How to Fix Roblox Not Updating or Downloading on Your Mac

Roblox is one of the most popular games in the world, and one of its strengths is that it will run on practically anything, including Macs! However, it’s not always smooth sailing for Mac Roblox players, who can struggle to update or even download the game. If that’s you, then one of these fixes will most likely get you back in the game.

Trying to figure out which game is better suited for kids? Take a look at our comparison between Minecraft and Roblox to help you decide.

1. Restart Your Mac

The first thing you should do, before changing a thing, is restart your Mac in case the issues related to your installation and updating are due to a temporary bug that a restart can resolve. It’s a simple step but always good to lead with!

2. Update macOS

The latest version of Roblox may depend on having a newer version of macOS than you currently have installed. Check whether there’s a pending update and get your macOS system updated before attempting to update Roblox again.

At the time of writing, Roblox requires at least macOS Yosemite, and Roblox Studio requires macOS El Capitan. If your Mac doesn’t support these OS versions, you’re unfortunately not going to have any luck playing Roblox.

3. Update the Game as Administrator

If you’re logged in as a user without admin privileges (common for a child’s account), log in as the Mac’s administrator before attempting an update of Roblox. It seems that in some cases, if Roblox was first installed by a user with administrator privileges, the game needs those same privileges to update. If you don’t have access to the admin account, you’ll have to ask the computer’s administrator for assistance.

4. Launch the Game from the Browser

While you can launch and update Roblox by running it from your Applications folder (or wherever you chose to save it), sometimes this method results in an error.

The quickest fix is to launch the game from the website instead. Go to the Roblox website, sign in to your account, and click the green play button on any world of your choice. The game should launch, then update if necessary.

5. Launch the Game from the Dock

On the flip side, if launching from the browser doesn’t seem to work properly, try launching the game from the Dock, from Launchpad, or from the Applications folder in Finder.

6. Use a Different Browser

Since Roblox runs through your browser, you might be having issues because of a browser problem. For example, if you’re using Safari, try switching to Google Chrome.

Tip: using Google Chrome comes with perks. For instance, you can install various extensions to upgrade your security and privacy online.

If Roblox downloads or updates correctly when you change browsers, then the issue may be down to a bug in the problematic browser that may be resolved by an update to either the browser or Roblox.

7. Check for Browser Updates

Your browser might simply be too out of date to work with Roblox, so check whether there are any updates available and install them, then try to run Roblox again to see whether your download or update is successful.

8. Uninstall and Reinstall the Game

Uninstalling and reinstalling the game on your Mac can solve a number of issues, including problems with updates.

1. On your Mac, press Command + Option + Esc together.

2. If you see either Roblox or Roblox Studio listed in the window that pops up, select it, then click on “Force Quit.”
3. Open “Finder -> Applications.”

4. Look for Roblox, then drag it into the Bin. The next time you empty the Bin, the application will be permanently deleted.

5. To reinstall Roblox, go to the Roblox website, pick a world and click the green play button.

6. The site will detect that Roblox isn’t installed and offer to download the application.

7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

9. Manually Clear Roblox Settings

It may be that some of the Roblox files on your local drive have been corrupted. Head to “Library -> Preference,” then delete any “Roblox.com” files you find there. The next time you launch Roblox, these files will be regenerated from scratch.

10. Disable Your Proxy or VPN

If you’re using a proxy server, smart DNS, or VPN service, you may want to disable them before attempting an update. These types of services redirect your Internet traffic. This may create a situation where Roblox can’t communicate with its server correctly.

11. Check the Roblox Server Status

Sometimes Roblox won’t update because the problem is actually with the game’s servers. You can easily check the Roblox status website to see if any Roblox services are offline or any errors have been reported.

If there is an error that could affect updates, wait until the board shows all green on the site and try again.

12. Check for Available Storage

If your Mac doesn’t have enough free storage to temporarily unpack the update or fresh install in Roblox, the operation will fail. Delete files and apps you don’t need or optimize your storage and try again.

13. Contact Roblox Support

If none of these fixes help you get Roblox running on your Mac, get in touch with Roblox Support and log a query to see if they can help you resolve the issue.

Prefer playing games on your mobile device? Here are the best offline games you can try on your Android or iOS device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Roblox work on Apple Silicon?

Roblox works well on Apple Silicon; we played it on a base-model M1 MacBook Air, and it ran flawlessly.

Will I lose progress by deleting files or uninstalling?

Roblox stores your data in the cloud on its servers, so there’s little chance that deleting or reinstalling the game will lead to any loss of progress. However, the Roblox platform itself has had some issues in the past that led to users losing data. Yet, this is entirely out of your hands and a rare occurrence.

Can I use the Roblox mobile app on Mac?

While Apple Silicon Macs, such as the M1 MacBook Air, can run iPhone and iPad apps, it’s up to the developer whether their app is available on the Mac App Store. At the moment, the Roblox app isn’t available for Apple Silicon Macs, so you’ll have to use the browser-based version.

Image credit: Roblox. All screenshots by Sydney Butler.