# Installation and minimum requirements (/docs/get-started/install)



ADT Studio runs locally on your computer. For almost everyone, the desktop app is the way to install it — download it, double-click it, open it, like any normal program.

## Install the desktop app [#install-the-desktop-app]

The desktop app is available for **Windows** and **macOS**.

<Steps>
  <Step>
    ### Download [#download]

    Go to the [ADT Studio download page](https://unicef.github.io/adt-studio/download/) and download the installer for your system.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Install it [#install-it]

    Open the downloaded file and follow the installation steps.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Launch ADT Studio [#launch-adt-studio]

    Open it like any other app on your computer.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Minimum requirements [#minimum-requirements]

| Requirement                | Details                                                                                                                                             |
| -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Windows**                | Windows 10 or newer, 64-bit only. Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, and 32-bit systems, aren't supported.                                                      |
| **macOS**                  | macOS 12 (Monterey) or newer, on Apple Silicon (arm64). There is currently no Intel or Universal build — Intel Macs aren't supported.               |
| **Internet connection**    | Required during installation, when applying updates, and during PDF conversion (for the AI processing). Not required to open or use a finished ADT. |
| **An AI provider API key** | Required before you can convert a PDF. See [AI providers and costs](/docs/get-started/api-keys).                                                    |

<Callout title="Working with a long book on a slower machine?">
  Very long or complex books can be demanding to process in one go, and on lower-powered machines this has, in some cases, caused the app to crash mid-run. If that happens, use **Split & merge** to break the book into smaller parts, process them separately (even across different people or machines), and reassemble the results afterward — see [Splitting a book into parts](/docs/convert-pdf/extract#splitting-a-book-into-parts).
</Callout>

## Notes [#notes]

* **Updates.** ADT Studio updates itself automatically, so you never need to download or run a new installer by hand. The update itself is still fetched over the internet in the background, so an internet connection is needed for a new version to apply.
* **Something not working?** Check the [Troubleshooting & FAQ](/docs/faq) page, or [report the issue](/docs/reporting-issues).

## Option for developers: run it from source [#option-for-developers-run-it-from-source]

If you want to build ADT Studio yourself, contribute to the project, or run it in an environment where the packaged installer doesn't fit — you can run it directly from source, using the same tools you'd use for any software project: an IDE, Git, and Node.js.

<Steps>
  <Step>
    ### Prerequisites [#prerequisites]

    [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) 20+, [pnpm](https://pnpm.io/) 9+, and [Git](https://git-scm.com/). Running the desktop shell itself (rather than just the browser-based dev version) additionally needs the [Rust toolchain](https://rustup.rs/).
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Clone and install [#clone-and-install]

    ```
    git clone git@github.com:unicef/adt-studio.git
    cd adt-studio
    pnpm install
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step>
    ### Run it [#run-it]

    ```
    pnpm dev
    ```

    This starts the API and Studio dev servers and opens the app in your browser. See the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/unicef/adt-studio) for the full setup, including how to launch the desktop shell (`pnpm dev:desktop`) instead of the browser version.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Self-hosting on shared infrastructure (e.g. for an IT-managed environment) is also possible — see [Can I self-host ADT Studio for my organisation?](/docs/faq#for-developers-and-it) in the FAQ.

## Ready to continue? [#ready-to-continue]

[AI providers and costs →](/docs/get-started/api-keys)