---
title: Updates and installation
group: Apps
order: 7
summary: Choose a released artifact, verify its version and architecture, and install or update the desktop and phone apps without mixing package releases.
updated: 2026-10-07
---
Use [Downloads](/#download) for the current release and [Releases](/releases) for history. Each download shows its version, architecture and size.

## Choose the right build

| Platform | Choice | Status considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Linux x86-64 | AppImage or Debian `.deb` | Both should belong to the same desktop release. |
| Windows x64 | `.exe` installer | Unsigned: SmartScreen asks you to confirm the first run. |
| macOS | Apple silicon or Intel (`.zip`) | Choose your Mac's chip yourself; the site cannot detect it. Not notarised. |
| Android 7+ | Standard APK | Check the release notes before updating. |
| iOS | Unsigned preview IPA | Install with a sideloading tool; not on the App Store. |

Do not use a Linux ARM device with the current x86-64 packages. Older releases remain reachable through their own release/asset links. If the current release lacks a format, the site does not silently substitute an older version.

## Linux AppImage

Download the exact versioned filename shown by the site. In its directory:

```sh
chmod +x ./Escanor-VERSION-linux-x86_64.AppImage
./Escanor-VERSION-linux-x86_64.AppImage
```

Replace `VERSION` with the displayed version. Some distributions require FUSE compatibility packages. If FUSE mounting fails, the runtime supports extraction-and-run:

```sh
./Escanor-VERSION-linux-x86_64.AppImage --appimage-extract-and-run
```

You still need a compatible desktop session and Electron runtime libraries. Do not launch it as root or disable the Electron sandbox to solve an installation error.

## Debian and Ubuntu

Use the `.deb` for `amd64` (the Debian name for x86-64):

```sh
sudo apt install ./Escanor-VERSION-linux-amd64.deb
```

APT resolves declared dependencies and installs the desktop entry. Keep the preceding `./` so the command selects your local file. Inspect errors if dependencies cannot be resolved on your distribution. You can inspect before installation with `dpkg-deb --info FILENAME.deb`.

## Windows and macOS

These builds are not yet code-signed, so SmartScreen or Gatekeeper warns on first run; check that you downloaded it from escanor.in before allowing it. Do not turn SmartScreen or Gatekeeper off.

On macOS choose Apple silicon (`arm64`) or Intel (`x64`) explicitly, unzip the download (or open the DMG, where one is offered) and move Escanor to Applications. Open it once, then go to System Settings › Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway. On Windows choose the x64 installer. Native modules such as the terminal backend need a build for that OS/architecture; matching the filename alone does not prove it works.

## Phone updates

Android APKs are signed. If a release notes a signing change, an in-place update can fail and you must uninstall first, which removes the app's local data; you sign in again afterwards. The phone-control APK is a separate opt-in variant with additional Android setup.

The iOS preview IPA is unsigned and does not install directly; your sideloading tool signs it, and that signature can expire. Follow the tool's instructions to renew it. The desktop and phone apps do not update automatically yet: install the newer build over the old one.

## Verify and recover

Compare filename, platform, architecture, version and byte size with release metadata. Where a SHA-256 digest is supplied, compare it with `sha256sum FILENAME` on Linux.

If the download list cannot load, the site lets you retry and links to [Releases](/releases). After updating, launch the app, sign in if required, and verify pairing and one safe read operation.

Related: [Desktop](/docs/desktop), [Android](/docs/android), [iPhone](/docs/iphone), [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting).