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Find answers to frequently asked questions about GitHub Desktop.

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General Questions

GitHub Desktop is an open-source application that extends GitHub to your local environment. It provides a graphical interface for Git operations, making it easier to work with repositories without using the command line.Key features:
  • Visual diff viewing
  • Branch management
  • Commit history visualization
  • Pull request integration
  • Conflict resolution assistance
  • Support for GitHub, GitHub Enterprise, and other Git hosting providers
GitHub Desktop is designed to make Git and GitHub workflows more approachable for everyone, with a focus on:
  • Beginners: Those new to Git who want a visual, user-friendly interface
  • Software developers: Working on collaborative projects
  • Teams: Collaborating on code with GitHub workflows
While advanced Git users can benefit from Desktop, it prioritizes workflows for beginners and collaborative development over advanced Git operations.
Yes, GitHub Desktop is completely free and open source under the MIT license. You can:
  • Use it for free for any purpose (personal or commercial)
  • View and contribute to the source code on GitHub
  • Modify it for your own needs
Yes, GitHub Desktop works with any Git repository, including:
  • GitHub and GitHub Enterprise (with full integration)
  • GitLab
  • Bitbucket
  • Azure DevOps
  • Self-hosted Git servers
However, GitHub Desktop is built primarily to extend GitHub’s features. While basic Git operations work with all hosts, some advanced features (like pull request integration) work best with GitHub and GitHub Enterprise.

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Installation and Setup

Officially supported:
  • macOS: 10.9 (Mavericks) or higher
    • Intel processors
    • Apple Silicon (M1/M2) processors
  • Windows: 7 or higher
    • 64-bit versions
    • ARM64 (Windows on ARM)
Community supported:
  • Linux: Community-maintained installers available from the shiftkey/desktop fork
Linux is not officially supported by the GitHub Desktop team.
macOS:
  1. Download GitHub Desktop.zip from desktop.github.com
  2. Unzip the file
  3. Move GitHub Desktop.app to your Applications folder
Windows:
  • Per-user install: Download and run GitHubDesktopSetup.exe (recommended)
  • Machine-wide install: Download and run GitHubDesktopSetup.msi (requires admin rights)
Alternative package managers:
  • Windows: winget install github-desktop or choco install github-desktop
  • macOS: brew install --cask github
macOS:
  • Application data: ~/Library/Application Support/GitHub Desktop/
  • Log files: ~/Library/Application Support/GitHub Desktop/logs/
  • Cache: ~/Library/Caches/com.github.GitHubClient.ShipIt/
Windows:
  • Application files: %LOCALAPPDATA%\GitHubDesktop\
  • User data: %APPDATA%\GitHub Desktop\
  • Log files: %APPDATA%\GitHub Desktop\logs\
GitHub Desktop automatically updates to the latest version. Past releases are available at https://desktop.githubusercontent.com, but after installing an older version, the auto-update functionality will attempt to download the latest version.For beta versions, see the Beta Channel section.

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Features and Functionality

No, GitHub Desktop is not a replacement for Git command line. It’s a tool that:
  • Makes common Git workflows easier and more visual
  • Reduces friction and “oh no” moments
  • Helps you learn Git concepts while getting work done
It doesn’t expose every Git feature. Advanced users may still need the command line for specialized operations. However, GitHub Desktop and command-line Git can be used together on the same repositories.
Yes! GitHub Desktop and command-line Git work perfectly together. You can:
  • Make commits in Desktop and push from the command line
  • Create branches from the command line and switch to them in Desktop
  • Use Desktop for visual diff viewing while using CLI for advanced operations
Both tools work with the same repository files and Git database.
Yes, GitHub Desktop has built-in support for Git LFS. It will automatically:
  • Detect LFS-tracked files
  • Handle LFS files during clone, pull, and push operations
  • Show LFS file status in the UI
You don’t need to run separate LFS commands.
Yes, GitHub Desktop provides pull request integration for GitHub and GitHub Enterprise repositories:
  • View open pull requests
  • Check out pull request branches
  • See pull request status (checks, reviews)
  • Create new pull requests
  • View pull request details on GitHub.com
Full pull request review and commenting still happens on GitHub.com.
Yes, GitHub Desktop supports interactive rebasing for:
  • Reordering commits
  • Squashing commits together
  • Editing commit messages
  • Updating branches with latest changes from the base branch
The rebase interface is designed to be beginner-friendly while maintaining Git best practices.
Yes, GitHub Desktop helps with merge conflict resolution:
  • Detects conflicts during merge/rebase operations
  • Shows which files have conflicts
  • Provides options to:
    • Open files in your preferred editor
    • Use “ours” or “theirs” version for simple conflicts
    • Mark conflicts as resolved
For complex conflicts, you can open the files in your code editor to resolve them manually.

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Accounts and Authentication

No, you don’t need a GitHub account to use the basic Git features of GitHub Desktop. However, you’ll need an account to:
  • Clone private repositories from GitHub
  • Push to GitHub repositories
  • Use GitHub-specific features (pull requests, issues, etc.)
  • Sign in to GitHub Enterprise
You can use GitHub Desktop with local repositories and other Git hosts without a GitHub account.
GitHub Desktop supports one GitHub.com account and one GitHub Enterprise account simultaneously.If you need to work with multiple GitHub.com accounts:
  • You’ll need to sign out and sign in with a different account
  • Use repository-specific Git configuration for commit authorship
  • Consider using SSH keys for different accounts
To sign out:
  1. Go to File > Options (Windows) or GitHub Desktop > Preferences (macOS)
  2. Select the Accounts tab
  3. Click Sign Out next to the account you want to remove

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Updates and Beta

GitHub Desktop updates automatically:
  • It checks for updates periodically
  • When an update is available, you’ll see a notification
  • Updates are downloaded in the background
  • You’ll be prompted to restart to apply the update
You can manually check for updates:
  • Windows: Help > About GitHub Desktop
  • macOS: GitHub Desktop > About GitHub Desktop
The Beta Channel provides early access to:
  • New features before general release
  • Bug fixes
  • Performance improvements
Beta releases may be less stable than production releases.Download beta installers:Release notes: https://desktop.github.com/release-notes/?env=beta

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Troubleshooting

Try these steps in order:
  1. Update to the latest version
    • Many issues are fixed in newer releases
  2. Check Known Issues
  3. Review Troubleshooting Guide
  4. Search existing issues
  5. Report a new issue
Log files are stored in:macOS:
  • ~/Library/Application Support/GitHub Desktop/logs/
Windows:
  • %APPDATA%\GitHub Desktop\logs\
Files are named by date: YYYY-MM-DD.desktop.production.logFor more details, see the Troubleshooting page.
To report a bug:
  1. Search existing issues first
  2. If not found, create a new issue
  3. Include:
    • GitHub Desktop version
    • Operating system and version
    • Steps to reproduce
    • Expected vs. actual behavior
    • Screenshots if relevant
    • Log files if applicable
The GitHub Desktop Code of Conduct applies to all interactions.

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Contributing

Yes! GitHub Desktop is open source and welcomes contributions:
  • Code contributions: Bug fixes, new features, improvements
  • Documentation: Help improve docs
  • Issue triage: Help other users, verify bugs
  • Testing: Test beta releases
Getting started:
  1. Read CONTRIBUTING.md
  2. Check help wanted issues
  3. Review the documentation
GitHub Desktop is built with:
  • TypeScript: Primary programming language
  • React: UI framework
  • Electron: Desktop application framework
  • Git: Bundled Git binaries for core functionality
It’s a cross-platform application that runs on macOS and Windows.
The source code is available on GitHub:Main repository: https://github.com/desktop/desktop
  • Open source under MIT license
  • Public issue tracker
  • Public pull requests and discussions
  • Active community contributions

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Getting More Help

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