Download and use the QuickBooks Online desktop app
by Intuit•4• Updated 5 months ago
- Stay signed in: Instead of signing in multiple times a day on a web browser, the QuickBooks Online desktop app lets you stay signed in for up to 6 months unless you sign out manually.
- Access multiple QuickBooks Online companies: In the QuickBooks Online desktop app, you can access multiple companies simultaneously and switch between them without reloading each company.
- Navigation map view: You have an option of using a navigation map that is similar to QuickBooks desktop.
For Windows
- In QBO, this setting is found in the Advanced tab. This will only need to be done once and the app will recall your preference for that account going forward.
- Switch to another company without signing out.
- Open a new tab for each company file.
- Access accounts in the app that have a QuickBooks Online subscription.
- Open multiple clients accounts at once, in multiple tabs, or from a single point.
- Access client accounts, regardless of the client’s subscription.
Learn how to download and install the QuickBooks Online app.
If you use QuickBooks Online often or have more than one account, the QuickBooks Online app makes it convenient to access your company file(s) without using a web browser. In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of downloading and using the app on your computer. Let’s get started!
Download the QuickBooks Online desktop app
To get started, you'll need a 64-bit computer and you need to be a QuickBooks Online Advanced subscriber or an accountant with QuickBooks Online Accountant.
Access multiple QuickBooks companies
If you have multiple QuickBooks Online companies, you can switch to another company without signing out. You can also open a new tab for each company file. You can access accounts in the app that have a QuickBooks Online subscription.
Accountants can open multiple client accounts at once, in multiple tabs, or from a single point. Accountants can access client accounts, regardless of the client’s subscription.
Switch your view in the desktop app
You can switch between the Standard QuickBooks Online view or the Desktop view. You can switch between standard view and desktop view from the dashboard. Here's a quick explanation of each view.
- Desktop view: If you’re familiar with using QuickBooks Desktop software on your computer, the desktop view will look similar to what you’re used to. The desktop view shows QuickBooks Online processes like sales, expenses, payroll, and reporting in a diagram. This lets you select the pages you want to work on. This lets you select the pages you want to work on.
- Standard view: We recommend standard view if you're new or already use QuickBooks Online.
Open multiple windows or tabs
QuickBooks lets you open multiple tabs and windows at once, so you can work on multiple projects at the same time. Any changes you make will only affect the current tab or window, and will not affect any other tabs or windows.
Navigate with shortcuts
You can use keyboard shortcut keys to save time when navigating through the different areas in QuickBooks. If you're used to the shortcuts from QuickBooks Desktop, they also work here. To see a full list of all the available shortcuts:
- Open the QuickBooks Online app.
- In the menu bar, select Help.
- Select Keyboard Shortcuts.
Sign in now for personalized help
See articles customized for your product and join our large community of QuickBooks users.