Desktop App Setup

The Rocket.Chat Desktop App is a cross-platform client built with Electron, enabling a single codebase to run on macOS, Windows, and Linux using web technologies. This guide walks through building the Rocket.Chat desktop application from source, including environment setup, dependency installation, and running the app locally for development. It assumes familiarity with JavaScript tooling and desktop application workflows.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, verify you have the following available on your machine:

• Git

• Node.js v24.11.1 or higher

• node-gyp

• Yarn v4.0.2 or higher

• An active Rocket.Chat workspace. You can set up a local development server environment or deploy a new workspace.

An active internet connection is required throughout the setup process to install dependencies and fetch packages.

Set up Rocket.Chat desktop app environment

1. From your preferred directory, clone the Rocket.Chat Electron repository:

   git clone https://github.com/RocketChat/Rocket.Chat.Electron.git

2. Navigate to the cloned directory and install the dependencies:

   cd Rocket.Chat.Electron
   yarn

3. Launch the desktop app:

   yarn start

If the build completes successfully, the Rocket.Chat desktop application will launch automatically. On first launch, you’ll be prompted to enter your workspace URL to connect the desktop client to your Rocket.Chat workspace.

Project structure

The codebase is organized to separate core logic from UI components and platform-specific assets.

• src/: Contains the primary source code.

• app/: Contains the compiled, runnable desktop application produced from the contents of src/.

When yarn start is executed, it triggers the build process that compiles all the code in the src/ folder and outputs the result in app/  to create a runnable application. As a result, the running desktop app always reflects the latest source code changes.

Next steps

Once the environment is set up and the application is running, you can begin developing and customizing the desktop client to suit your requirements. This may include modifying UI components, adjusting native integrations, or extending application behavior.

• Develop your Desktop App

• Debugging your Desktop App

• White-label Your Desktop App

Additional resources

To install the desktop app on your device, refer to these guides:

• Minimum Requirements for Client Apps

• Install Desktop & Mobile App