To use the LaTeX accessible features described in LaTeX Documents, you need a LaTeX distribution (compiler) of 2025 or newer (2026 is recommended). Alternatively, you can use a cloud-based service that provides an up-to-date LaTeX distribution, such as Overleaf.
Use Overleaf (Cloud-based Service)¶
If you don’t want to bother with installing a new LaTeX distribution on your computer, you can consider using a cloud-based service. The most popular one is Overleaf. You will need to create an account to use Overleaf; a free tier is available.
By default, Overleaf uses the latest TeX Live distribution.
You can check the LaTeX compiler version by opening a project, and then going to File > Settings > Compiler > TeX Live version.
Make sure it is set to 2025 or newer (or “Rolling” if you see that option).
Install or Upgrade TeX Live on Your Machine¶
TeX Live is a standard LaTeX distribution that can be installed on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Here are the instructions:
There are two versions of MacTeX: the full version (MacTeX) and the basic version (BasicTeX). They differ in the number of features installed and, of course, the installation size (MacTeX is about 4GB, BasicTeX is about 0.1GB). If you have plenty of disk space and a good internet connection, installing the full version (MacTeX) is recommended. If you already have LaTeX installed on your machine, you can check whether you have MacTeX or BasicTeX installed first, then update it to the 2026 version (or newer).
Your package manager may offer a LaTeX distribution, but it is likely to be outdated. Installing TeX Live from the link above will ensure that you have the latest version. If you already have an older version of TeX Live installed, you can also try to upgrade it instead of installing a new one from scratch.
Update LaTeX Packages (for TeX Live)¶
You can update all of your LaTeX packages by running the following command in a terminal (or command prompt on Windows), if you already have the latest TeX Live distribution installed:
tlmgr update --self --all