While using the Terminal on mac, you might notice a message that says, “The default interactive shell is now zsh.”. Such a notice is annoying for a lot of people. This is why they want to remove it completely.

And to remove ‘The default interactive shell is now zsh.’, you need to go to the Terminal and write some commands. Or you can also remove it by changing some settings from the System Preferences app.

Even though zsh is proven to be better than bash, some people still want to change it. Well, to each their own. And changing your shell is not that hard if you follow the right steps. So, sit back and relax. We got you covered!

What is “The default interactive shell is now zsh”?

After the macOS Catalina launch, Apple changed its default interactive shell. Previously it was bash, and now, it is zsh. So now you may ask, what is an interactive shell? And what is zsh?

An interactive shell refers to a program that responds to your scripted command. If you type a command on an interactive shell, it will do the work for you. Shells are a great tool for directory operations.

With the help of zsh, you can read “.zshrc” in an interactive shell. You also read “.zprofile” which is in a login shell. This program uses percentage escapes. Besides these, you can alter many important features of your mac through it.

How To Fix “The default interactive shell is now zsh”?

Below we have described two methods of changing to another shell from zsh. In the first method, you have to type the command on the terminal just as it is. For accuracy, you must copy the script and paste it on the terminal.

Method 1 – Changing Shell through Terminal

First, go to the terminal. Then, type the following:

chsh -s $(which bash)

It will change to a bash shell. Your mac might ask you for its password while doing it. Now, to verify if bash is your default shell, close the terminal app and open it again. 

Method 2 – Changing Shell Through System Preferences

If you want to try another way, you can change it through the system preferences app by following the steps below:  

Step 1: To go to the System Preferences, go directly to the app from the dock. Or you can also go to it through the Apple menu. 

Step 2: Then, go to Users & Groups. Choose your current user. The current chooser is likely the admin.

Step 3: After that, click the lock to manage changes. It will ask you for your password.

Step 4: Once you have put in your password, you can go to Advanced Options by right-clicking on it. 

Step 5: From there, you can change your “login shell” to whatever you want except zsh.

How To Hide or Remove “The default interactive shell is now zsh”?

The process below is a little complicated, as you must be extremely careful while writing the commands. For precision, follow these steps the way we have described.

Step 1: Go to the terminal, and type the following command:

vi ~/.bash_profile

After pressing enter, the terminal will show you a series of commands in numerical order.

Step 2: On the 5th command, which starts with 5, you have to paste the following command and press enter:

export BASH_SILENCE_DEPRECATION_WARNING=1

Step 3: Now, to finish the process, type the following command and press enter:

source ~/.bash_profile

FAQs

Changing the default shell can seem tiring for some people. They have a lot of questions in their mind regarding it. For this reason, we are here with some of the most common questions about this topic.

How do I change the default interactive shell as zsh on a Mac?

After opening the Terminal app, go to its Settings. Then, go to Generals. There you will find “Shells open with,” where you will find Command (complete path).” Now select the shell you want to choose other than zsh.

Why did Apple change the default shell to zsh?

Zsh is more advanced but functionally similar to bash, which is one of the main reasons Apple moved to it. It’s good to learn that an Apple zsh prompt resembles the Microsoft Outlook prompt if you are familiar with the bash.

Is zsh safe?

Zsh is safe by itself. Like bash, ksh, and other shells, it is “simply another shell.” However, the security practice in many businesses is to minimize the attack surface, which is not to install anything unless required. So you should be careful using zsh as its base could contain bugs and malware.

How do I exit zsh?

When an empty line is entered, the command execute: zsh: Do you want to view all 373 options (64 lines) appears. The only difference between Alt + X and Ctrl + C in other shells is that Ctrl + C dismisses the prompt.

Can I change from zsh to bash on Mac Monterey?

Yes, you can. Zsh is the default shell. But you can still open the Terminal and tabs with a different shell. So, go to Terminal, then Settings, and click General. Choose “Command (complete path),” which is beside “Shells open with.” Type the full path of the shell you wish to use.

Conclusion

Changing the default interactive shell is quite a burdensome task. Especially the command scripts can be pretty rough to deal with. However, we believe we were able to provide you with the easiest guidelines.

And please, remember to type the command correctly. Otherwise, you can face problems with this. We suggest you copy the commands directly from this article. In this way, you will be able to complete the task seamlessly.

But to be honest, it is unnecessary to change your default interactive shell from zsh. Zsh is far better than bash, and it is very advanced comparatively. Still, if you want to change, you are good to go!