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Discover how to update your Mac's Python version from 2.7 to the `latest version` installed on your computer. Learn step-by-step commands that will resolve version conflicts.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63420901/ asked by the user 'Matthew Metros' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/12416920/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63420929/ provided by the user 'Santi Santichaivekin' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/2860949/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Make Your Mac Use the Latest Version of Python Installed

Are you finding it frustrating that your Mac is stuck using an old version of Python, even after installing the latest one? If you've updated to Python 3.8 multiple times and still see Python 2.7.16 when you check the version in the terminal, you’re not alone. Let’s walk through the steps to resolve this issue together.

Understanding the Problem

Many Mac users face a common issue where their terminal defaults to an older version of Python, often version 2.7. This happens due to the way Python is installed and accessed. MacOS comes with Python 2.x pre-installed, which can lead to confusion when trying to use the version that you've installed manually, such as Python 3.8.

Steps to Check Installed Python Versions

To solve this problem, we first need to check if the new version of Python you installed is recognized by your terminal. Often, newer versions are labeled differently in the terminal.

Step 1: Check Python 3 Versions

Open your terminal and try the following commands one by one:

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What These Commands Do

python3 --version: This command checks if Python 3 is installed and shows its version.

python3.8 --version: This checks specifically for the latest version of Python you installed (Python 3.8).

python3.8m --version: This checks for an alternative binary which may also be installed and serves a similar purpose.

Expected Outcomes

After running these commands, you should see an output displaying the installed Python 3 version. If you see something like Python 3.8.x, your latest version is successfully installed and just needs to be invoked differently in your terminal.

Making Python 3 Your Default Python Version

To prevent future conflicts with versioning, it’s a good practice to update your command line settings to always use Python 3. Here are a couple of ways to do this:

Method 1: Alias Command

You can create an alias for the python command in your shell configuration file to automatically use python3. Follow these steps:

Open your terminal.

Type the command:

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Add the following line at the end of the file:

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Save the file and exit (CTRL + X, then Y to confirm).

Load the updated settings with:

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Method 2: Update System Environment

Alternatively, you can change your system's PATH variable, but this is more advanced and generally not necessary if you're just working with Python.

Conclusion

Now you should be able to run Python 3.8 by simply typing python in your terminal. This not only resolves the issue of using an outdated version, but it also provides access to the many new features and improved performance of Python 3. If you continue to encounter issues, consider reinstalling Python and checking your PATH settings to ensure everything is properly configured.

By following the steps outlined in this post, you can successfully take control of the Python version your Mac uses, allowing you to develop with the most up-to-date tools available. Happy coding!