Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac — by Apple Support

intermediatepageLink only (©)

Explains that Terminal uses zsh by default and how to change which shell new windows launch in Terminal's General settings.

Quick steps

Open Terminal
Open General settings
Enter the full path to the shell

Paraphrased from the source. Menus can differ by version, so check the original for full details.

Read the full article on support.apple.com

Source: Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac by Apple Support. Licence: Link only (©).

Source reviewed: 2026-11-02
Link checked: 2026-11-02
Tested hands-on: Not by Oddbyte.Me

terminalzshshell

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