Desktop app
macOS, Windows and Linux — and the one thing the browser cannot do: reach services on your own machine.
The desktop app is the web app in a native window, with one difference that matters: local requests are sent from your computer rather than from our servers.
Installing#
- Download from the releases page.macOS ships a
.dmgfor Apple Silicon and Intel, Linux anAppImagefor x64 and arm64, and Windows an installer. Get the latest release. - Open it and sign in.Your workspace is already there — same collections, environments and monitors.
macOS builds are signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so they open without a Gatekeeper prompt. The Windows installer is currently unsigned and shows a SmartScreen warning on first run.
Why localhost works here#
In a browser, requests are sent by the server, so http://localhost:3000 means the server's port 3000. The desktop app sends local and private-network requests from its own process, on your machine.
| Target | Reachable |
|---|---|
localhost, 127.0.0.1 | Your dev server |
192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x | The box on your desk |
.local names | mDNS devices |
| VPN-only hostnames | Anything your machine can resolve |
Requests to public addresses take the same path as in the browser, so history and everything else behave identically. Only the targets the server genuinely cannot reach are sent locally.
Assertions and scripts#
Both run on locally-sent requests, using the same modules the server uses — so a collection behaves the same whichever surface runs it.
Updates#
The app checks on launch and installs in the background. macOS and Windows both update in place.
Frequently asked questions#
Can the desktop app test APIs running on localhost?
Yes — that is the main reason it exists. Local and private-network requests are sent from the app itself, so localhost means your localhost.
Which platforms are supported?
macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel, Windows x64, and Linux on x64 and arm64.