Open beta · public release soon
Studio for Mac and Windows
Your writing, on your desk. Online or not.
The full Studio writing environment as a native desktop app. Free, no account needed, and everything works offline. Turn on Studio Premium to sync with the web app, the mobile app and your BYOK device.
macOS 11 or later · Windows 10 or later
Beta
Four things to know before you start
It's a real release with rough edges, not a demo.
Keep a backup of anything precious
The app is stable in our testing, but it is a beta. Before importing a manuscript you cannot afford to lose, make a copy with Account › Sync › Back up. Restore puts the whole library back from that one file.
Updates arrive on their own
Studio checks for updates in the background and downloads them quietly. When one is ready you will see a small “Restart to update” card. Nothing is forced; if you never click it, the update installs the next time you quit.
Found a bug? Tell us from inside the app
Open the menu and choose Report Bug. It files a ticket with your version attached. For questions and conversation, the Studio beta channel on Discord is the place.
Your writing stays yours
Nothing you write, and no file or project names, ever leave your computer unless you turn on sync. The app sends anonymous usage and crash reports so we can see what breaks; switch them off any time in Account › Sync › About.
How it works
Free on its own. In sync with Premium.
One app, two ways to use it.
Local
Free, no account
- Every file type: text, manuscript, cards, grid map, outline, wiki, scratch pad.
- Works with no internet connection at all.
- Version history for every file, kept on your computer.
- Import writing straight from a BYOK microSD card.
- One-file backup and restore of your whole library.
Synced
Studio Premium, 14-day free trial
- Everything in Local, plus your library on the web app and the mobile app.
- Wi-Fi sync with your BYOK device.
- Write offline on the desktop; changes sync when you are back online.
- Sign in from the app with your existing Studio account.
Installing
A minute on Mac, a minute on Windows
Mac
- Open the downloaded
.dmgand drag Studio into Applications. - Open Studio from Applications. It is signed and notarized by Apple, so there is nothing to approve.
- Not sure which Mac you have? Apple menu › About This Mac. “Apple M1” or later means Apple silicon; “Intel” means Intel.
Windows
- Run the downloaded
.exeand follow the installer. - If a blue “Windows protected your PC” screen appears, click More info, check that the publisher reads BYOK LLC, then click Run anyway.
- The installer is signed. That screen is Microsoft’s SmartScreen, which warns about any newly published app until enough people have installed it. It goes away on its own as the app earns a track record.
Questions
Quick answers
- Will I need to reinstall when the beta ends?
- No. Updates, including the public release, arrive through the app itself. Your library and settings stay exactly where they are.
- Does it work with my BYOK device?
- Yes. Pop the device’s microSD card into your computer and Studio offers to import your writing, no account required. Wi-Fi sync with the device is part of Studio Premium.
- I already use Studio on the web. What happens to my library?
- Sign in from the app with your Studio account. With Premium, your existing library syncs down to the desktop and every change flows both ways. Without Premium, the desktop works as a separate local library.
- Can I use it on more than one computer?
- Install it on as many as you like. With Premium they all share one synced library. In local mode each computer has its own, and the backup file moves a library between them.
- Is there a Linux version?
- Not yet. Mac and Windows first; Linux depends on demand, so tell us in Discord if you want it.
Help us get it right.
Every bug report and every “this felt odd” during the beta shapes the public release.