Lego Mindstorms EV3 Software Install (all versions) – Step by step guide

Lego offer two different flavours of their Mindstorms EV3 programming software:

1. EV3 Programmer Software for PC or Mac
2. EV3 Programmer App for Tablets -Runs on iPad, Android tablet or Chromebook.

MINDSTORMS EV3 Programmer App Vs MINDSTORMS EV3 Programmer Software

The main difference between the two is that the EV3 Programmer App only offers basic programming blocks when compared to the EV3 Programmer Software (PC / Mac version), namely:

• Advanced Blocks (Dark Blue) are not available. These blocks control things like Bluetooth connections, file access, messages and more.

• Data Operations Blocks (Red) are not available. These blocks control variables (read / write), arithmetic functions and more.

• Sensor Blocks (Yellow) are not available. These blocks control all sensor hardware, like the IR sensor, touch sensor, color sensor and much more.

• Lastly, it’s not possible to daisy-chain multiple EV3  bricks together using the App version. For more information on daisy chaining, see our other blog that covers common questions about the EV3 brick here.

In this post I’ll take you through installing the software and App on the following platforms (click the name to jump to that section of the post):

• Installing EV3 Programming software on a PC (Microsoft Windows)
• Installing EV3 Programming software on a Mac (Apple Mac, Mac mini or Macbook Pro)
• Installing EV3 Programming App on a Chromebook
• Installing EV3 Programming App on an iPad
• Installing EV3 Programming App on an Android tablet

Install  EV3 Programming Software on a PC (Microsoft Windows)

System Requirements

The PC version of the EV3 Programming Software has the following system requirements:

• Microsoft Windows 10 or Windows 7 or Windows Vista
  • Both 32 bit or 64 bit versions are supported
• Dual core processor, 2.0 Ghz or higher
• 2GB of RAM or more
• 2GB of hard drive space
• XGA display (1024 x 768) or better
• 1 available USB port (for connecting the EV3 brick)

Installation

Confirm your PC meets the minimum requirements above and follow the instructions below to install:

1. Download the Lego EV3 Software from the Lego website here and select Windows (7,8.1, 10) from the dropdown and click Download.

Note: The install file is roughly 660Mb and depending on your internet connection it may take some time to download.

2. Double click to run the setup file and wait for the process to extract and start the installer.
3. If you’re not happy with the destination folder being in C:\Program Files (x86)\, select Browse and choose an alternate. Click Next to continue.

4. Check I accept the above 2 License Agreement(s) and click Next
   

5. Check I accept the above 2 License Agreement(s) and click Nex
   

6. The program will now install. Depending on your computer setup it will take anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes.
7. Click Finish
   

Install EV3 Programming Software  on a Mac (macOS)

System Requirements

The Mac version of the EV3 Programming Software has the following system requirements:

• macOS 10.6 (with the latest service pack) or higher
  • NOTE: The Mac version does not support Catalina macOS
• Dual core processor 2.0Ghz or better
• 2GB of RAM or more
• 2GB of free hard drive space
• XGA display (1024 x 768) or better
• 1 available USB port  (for connecting the EV3 brick)

Installation

Confirm your Mac meets the minimum requirements above and follow the instructions below to install:

1. Download the EV3 Programming Software from the Lego website here by selecting Mac OS from the dropdown and selecting the Download button

Note: The install file is roughly 330Mb and depending on your internet connection it may take some time to download.

2. Click the downloaded .dmg file to open it.
3. In the newly opened window click LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Home Edition.pkg to start the installation. 

4. Click Continue

5. Click Continue 

6. Click Agree to agree to the software license agreement

7. Click Change Install Location.. button if the default location is not sufficient. Click Install.

8. If prompted for a permission to install, enter your password and click Install Software.

9. Click Close to finish the installation

10. Click Move to Trash to remove the installer package from your hard drive

To open the program:

1. Open Launchpad

2. Scroll to find the Lego Mindstorms Home Edition Icon and click on it to open

Install  EV3 Programming Software on a Chromebook

System Requirements

The EV3 Programming App for Chromebook requires the following:

• Chrome OS version 50 or above
• 1.40 GHz dual-core CPU or faster
• 4Gb RAM or higher
• 150Mb free hard drive space
• Bluetooth 2.0 or above

Instalation

1. Click here to to open the Lego EV3 programming app within the Chrome web store.
2. Click Add to Chrome
   

3. When prompted click Add App
   

4. Once the software is loaded, open it from Chrome Apps
   

Install EV3 Programming App on an iPad

System Requirements

The EV3 Programming App on an Apple iPad requires the following:

• iOS 8.0 or higher
• 572Mb of free space

Installation

1. Download Lego EV3 Programmer by Lego using this link, or search for EV3 Programmer within the App Store.
2. If prompted, authenticate to install the app.
3. The first time the app loads it will prompt for a language selection, select your preferred language and press Done

Install EV3 Programming App on an Android Tablet

System Requirements

The Android version of the Lego Mindstorms App requires the following:

• Android  4.2 (Jelly Beans) or higher
• 42Mb of free space

Installation

1. Download the Lego Mindstorms Programmer App from Google Play here , or search for EV3 Programmer within Google Play
2. Authenticate to allow the install
3. The first time the app loads it will prompt for a language selection, select your preferred language and press Done