# PyPlot Backend issue

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/pyplot-backend-issue/59060>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Created:** [April 11, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/pyplot-backend-issue/59060 "2021-04-11T23:28:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gideonsimpson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/gideonsimpson/32/1928_2.png) [@gideonsimpson](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/gideonsimpson)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/pyplot-backend-issue/59060/1 "2021-04-11T23:28:58Z")

</div>

For this issue:

```julia
julia> using Plots

julia> pyplot()
┌ Warning: PyPlot is using tkagg backend, which is known to cause crashes on MacOS (#410); use the MPLBACKEND environment variable to request a different backend.
└ @ PyPlot ~/.julia/packages/PyPlot/XHEG0/src/init.jl:192
Plots.PyPlotBackend()

```

How do I actually set the backend? Is it within the Julia REPL or elsewhere? On MacOS, what’s the recommended backend (to be installed by conda)?