Install and update the desktop app

Download the current release from mdedit.ai/desktop-app (opens in a new tab). Releases are currently unsigned, so macOS and Windows can show an operating-system warning on first launch. Only continue when the file came from the mdedit.ai download page and its checksum matches the published checksum.

Choose the right file

Check Apple menu → About This Mac: Chip identifies Apple silicon; Processor: Intel requires the Intel installer. Download Intel only when the release page lists an Intel artifact; older releases, including 0.7.8, ship Apple Silicon only. ZIP archives use the same architecture suffix as the DMG. Apple Intelligence requires eligible Apple silicon hardware and is unavailable on Intel; cloud AI and Ollama remain available.

You can compare the downloaded file with checksums.txt (opens in a new tab) before opening it.

macOS

1. Open the .dmg and drag mdedit.ai into Applications.
2. Open Applications, Control-click mdedit.ai, and choose Open.
3. Confirm Open in the macOS warning.

If macOS does not offer Open, dismiss the warning, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, and choose Open Anyway for mdedit.ai. Do not disable Gatekeeper globally and do not run terminal commands that remove quarantine attributes.

macOS does not use the in-app updater. To update, download the latest .dmg for your chip, quit mdedit.ai, and replace the copy in Applications. Your account and document data are not stored inside the application bundle.

Windows

1. Run the downloaded setup .exe.
2. If Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows Windows protected your PC, verify the filename and checksum, choose More info, then Run anyway.
3. Choose the installation directory and finish setup.

For updates, open Settings → Updates, choose Check for updates, then download the available release. Choose Restart and install after the download completes. The app does not install an update without your confirmation.

Linux

Install the .deb or .rpm with your package manager, or make the AppImage executable and run it:

chmod +x mdedit-*-linux-x64.AppImage
./mdedit-*-linux-x64.AppImage

Some distributions require FUSE 2 for AppImage support. Install the compatibility package supplied by your distribution if the AppImage reports a FUSE error.

The AppImage build supports Settings → Updates. Check, download, and restart from that tab. For .deb or .rpm, you can also download the new package and install it over the existing version.

If an update fails

• Confirm the device is online and retry from Settings → Updates on Windows or Linux.
• If the updater cannot download the release, install the latest file manually from the download page.
• On macOS, use the manual replacement flow; there is no in-app Updates tab.
• Verify the checksum again before bypassing an operating-system warning.

If the app opens but does not finish loading

An operating-system approval allows the app to run; it does not confirm that its window has loaded successfully. Note whether you see no window, a blank window, or a loading message, and how long it remains there.

When a build offers a startup error dialog, choose Retry to reopen the window or Close window to close it without deleting saved documents. Help → Show startup diagnostics reveals a local desktop-startup.log with app/system versions and startup event codes. The log excludes document contents, URLs, file paths and account details, and is not uploaded automatically. Older releases may not have this diagnostic feature.

For support, include the app version, macOS version, whether About This Mac lists an Apple chip or an Intel processor, the downloaded installer filename, and the visible startup state. Do not delete your local storage folder or account data to troubleshoot a loading window.

Last reviewed October 15, 2026