version
node --version

    You know this worked when: Git and Node respond with version numbers

  3. Install pnpm

    The interface is a pnpm project.

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    npm install -g pnpm

    You know this worked when: pnpm responds with a version number

  4. Install Rust

    Run the single command the page shows, then reopen Terminal.

    Open rustup

    You know this worked when: cargo responds with a version number

  5. Copy Hickeyfield to this Mac

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    cd ~
if [ ! -d hickeyfield/.git ]; then
git clone https://github.com/Blueturboguy07/hickeyfield.git
fi

    You know this worked when: A hickeyfield folder appears

  6. Open the hickeyfield folder

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    cd hickeyfield

    You know this worked when: Your terminal prompt is inside the hickeyfield folder

  7. Use the reviewed version

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    git checkout ab5992c5aac8be595ce570e7ca0a80484e372321

    You know this worked when: Git reports the reviewed commit

  8. Install the interface packages

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    cd ui
pnpm install
cd ..

    You know this worked when: The install finishes without an error

  9. Fetch the video engine

    About 80 MB. The script checks its licence before installing it.

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    ./scripts/fetch-ffmpeg.sh

    You know this worked when: It reports GPL, not nonfree, and finishes

  10. Build the app

    The first build compiles the whole Rust core, so give it a while.

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    ui/node_modules/.bin/tauri build --bundles app

    You know this worked when: A Hickeyfield.app appears in the bundle folder

  11. Put Hickeyfield in Applications

    Copy the freshly built app into Applications so it's a real, launchable Mac app.

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    ditto src-tauri/target/release/bundle/macos/Hickeyfield.app /Applications/Hickeyfield.app

    You know this worked when: Hickeyfield.app is in your Applications folder

  12. Open Hickeyfield

    Built on your own machine, so macOS opens it without any warning.

    Type this into Terminal, then press Return.

    open /Applications/Hickeyfield.app

    You know this worked when: Hickeyfield opens

  13. Get a fal key

    Sign in, make a key, and copy it. You pay fal directly for what you generate.

    Open fal keys

    You know this worked when: You have a key on your clipboard

  14. Paste the key into Hickeyfield

    Settings, then fal, then Test. It is stored in your keychain, never in a file.

    You know this worked when: Hickeyfield reports the key works

  15. Make something

    Type a shot, check the price on the button, and press Generate.

    You know this worked when: A video appears in the middle column and plays

If something goes wrong

Nothing here can damage your computer, and every step can be run again safely. If a command fails, the usual cause is the step before it not having finished.

Still stuck? Tell us what happened and we will fix the guide. Include the step number and we can usually reproduce it.

Have a different setup?