Notion for Desktop: How to Install It and What It Adds Over the Web

Notion for desktop is Notion’s free app for macOS and Windows. You get it from notion.com/desktop or, on Windows, from the Microsoft Store, then sign in with your normal Notion account. It shows the same workspace as the web version. What it adds is app tabs, extra windows, desktop-only shortcuts and offline pages, and Notion says it runs faster.

Below you’ll find how to install it properly, what actually differs from the browser, and what to do when it misbehaves. Everything here is based on Notion’s own help center and blog plus independent coverage, and it reflects what was published as of October 2026. Notion changes its apps often, so menu names may shift.

Which platforms are supported

According to the Notion help center, there’s currently no Linux app. If you see a “Notion for Linux” package somewhere, it isn’t from Notion, so stick to the browser.

How to install Notion on a Mac

1. Go to notion.com/desktop and click the macOS download.
2. Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts to install. Drag the app into Applications if you’re asked to.
3. Launch Notion and sign in with the email (or sign-in method) you already use for Notion.

If macOS says the app isn’t supported on your Mac: the download probably doesn’t match your processor. Notion’s help center says to uninstall it, check your chip under Apple menu → About This Mac, and install the matching version. Macs list either a “Chip” (Apple silicon) or a “Processor” (Intel) line there.

How to install Notion on Windows

You have two official routes.

Option 1: Microsoft Store

Search for Notion in the Microsoft Store app and install it. Notion announced the Store listing on its blog, and Thurrott reported that Microsoft announced it at its Build 2025 conference. If you install from the Store, it handles the download for you, and you can uninstall the app the same way as any other Store app.

One thing to note: Windows Report found that the Store listing says 8 GB of RAM is required, while Notion’s own system requirements only list Windows 10 21H2 or newer. If you’re on an older or low-memory PC, check both before you assume it will run well.

Option 2: Direct download

1. Go to notion.com/desktop and choose the Windows download.
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
3. Open Notion and sign in.

IT teams rolling Notion out to many machines should look at the MSIX installer listed in the help center rather than having everyone download it by hand.

Updates

You don’t have to update it yourself. Notion’s help center says the desktop app updates automatically.

What the desktop app adds over the browser

Your pages, databases and permissions are the same on every platform, because everything lives in your account. The app mainly changes how you get around and what works without a connection.

Tabs and multiple windows

The app has its own tab bar, so you don’t need to mix Notion tabs in with dozens of browser tabs. Notion’s keyboard shortcuts page marks these as desktop-app only:

Don’t confuse these with the /tabs block that Notion added to pages in its March 30, 2026 release. That block splits a single page into sections and works everywhere, not only in the desktop app.

Speed and desktop-only AI features

In its Microsoft Store announcement, Notion says the native app loads pages about twice as fast as a browser. It also says some AI features, including AI Notes and Search Shortcut, are only available in the desktop app. These are Notion’s own claims. Which AI features you get also depends on your plan, so check your workspace settings.

Sign-in options on Windows

The same blog post says you can sign up with an Outlook or Microsoft Office account. It also says that on Business and Enterprise plans, admins can use SCIM and SAML SSO through Microsoft Entra ID.

Working offline in the desktop app

This is the most practical reason to install the app. Notion’s offline guide says every user can view, edit and create pages offline in the desktop or mobile apps. Offline mode doesn’t work in a web browser.

To make a page available offline:

1. Open the page in the desktop app.
2. Click the ••• menu in the top-right corner.
3. Turn on Available offline. A progress bar shows the download.

Things to know before you rely on it:

• It’s per device. A page you save on your laptop isn’t automatically saved on your desktop or phone. Thomas Frank’s review points this out, and so does Notion’s guide.
• Paid plans auto-download. On Plus, Business and Enterprise, Notion also downloads your recent and favorited pages automatically. You can turn this off.
• Manage it in Settings. The Offline tab in Settings lists every page saved on that device and lets you remove pages.
• Databases are partial. Notion’s guide says only the first 50 entries in a database’s first view are saved offline. Open important rows directly and mark them offline if you need them all.
• Some features need a connection. The Share menu doesn’t work offline, and independent reviews say embeds, forms and buttons also need you to be online.
• Sync happens when you reconnect. Offline edits are stored on your device and sync automatically the next time you’re online.

Some older third-party guides, mostly from 2024, say Notion has no real offline mode. That was true before this feature launched, but it’s out of date now.

Troubleshooting and resetting the app

When pages won’t load, the app keeps showing old content or it gets slow, work through these in order. Each step goes further than the one before.

1. Force reload. In the menu bar, choose View → Force reload.
2. Reset local data. Notion’s reset guide describes a Reset & Erase All Local Data option in the app’s Help menu. This only clears what’s stored on your computer. Your workspace content stays in your account, but any offline edits that haven’t synced yet could be lost, so reconnect and let them sync first.
3. Do a clean reinstall. Quit Notion completely, including from the Windows system tray. Delete the app, then remove its local folder: ~/Library/Application Support/Notion on a Mac or AppData\Roaming\Notion on Windows. Then download the app again from Notion’s official site.

If Windows won’t let you delete Notion, the reset guide says to make sure the app is fully closed and that no Notion processes are still running in Task Manager, then try again.

Should you bother with the desktop app?

If you only open Notion now and then, the browser is fine. Install the app if you spend hours a day in Notion, want it in its own window with its own tabs, or need pages you can edit on a plane or with bad Wi-Fi. Offline access and the desktop-only shortcuts are the parts that keep being useful after the first month. Install it from Notion’s site or the Microsoft Store, and on a Mac, make sure the build matches your chip.