---
title: "Desktop App FAQ"
description: "How the Talkspirit desktop app keeps itself up to date on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to do when a Linux .AppImage will not start."
category: getting-started
section: help-and-support
type: Troubleshooting
lastUpdated: 2026-09-17
locale: en
canonical: https://support.talkspirit.com/en/getting-started/desktop-app-faq
---

# Desktop App FAQ


The Talkspirit desktop app puts the suite in its own window on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it keeps itself up to date. This page covers two things: how updating works, and what to do when a Linux `.AppImage` will not start. Nothing here needs administrator rights.

## Where do I download the desktop app?

The desktop app is downloaded from Talkspirit itself, not from an app store. Open the menu at the top right of the screen and select **Get the desktop app**: it opens your account's **Applications** page, at `/app/account/applications` on your workspace address. The page offers **Download for Mac**, **Download for Windows** or **Download for Linux** for the computer you are on, and an **Other downloads** dialog with every build: the Apple Silicon and Intel `.dmg` installers, the Windows `.exe` and `.msi`, the Ubuntu `.AppImage` and `.deb`, and the portable `.zip` archives.

If you cannot sign in yet, the same builds are published at [talkspirit.com/desktop](https://www.talkspirit.com/desktop).

> **Note:** the desktop app is not distributed through an app store. For Mac, Windows and Ubuntu alike, the builds come from the Applications page or the download page above.

## How do I keep the app up to date?

The desktop app updates itself. New versions arrive on their own, so there is nothing to reinstall.

The exception is the alternative builds in the **Other downloads** dialog of the Applications page, the Windows `.msi`, the Ubuntu `.deb` and the portable `.zip` archives. Update those the way you installed them: download the app again and replace your copy.

![The "Other downloads" dialog on the account Applications page, open, listing installers and binaries grouped by platform: Mac (Apple Silicon and Intel .dmg installers and .zip binaries), Windows (.exe and .msi installers, 64-bit and 32-bit .zip binaries) and Ubuntu (.AppImage and .deb).](/images/getting-started/desktop-app-faq/other-downloads-dialog.png)

## Linux-specific issues

### What is the .AppImage format?

AppImage is a cross-distribution Linux format: a single file you make executable and then run, with no installation step. See the official site: [https://appimage.org/](https://appimage.org/)

### Why does the .AppImage not launch?

A downloaded `.AppImage` will not run until you allow it to:

1. Right-click the file.
2. Select **Properties** > **Permissions**.
3. Check **Allow this file to run as a program**.

The exact wording depends on your desktop environment. For further support: [https://docs.appimage.org/](https://docs.appimage.org/)

### Why did the app stop launching after an update?

An independent AppImage manager (AppImageLauncher, for example) can conflict with the app's own update mechanism and leave a corrupted copy behind. Remove every reference to the app from the manager, then download the app again.

## What's Next?

- [Getting started with Talkspirit: video tutorials](/en/getting-started/talkspirit-at-a-glance)
- [Enable beta features](/en/administration-security/enable-beta-features)
- [Being notified of new activities when offline](/en/getting-started/notifications)