How to download and install LUME Cortex on your Mac
Updated
Quick answer
To install LUME Cortex, open the LUME Cortex (Mac) screen in LUME Hub and click the download button. Open the downloaded file, drag the app into your Applications folder, allow the first launch in System Settings › Privacy & Security with Open Anyway, and sign in with your Hub email and password.
You download LUME Cortex from its own screen inside LUME Hub. You need a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) running macOS 26 and a LUME Hub account, which can be a free one. Installation takes a few minutes.
Before you start
Check two things:
- Your Mac: LUME Cortex runs on Macs with Apple silicon (M1, M2 or newer) and macOS 26. There's no Windows version yet.
- Your account: you sign in to the app with the same email and password as LUME Hub. If you don't have an account, create a free one in the Hub; the free version of Cortex comes with it.
Step by step
- Sign in to LUME Hub and open LUME Cortex (Mac) in your account menu, or pick Cortex from the app list (the nine-dot button at the top).
- In the Baixar (Download) card, click Baixar o LUME Cortex (Download LUME Cortex). The file size shows next to the button, and what's new in the version shows below it.
- Open the downloaded file (a .zip file) in your Downloads folder and drag LUME Cortex into your Applications folder.
- Open LUME Cortex from Applications. The first time, your Mac warns that it couldn't verify the app.
- Go to System Settings › Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. Confirm if your Mac asks.
- Sign in with the same email and password you use for LUME Hub. That's it: from now on the app updates itself.
What you see on the Cortex screen in the Hub
The Cortex screen is shown in Portuguese even when your app is in English. While it looks up the latest version, it says "Procurando a versão…" (looking for the version). If it says "O download sai em breve." (the download is coming soon), the file for the version isn't available yet: check back later.
Under the download button is a numbered list with the same four install steps, for reference. Further down, the Seu plano no Cortex (Your Cortex plan) card shows your plan and how many videos you've exported this month. See what each plan unlocks in the LUME Cortex guide.
After installing
With the app open and signed in, you're ready to edit. The first edit is covered in how to edit a short video for Reels on Mac.
If your Mac keeps blocking the app or it won't open, follow LUME Cortex won't open on Mac. If you forgot your Hub password, see the Account and billing section.
Frequently asked questions
Which Macs can run LUME Cortex?
Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or newer) running macOS 26. Intel Macs and older macOS versions can't run the app.
Do I need to download it again for each new version?
No. Once it's installed and signed in, LUME Cortex updates itself.
Why does my Mac say it couldn't verify the app?
That's the warning macOS shows the first time you open an app downloaded from the internet. Allow it in System Settings › Privacy & Security by clicking Open Anyway. You only do this once.
Does downloading LUME Cortex cost anything?
No. The download is open to every LUME Hub account, and the free version is already unlocked. The Pro and Agency plans are a separate subscription on the same screen.
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