Flags

Flags

You don't need flags to use Mac.apk. Every app runs with the defaults. Flags are for the odd case where you want to change how one app behaves (keep it in light mode, cap its frame rate, stop it going online) or when we ask you to turn on extra logging for a bug report.

A flag is an environment variable such as MACAPK_MAX_FPS=60. This page covers how to set one. The Flags Reference lists every flag we support.

Setting a flag for one app

1. Open Mac.apk.
2. Right-click the app and choose Get Info….
3. Under Environment overrides, add a line like MACAPK_FOLLOW_SYSTEM_APPEARANCE=0.
4. Quit the app if it is running, then open it again.

The flag applies every time you open that app from the Mac.apk window. It doesn't apply when you open the app from the Dock, Launchpad or Finder; for that, use Terminal (below).

Setting a flag for every app

Settings has a Default environment box that works the same way but applies to every app. It lives in the Developer Menu, so you'll need to unlock that first.

If the same flag is set in both places, the app's own Get Info value wins.

Setting a flag from Terminal

This works for any installed app, however you normally open it. Quit the app first, then:

open --env MACAPK_MAX_FPS=60 -a "/Applications/Crossy Road.app"

For more than one flag, repeat --env:

open --env MACAPK_MAX_FPS=60 --env MACAPK_OFFLINE=1 -a "/Applications/Crossy Road.app"

Or run the app's executable directly, with the flags in front:

MACAPK_MAX_FPS=60 "/Applications/Crossy Road.app/Contents/MacOS/Crossy Road"

A flag set this way lasts only for that launch.

Note

Plain open -a without --env does not pass your Terminal's environment to the app. That's a macOS rule, not a Mac.apk one.

Turning a flag off

Delete the line from Get Info or Default environment, or leave it out of the Terminal command. Unset always means "use the default".

Common fixes

If...	Try
You want an app to stay in light mode	MACAPK_FOLLOW_SYSTEM_APPEARANCE=0
An app hangs on its loading screen while online	MACAPK_OFFLINE=1
Swipes in a game go too far, or not far enough	MACAPK_SCROLL_SCALE=0.35 or MACAPK_SCROLL_SCALE=0.8
A game runs hot or drains the battery	MACAPK_MAX_FPS=60
An app should print to one particular printer	MACAPK_PRINT_DESTINATION=<printer queue name>
An app that used to work can't find its own files	MACAPK_EXTRACT_ASSETS=1
We asked you for a detailed log	MACAPK_LOG_LEVEL unset, plus MACAPK_DEV_TRACE=1 if we asked for a trace

Details for each are in the Flags Reference.