Introduction to Cursor

Cursor is an AI-first code editor. Traditional IDEs focus on project structure, files, and text editing, with AI integration added as an extension. Cursor puts AI at the center of the experience.

Although it’s a fork of Visual Studio Code, its user experience prioritizes AI integration.

When you open a project in Visual Studio Code or Xcode, the project structure and files take center stage. In Cursor, AI conversations, tasks, and their results are more prominent. Cursor is still an IDE with code-editing capabilities, but its focus is AI.

Setting Up Cursor

Cursor has its own subscription for AI agents. You can’t use an existing Claude, Codex, or Gemini subscription. However, a Cursor subscription gives you access to models from multiple providers, so you can choose models suited to tasks of different types and complexity.

To download Cursor, visit Cursor.com and follow the instructions on the website. Cursor supports macOS, Windows, and Linux. It also provides a web editor that lets you work from any device on projects published in a Git repository.

Open the downloaded DMG, then move the app to your Applications folder.

Now, open the app from your Applications folder. The first time you open it, Cursor displays the login and sign-up window.

Either option takes you to Cursor’s single sign-on page. Log in if you already have an account, or sign up for a new one.

You can use your Google, GitHub, or Apple account to register and log in to Cursor.

After you log in, confirm the account you want to use.

Click Sign in to open the home screen.

Unlike Xcode, Cursor displays multiple projects or workspaces in the same window. This lets you work on multiple projects and tasks at the same time.

To add a workspace, click Open Workspace beside the Repositories drop-down.

Choose On this Mac ▸ Open Folder, then select the starter project. Select the folder containing .xcodeproj, so the AI models can access the entire project, including its settings.

Project Files

Cursor doesn’t open the project navigator by default. To open it, click Show apps in the upper-right corner to reveal the right sidebar, then click + in the tab bar.

You can enter the name of the file you want to open in that tab, or select File to open the project navigator with all the project files.

Starting Your First Conversation in Cursor

Now that you’ve added the workspace, try the same prompt you used in Xcode: give me a brief on this project. You can choose a model for the prompt, keep the default model, or select Auto.

Note: Auto may not be available for all plans.

You just got your first response from Cursor.