Can Intercom work for desktop software (not just web)? | Community
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Hey everyone,

I’ve been looking into ways to improve user onboarding and updates for a little side project of mine. It’s a desktop launcher bloxstrap and I’m curious if Intercom could be useful in this setup.

Couple things I’m wondering:

Is it possible to trigger onboarding/help messages inside a desktop app, or is Intercom mainly limited to web and mobile?

Would using Intercom’s email campaigns be the better route for sharing updates / new release notes with users?

Has anyone here tried hooking Intercom into a custom software download flow?

I’m not sure if Intercom is flexible enough for this kind of product, but it seems like it could be a nice way to keep people engaged without building everything from scratch.

Appreciate any tips or experiences!

Hey ​@Anastasio Lombardo ,

Nice project! Here’s the scoop with Intercom for a desktop launcher:

Desktop apps: Intercom doesn’t have an SDK for native Windows/Mac apps, only web, iOS, and Android. For in-app onboarding, you’d need to use a webview with Intercom Messenger or push events through the REST API to trigger messages.

Email updates: This is where Intercom really works well. You can send release notes, onboarding tips, or updates via email campaigns. It’s simple and reliable for keeping users informed outside the app.

Custom download flow: You can track installs or launches by sending events to Intercom via the API. Then trigger emails or campaigns based on those events. Some teams use this to tie desktop workflows into Intercom without building a full in-app messaging experience.
 

Hope this helps!

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