Bug reports and feedback are always welcome, please open an issue if something breaks or feels off.
Haven Desktop is a standalone Electron application that connects to any Haven server, with features that go beyond the browser.
⬡ You need a Haven server to use this app. Haven Desktop is a client: it connects to a Haven server running on your (or a friend's) machine. If you don't have one yet, download Haven first and follow the setup guide.
Just download, run, done. No terminal, no setup, no dependencies.
| Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| Windows (.exe) | Latest Release |
| Linux (.AppImage) | Latest Release |
| Linux (.deb) | Latest Release |
| macOS (.dmg) | Amnibro's Mac version, Apple Silicon and Intel |
Windows: Double-click the
.exe→ Haven installs and launches automatically. Linux AppImage:chmod +x Haven*.AppImage && ./Haven*.AppImage, or just double-click in most desktop environments. Builds after 1.4.28 run without libfuse2. If an older build says it requires FUSE, start it with./Haven*.AppImage --appimage-extract-and-runinstead. Linux .deb:sudo dpkg -i haven*.deb, or double-click to install via your package manager.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Per-Application Audio | Share audio from a single application during screen share, just like Discord. Powered by native WASAPI (Windows) and PulseAudio (Linux) hooks. |
| Screen-Share Encoder Controls | Choose the codec before streaming. Screen sharing requests H.264 and reports whether Chromium confirms hardware acceleration. |
| Audio Device Switching | Switch your microphone and speaker mid-call without leaving voice chat. |
| Desktop Notifications | Native OS-level notifications via the taskbar / system tray. |
| Host or Join | Run your own Haven server from the app, or connect to someone else's. Auto-detects local servers. |
| One-Click Install | NSIS installer (Windows) and AppImage / .deb (Linux). |
| Minimize to Tray | Stays running quietly in your system tray. |
| Voice Overlay | See who is in your call and who is talking while you play. A click-through panel above windowed and borderless games, with new messages from the call's channel. Turn it on from the tray icon. |
| Rich Presence | See what everyone is playing and listening to in the member list and on their profile. Games via Steam; music via Last.fm (which covers Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Navidrome and Plex in one connection), Spotify directly, or Haven's own player. Optional, hidden while you're Invisible, never saved to the database. |
- Windows 10 (build 19041+) / Windows 11
- Linux (PulseAudio or PipeWire with
pipewire-pulse) - macOS: a separate Mac version built by Amnibro, linked in the download table above
Per-app audio on Windows requires build 19041+ (Windows 10 version 2004, May 2020 Update).
Most users don't need this. Just download the installer above. This section is for developers who want to contribute or build locally.
- Node.js 22.23.2+
- npm 10+
- C++ Build Tools:
- Windows: Visual Studio Build Tools 2019+ with the "Desktop development with C++" workload
- Linux:
build-essential,libpulse-dev,libx11-dev,libxtst-dev,libxinerama-dev,libxt-dev,libxrandr-dev,libxfixes-dev
- Install the Windows prerequisites listed above
- Double-click
Setup.bat: installs npm dependencies and builds the native components - Double-click
Start Haven Desktop.bat: launches the app - Double-click
Build Installer.bat: creates a distributable.exeindist/
# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/ancsemi/Haven-Desktop.git
cd Haven-Desktop
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Build the native audio addon
npm run build:native
# Run in dev mode
npm run dev# Windows (NSIS one-click installer)
npm run build:win
# Linux (AppImage + .deb)
npm run build:linuxOutput goes to the dist/ directory.
Push a version tag to build automatically via GitHub Actions:
git tag v1.0.0
git push origin v1.0.0GitHub Actions builds the Windows .exe and Linux .AppImage / .deb, then publishes them as a GitHub Release. No local build tools required.
Haven-Desktop/
├── src/
│ ├── main/ # Electron main process, preloads and their helper modules
│ ├── renderer/ # Welcome and setup screens
│ └── i18n/ # Desktop app translations
├── native/ # Per-app audio addon (WASAPI on Windows, PulseAudio on Linux)
├── assets/ # Icons
├── test/ # node --test suites
├── package.json
└── electron-builder.yml
Windows (WASAPI Process Loopback):
The app uses the Windows 10 2004+ ActivateAudioInterfaceAsync API with AUDIOCLIENT_ACTIVATION_TYPE_PROCESS_LOOPBACK to capture audio exclusively from a target process. The native addon runs in a background thread, captures 48 kHz float32 PCM, and streams it to the renderer via IPC.
Linux (PulseAudio): The app creates a virtual null sink, moves the target application's audio stream to it, records from the sink's monitor, and loops the audio back to the default output so the user still hears it.
In the Renderer:
PCM data arrives via IPC → AudioWorkletNode processes it → MediaStreamDestination produces a MediaStreamTrack → the track replaces the system-loopback audio on the screen share MediaStream. Haven's existing voice.js requires zero modifications.
Your feedback directly shapes the app. If something doesn't work, looks wrong, or could be better:
- Open an issue with as much detail as you can
- Include your OS, Haven server version, and steps to reproduce
Every report helps.
Haven Desktop is just the client. You need a Haven server to connect to.
| Link | |
|---|---|
| Haven Server | github.com/ancsemi/Haven |
| Setup Guide | GUIDE.md |
| Website | haven-app.com |
Same license as Haven: AGPL-3.0. See LICENSE.
Made with ♠ by ANCsemi