Local Chat
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Bring everyone in.

Install Local Chat on each computer, join the same network, and open the app.

Download the latest stable release. Free and open source.

macOS

Apple Silicon · M1 and later
macOS 12 or later

Download for Mac

Developer ID signed and notarized.

How to install

Open the DMG and drag Local Chat into Applications. Open it, then allow Local Network access when macOS asks.

Intel Macs are not supported.

Windows

x64 · Intel and AMD
Windows 10 or later

Download for Windows

Currently unsigned. SmartScreen may warn.

How to install

Run the downloaded installer. Windows may show an unrecognized-app warning because this release is not Authenticode signed. Check that you downloaded it from this site or our GitHub repository.

Windows ARM is not supported. WebView2 is required; the installer can download it when needed.

Linux

x64 · Intel and AMD
AppImage or Debian package

Download AppImage

Download .deb instead

How to install

Make the AppImage executable using your file manager, then open it. Your distribution may need FUSE support. The .deb package is for compatible Debian and Ubuntu systems.

Linux ARM is not supported. A current WebKitGTK 4.1 runtime is required.

A few things to know.

These are early releases. macOS is locally exercised; physical Windows and Linux desktop, cross-device LAN, and update installation verification remain pending. See platform status.

Download buttons always resolve the latest published stable release on GitHub. If release information is unavailable, they take you to GitHub’s release page.

Checksums and all release files · Release notes · Getting started guide

Coming from a beta?

The first public release is numbered 0.0.1. Earlier test builds used 0.1.0-beta versions, which sort higher. Install 0.0.1 manually, then choose the Stable update channel in Settings. Saved conversations stay in the same app data folder. The updater never forces a downgrade.

Upgrade an earlier beta safely
  1. Quit Local Chat, including its background process.
  2. If the updates folder below exists, rename only that folder to updates-before-0.0.1. This sets aside cached test installers. Keep the database, identity, and all other files in place.
  3. Install 0.0.1 manually, open it, and choose the Stable update channel in Settings.

Cached installers from the test series have higher version numbers. Moving that cache prevents the app from offering an old test build again.

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/app.localchat.desktop/updates
  • Windows: %APPDATA%\app.localchat.desktop\updates
  • Linux: $XDG_DATA_HOME/app.localchat.desktop/updates, usually ~/.local/share/app.localchat.desktop/updates.

Fresh installations can skip these steps. Renaming the installer cache does not remove your saved conversations.

Updates after that.

Open Settings and choose Check for updates. macOS, Windows, and Linux AppImage can download and verify update packages in the app. You choose when to restart. Debian installations use downloaded packages.