Desktop App

The General Text desktop app gives you a native application that syncs your workspace files to your local machine. It connects to the same server as the web app, keeping everything in sync.

What's different on desktop

• A real folder on your disk. Your workspace files are mirrored to a real folder on your machine. Open it in your file browser and edit files with your text editor, the terminal, or a script, and the changes flow straight back into the workspace.
• Real-time sync. Files sync live over the same engine as the web app (not a periodic poll), and keep working offline.
• Same interface. The editing experience, apps, and collaboration features work the same way as on the web.
• Back and Forward. The History menu steps you back (Cmd/Ctrl+[) and forward (Cmd/Ctrl+]) through where you've been, and on macOS a two-finger swipe does the same.

Signing in

When you first open the desktop app, sign in with the same account you use on the web. The app opens on Workspaces Home, with every account and workspace you belong to in one place. Your workspaces sync automatically. Any workspace you're a member of, whether you created it or were invited, appears locally.

Sync behavior

The desktop app stays in sync in real time while you're connected, and the sync indicator in the header shows your connection state. Edits you make offline, whether in the app or directly in the files on disk, reconcile automatically when the connection is restored.

Every synced workspace is mirrored to your disk in the background, not just the ones you open. The app sweeps through them while it's running, so your local folders stay complete.

On your phone

There's no separate app-store download for phones and tablets. Install General Text straight from your mobile browser and it runs full-screen from its own home-screen icon. See Mobile App for the steps on iOS, iPadOS, and Android.