Using the desktop app
Download the TACENZA desktop app for Windows, get past the first-run warning, and learn why protected chats only open in the app.
The TACENZA desktop app is available for Windows. Download it from TACENZA Chat: go to Settings › Security Center and choose Download for Windows.
There’s no Mac or Linux app yet. On those, use Chat in your browser.
“Windows protected your PC”
The installer isn’t code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen warns you the first time you run it. Only continue if you downloaded it from chat.tacenza.app yourself. Then choose More info and Run anyway.
If you got the installer from anywhere else – a link in a message, another website, a friend – delete it and download it again from Chat.
Why use it
- It blocks screenshots and screen recordings of its window, including tools like ShareX. A web page can’t do that.
- Protected chats can be set so they’re only readable in the desktop app. In a browser, those chats show “Open this chat in the desktop app”. You can still send messages from the browser.
- Everything else works the same as in your browser – it’s the same TACENZA Chat inside its own window.
Updates
The app checks for updates when it starts and every 6 hours. A new version downloads in the background, and you’re asked to restart. If you don’t, it installs the next time you quit.
If something’s wrong
- It won’t start, or shows a blank window. Check your connection and the status page. The app loads Chat from chat.tacenza.app, so it needs to be online.
- You can’t log in: Too many devices. The desktop app counts as its own device, separate from your browser. See I’ve reached my device limit.
- An update doesn’t arrive. Quit the app fully and start it again. Each copy keeps an update log at
%APPDATA%\Tacenza\updates.log– it’s useful to include if you contact us.
Read more: Privacy and safety settings in the docs.
Still stuck?
Contact support and tell us your Windows version and what you see.