Desktop App
The Social Archiver desktop app is a standalone application for Apple Silicon Macs that lets you browse, read, search, and organize your archive library on your computer. Sign in to sync with the same Social Archiver account as the mobile app, Chrome extension, web app, and Obsidian plugin — or use it without an account as a local-only library. Cached archives stay readable offline.
Desktop app vs. Obsidian desktop plugin
The desktop app is its own application — you do not need Obsidian to use it. Elsewhere in this guide, "desktop plugin" refers to the Social Archiver Obsidian plugin running on a desktop computer. They are different things that share the same account.
What You Can Do
- Browse your library with Inbox, Archive, Starred, Tags, and Authors views
- Read posts and articles with media, comments, and highlights
- Search your whole library, including a ⌘K quick-search palette
- Quick-archive a link from the macOS menu bar or a global shortcut
- Subscribe to public profiles and feeds
- Act as the local executor for AI Comments and transcription jobs requested from other clients
- Run the bundled
sacommand-line tool for scripting and coding agents
Requirements
- An Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 13 (Ventura) or later
- A Social Archiver account is optional — sign in to archive by URL and sync, or use the app signed out as a local library
- An internet connection for archiving and sync; cached archives are readable offline
Install
- Download the latest
.dmgfrom the desktop releases page - Open the
.dmgand drag Social Archiver to your Applications folder - Launch the app and sign in with your email address
Same account everywhere
Sign in with the same email you use on mobile, Chrome, web, or Obsidian so the desktop app shares your archive library and supported state changes.
With or Without an Account
The desktop app works in two modes:
Signed in — Sign in with your email (the same account you use on mobile, Chrome, web, or Obsidian). This unlocks archiving by URL, server sync, subscriptions, and the full feature set. Items you saved while signed out stay under a This device view; after signing in, use Upload to account to upload those local-only archives to the server, where they sync to your other devices.
Signed out (local library) — Choose Continue without account to use the app as a local-only library with no sign-in. Archiving by URL is not available without an account, because it runs on the Social Archiver server. Instead, you can fill your local library two ways:
- Connect an Obsidian vault — point the app at a vault folder under Settings → Local vault folder. It mirrors the Social Archiver notes in that vault into the app and watches the folder for changes while signed out.
- Clip from the Chrome extension — set the desktop app as the Chrome extension's clip destination, and clips you capture in the browser save straight to your local library — no account required.
To enable URL archiving, create an account (or restore a purchase) in the Social Archiver mobile app, then sign in here with the same account.
Local deletes
While signed out, deleting a local vault item from the app also removes the vault note and its owned attachments — but only when the Obsidian plugin for that vault is signed out too. Once you sign in, your account sync becomes the source of truth and automatic vault watching is paused (the vault stays available as a manual import source).
Quick Search
Press ⌘K to open Search everything — a quick-search palette that searches your whole library at once, ignoring the current tab and filters. Start typing to match posts and authors, then pick a result to jump straight to it. Type @ to filter by author: choose an author, and the results narrow to their posts.
This is separate from the in-tab search box, which only filters the view you are currently looking at.
Quick Archive
Social Archiver adds an icon to the macOS menu bar (status bar): it shows archive activity and lets you quick-archive a copied link without switching to the app. You can also open Quick Archive from anywhere with global shortcuts (configurable in Settings → Keyboard shortcuts):
- Open Quick Capture (default ⌘⇧N) — opens the capture panel from any app.
- Capture clipboard URL (default ⌘⇧S) — opens it prefilled with a URL from your clipboard.
- Capture current browser tab (no default — assign one) — opens it prefilled with the URL of your frontmost browser tab.
Quick Archive saves to your account and syncs to your other devices when you are signed in.
Accessibility permission (first run)
To prefill the current browser tab URL, macOS requires Accessibility (and Automation) permission. The first time, grant Social Archiver under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, then restart the app so macOS applies the permission to the running process. Until then, browser-tab capture stays blocked — clipboard and manual URL entry still work. If an older copy is listed under Accessibility, remove it, reopen the current app so it is re-added, enable it, then restart.
Automatic Updates
The desktop app updates itself in the background. When a new version is available it is downloaded and applied on the next launch — you do not need to re-download the .dmg each time.
Command-Line Tool
The desktop app bundles the Social Archiver command-line tool. Install it onto your PATH from Settings → Command line → Install 'sa' command, then run sa (or the full social-archiver) from any terminal. The CLI uses the app's signed-in account automatically — no separate login needed.
See Command Line (CLI) for commands, examples, and coding-agent setup.
Other Platforms
The desktop app currently ships as an Apple Silicon (.dmg) build for macOS 13+. Intel Macs, Windows, and Linux are not supported yet.
Next Steps
Important
Only archive content you have permission to save. Respect copyright laws and platform terms of service.