Default Shell in macOS 13 Ventura Terminal

This article explains which shell is configured as the default for Terminal users in macOS 13 (Ventura), the reasons behind Apple's choice, how to verify which shell your system is running, and the steps required to switch to an alternative shell if necessary.

The default shell for Terminal users in macOS 13 Ventura is Zsh (Z shell). Apple initially introduced Zsh as the default login and interactive shell with macOS Catalina (10.15) in 2019, replacing the long-standing default, Bash (Bourne Again Shell). macOS 13 continues this standard, configuring all newly created user accounts to use Zsh out of the box.

Apple transitioned to Zsh primarily due to licensing considerations. The version of Bash included in older macOS releases was Bash 3.2, which is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 2 (GPLv2). Newer iterations of Bash adopted GPLv3, which includes terms regarding patent grants and hardware restrictions that Apple avoids in its core operating system. In contrast, Zsh uses a permissive MIT-like license, allowing Apple to distribute modern shell features without licensing conflicts.

How to Check Your Current Shell

To confirm that your Terminal is running Zsh in macOS 13, open the Terminal application and execute the following command:

echo $SHELL

If your default shell is Zsh, the command output will be:

/bin/zsh

You can also check the current running process name by typing:

echo $0

Changing the Default Shell

While Zsh is the default, macOS 13 still includes other shells such as Bash (/bin/bash), Dash (/bin/dash), KornShell (/bin/ksh), and tcsh (/bin/tcsh).

If you prefer to use Bash or another shell as your default, you can change it via the command line using the chsh (change shell) utility:

  1. Open Terminal.

  2. Run the command to set Bash as the default:

    chsh -s /bin/bash

  3. Enter your account password when prompted.

  4. Restart Terminal for the changes to take effect.

Alternatively, you can adjust the shell preference visually:

  1. Open Terminal and navigate to Terminal > Settings (or press Cmd + ,).
  2. Go to the General tab.
  3. Under Shells open with, select Command (complete path) and enter your desired shell path (e.g., /bin/bash or /bin/zsh).