Installing ngrok on Mac

ngrok-installation.md

Installing ngrok on OSX

For Homebrew v2.6.x and below:

brew cask install ngrok

For Homebrew v2.7.x and above:

brew install --cask ngrok

Using ngrok

The easiest way to use ngrok to tunnel into your localhost is if your local project is running on a specific port (e.g. not using named vhosts). You just run ngrok http [port number].

You can quickly boot up a local webserver using ruby. cd into the project's root directory and run ruby -run -e httpd . -p [port number].

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If you don't want to use Homebrew...

1. Download ngrok
2. Unzip it to your Applications directory
3. Create a symlink (instructions below)

Creating a symlink to ngrok

Run the following two commands in Terminal to create the symlink.

# cd into your local bin directory
cd /usr/local/bin

# create symlink
ln -s /Applications/ngrok ngrok

This will allow you to run the ngrok command from any directory while in the terminal. Without the symlink, you would need to either cd into the Applications directory (or wherever you installed the executable) or reference ngrok with its full path every time (e.g. /Applications/ngrok 5000)

you can just put ngrok in your root instead, and then just run
ngrok HTTP 80
mine is located at ~/ngrok

so do...

# cd into your local bin directory
cd /usr/local/bin

# create symlink
ln -s ~/ngrok ngrok

worked great. still not the best w/ terminal commands so the symlink was v helpful. thanks

It works, thanks!

brew cask <command> was deprecated. Use this command to install instead:

brew install --cask ngrok

Homebrew/discussions#340 (comment)

@hiramhuang +1

@hiramhuang +1 Thanks!

Awesome, thanks for the heads up @hiramhuang! I've updated the gist accordingly.

brew install ngrok automatically installs ngrok symlink now. But in macOS Big Sur, it will complain that it hasn't been signed and therefore you wont be able to run it.
To get this working, you have to

1. In terminal: open /usr/local/Caskroom/ngrok/latest/
2. right click ngrok and click open
3. Click open again

After this, you can run ngrok as usual from command line.

@bibstha +1 thanks so much!

brew install ngrok automatically installs ngrok symlink now. But in macOS Big Sur, it will complain that it hasn't been signed and therefore you wont be able to run it.
To get this working, you have to

1. In terminal: open /usr/local/Caskroom/ngrok/latest/
2. right click ngrok and click open
3. Click open again

After this, you can run ngrok as usual from command line.

YEAAH that really helped

@hiramhuang brew install ngrok installs an older (v2) of ngrok. How do I install the latest (v3) with brew?

brew install ngrok automatically installs ngrok symlink now. But in macOS Big Sur, it will complain that it hasn't been signed and therefore you wont be able to run it.
To get this working, you have to

1. In terminal: open /usr/local/Caskroom/ngrok/latest/
2. right click ngrok and click open
3. Click open again

After this, you can run ngrok as usual from command line.

This helped but now, it's saying command not found.
zsh: command not found: ngrok

Basically, it deletes ngrok file when I clicked it on 'open' at Step 3. Can you please help here?

It worked, thanks

Thank you!

@bibstha thanks!

┌──(kali㉿kali)-[/usr/local/bin]
└─$ ln -s ~/ngrok ngrok 1 ⨯
ln: failed to create symbolic link 'ngrok': Permission denied

I just simple execute this command brew install ngrok

On macOS monterey, some command were broken. Please update brew using brew doctor and fix according to the suggested solution. Then install again using brew install ngrok

Mac user here, the only that worked for me: sudo npm install --unsafe-perm -g ngrok

@wosephjeber ... Worked fine! Thanks 👍

brew install --cask ngrok worked for me

For those that followed the second approach:

# create symlink
ln -s /Applications/ngrok ngrok

If u get permission denied, can try the same command with sudo in front.. worked for me.
and make sure this path (/Applications/ngrok ) is set to where your installed and unzip ngrok is located.

the correct instructions for installing via homebrew are: brew install ngrok/ngrok/ngrok from https://ngrok.com/download

the casks are out of date and should not be used.