The QuickBooks Online App for Your Desktop: A More Familiar, Desktop-Style Experience

QuickBooks Online gives businesses the flexibility to access their accounting information in the cloud. But for users who have spent years in QuickBooks Desktop, moving to QBO can feel like a major adjustment.

If you love the familiar functionality, workflow, and navigation of QuickBooks Desktop, or are already using QuickBooks Online but don't enjoy hunting for it in a sea of browser tabs, the QuickBooks Online desktop app may offer a better way to work.

The free app lets you access QuickBooks Online through a dedicated program on your computer. You still get the cloud-based benefits of QBO, but the experience can feel more like using traditional desktop software.

For QuickBooks Desktop holdouts, the app may provide a softer landing in the cloud. For current QuickBooks Online users, it can provide a more focused and convenient workspace. Below, we’ll discuss what the app is, what it does, and how to download it.

What Is the QuickBooks Online Desktop App?

Despite its name, the QuickBooks Online desktop app is not a QuickBooks Desktop product. If you're using QuickBooks Desktop, you'll need to purchase a QuickBooks Online subscription and migrate to the platform (we can help you accomplish both — and train your team! Learn more here.)

The QuickBooks Online Desktop application is a free product from Intuit, available for both Mac and Windows, that can be installed on a computer to access your QuickBooks Online company in a dedicated window instead of a browser tab. Your data still lives in QBO, but the app gives you a more focused workspace that allows you to stay signed in, manage multiple companies more quickly, work across multiple pages, use split screen, and navigate with keyboard shortcuts.

What Does the QuickBooks Online Desktop App Let Me Do?

The app includes several features designed to make everyday work in QuickBooks Online easier and more efficient. These tools can help you spend less time navigating and more time getting your accounting work done.

Stay Signed In

The desktop app can keep you signed in to QuickBooks Online, making it easier to return to your work without repeatedly entering your login information.

This may seem like a small convenience, but it can make a noticeable difference when you move in and out of QuickBooks throughout the day. Instead of finding the right browser tab and signing in again, you can open the app and get back to the task at hand.

Because QuickBooks contains sensitive financial information, use this feature only on a secure computer that is not accessible to unauthorized users. Lock your device when it's not in use, and log out of QuickBooks when you're done for the day.

Manage Multiple Companies More Quickly

If you work in more than one QuickBooks Online company, the app allows you to keep multiple companies open at the same time, unlike the web browser version of QBO. While this doesn’t change the number of QuickBooks Online subscriptions needed, it does simplify your workflow.

Each company appears in its own company tab, so you can move between businesses without repeatedly signing out, switching companies, entering two-factor authentication codes, and waiting for another company file to load. This can be especially helpful for:

• Business owners with multiple QuickBooks Online subscriptions

• Employees responsible for related companies

• Bookkeepers managing several client accounts

• Accounting professionals who frequently move between company files

To open another company, select the plus icon next to the current company tab group and choose the company you want to access.

When several companies are open, always check the active company tab before entering or changing information.

Work Across Multiple Pages

The app also lets you open multiple pages within the same QuickBooks Online company. To open another page, select the plus icon next to the current page tab and choose the page you need.

This feature helps you move between related tasks without navigating away from a page and then trying to find your way back. It can also make QBO feel more like a desktop program, where multiple windows or areas of the software remain readily available.

View Two Tasks with Split Screen

When you need to see two areas of QuickBooks at once, the app includes a split-screen view.

Split screen can be useful when you want to:

• Review a report alongside related transactions

• Reference customer details while creating an invoice

• Compare information on two QBO pages

• Keep a report visible while working elsewhere

• Review account activity without repeatedly switching screens

After selecting Split screen, choose the second page or task you want to display. A green border indicates which side of the screen is active.

Not everyone will use split screen regularly, but users who frequently compare information may find that it reduces back-and-forth navigation. It can be particularly useful when working on a laptop or with a single monitor.

Navigate with Keyboard Shortcuts

The QuickBooks Online desktop app also supports built-in keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard navigation can help any QuickBooks Online user work more efficiently. Instead of relying on the mouse for every action, you can use shortcuts to move through certain tasks more quickly and reduce repetitive clicks. In the desktop app, these shortcuts often feel more responsive and consistent because you are working in a dedicated program rather than a browser environment that may be affected by other tabs, extensions, or your browser's settings.

Users transitioning from QuickBooks Desktop should keep in mind that the shortcuts are not always the same in QBO, so there may be a learning curve. Intuit provides a helpful keyboard shortcut cheat sheet you can reference here.

Once you become familiar with the commands you use most often, keyboard shortcuts can help streamline your workflow and make everyday tasks faster.

How to Download the QuickBooks Online Desktop App

You may be able to download the app directly from your QuickBooks Online company:

1. Sign in to QuickBooks Online.

2. Select the Gear icon.

3. Choose Get the desktop app.

4. Follow the prompts to download the appropriate version.

5. Install the application on your computer.

6. Open the QuickBooks shortcut.

7. Sign in with your Intuit user ID and password.

8. Select the QuickBooks Online company you want to open.

If "Get the desktop app" does not appear under the Gear icon, Intuit also provides a direct download page here. 

Windows users can choose the Windows download. Mac users should select the version that matches their computer’s processor, either Apple silicon or Intel. Unsure what processor your Mac uses? Find out here. 

Once the installation is complete, you'll be able to open QuickBooks Online from the app’s shortcut rather than launching it through a browser.

Is the QuickBooks Online Desktop App Worth Trying?

The desktop app may be worth exploring if you:

• Prefer the feel of a dedicated desktop program

• Are nervous about moving from QuickBooks Desktop to QBO

• Want to stay signed in throughout the workday

• Manage multiple QuickBooks Online companies

• Regularly work across several QBO pages

• Need to compare information using split screen

• Prefer navigating with keyboard shortcuts

• Want to separate QuickBooks from your other browser tabs

The app does not turn QuickBooks Online into QuickBooks Desktop, and it does not eliminate every difference between the two products. But it does offer a more focused and flexible way to use QBO, and you won’t lose any data going back and forth between the app and the web browser.

For some QuickBooks Desktop users, that may make the transition to the cloud feel less intimidating. For current QuickBooks Online users, it may provide a more convenient way to work with the software they already use.

At Account Ability Consulting, Inc., we understand that the right accounting software should fit both your business and the way your team works. We can help you evaluate your options, prepare for a move to QuickBooks Online, and create a workflow that helps you use the software confidently.

Curious if the QuickBooks Online desktop app would improve your workflow? Schedule a consultation with Account Ability Consulting to discuss your current setup and what improvements to your tech stack are available.