How to set GitHub credentials for macOS

Nov 21, 2021updated Aug 7, 2026

Learn how to set up GitHub authentication on macOS for the git command line and VS Code by installing the gh CLI with Homebrew and running gh auth login.

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To set up GitHub credentials on macOS, install the GitHub CLI with Homebrew and run gh auth login. It authenticates your account and configures git for you, so pushes and pulls work from the terminal and from VS Code.

I normally use the GitHub Desktop app to interact with my GitHub account, the only place I use for Git repositories for all my code and websites.

But there are times you need to use the git command line, or perhaps the Git integration in VS Code.

Without these steps, you’d get an authentication issue if you try. GitHub no longer accepts your account password for Git operations over HTTPS. You need a personal access token instead, and creating one by hand, storing it, and pasting it every time is tedious. The gh tool handles all of that for you.

Install the GitHub CLI

I assume you have Homebrew installed.

From the command line, run:

brew install gh

and then use the gh tool:

gh auth login

Then answer a few questions.

Terminal showing gh auth login command with GitHub.com account selection highlighted

Choose HTTPS:

Terminal showing protocol selection with HTTPS option highlighted

Choose Y:

Terminal asking to authenticate Git with GitHub credentials, Y/n prompt shown

And proceed to login with the browser:

Terminal showing authentication method selection with Login with a web browser option highlighted

Click Authorize GitHub:

GitHub authorization page showing permissions for GitHub CLI with Authorize github button

And you’re set:

GitHub success page displaying Congratulations, you're all set! with green checkmark

What happened behind the scenes?

gh created an access token for your account and stored it securely on your Mac. It also configured itself as the Git credential helper. Every time git needs to authenticate over HTTPS, it asks gh for the token. No prompts, no passwords to remember.

That’s why the Y answer in the steps above matters. It’s the one that wires gh into git.

You can verify everything worked with:

gh auth status

It prints the account you’re logged in as, the protocol in use, and the token scopes.

Go back to your terminal or VS Code, and things will work as expected.

Terminal showing successful git push command with Everything up-to-date message

If authentication still fails

One thing that can get in the way: old GitHub credentials cached in the macOS keychain. If git push keeps failing with an authentication error after the login, open the Keychain Access app, search for github.com, and delete any stale entries you find there.

Then run gh auth login again and the fresh credentials will take over.

Tagged: Git · All topics

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