Kimi has released Kimi Code Desktop, a graphical client that brings its coding agent to macOS and Windows with direct access to local project folders, a built-in browser for previewing web changes, and a Swarm mode that splits independent work across multiple subagents. The desktop app is available now for macOS Apple Silicon, macOS Intel, and Windows, and can be installed alongside the existing Kimi Code CLI.
The launch expands Kimi's developer tooling beyond the terminal-first CLI into a visual workspace where conversations, file diffs, terminal output, and browser previews share a single window. Users sign in through a Kimi account (kimi.com for mainland China, kimi.ai elsewhere) or connect a third-party model provider by entering an API key, base URL, and model information in Settings.
Confirmed
- Platforms: macOS Apple Silicon, macOS Intel, and Windows; installs alongside the existing Kimi Code CLI.
- Local workspace model: sessions are organized by project folder, chosen above the Composer or by dragging a folder onto the sidebar; permission modes (Always Ask, Ask When Needed, Never Ask) gate approval cards for commands, file changes, and plans.
- Task modes: Goal (ongoing objective), Plan (propose a plan before editing), and Swarm (parallel subagents for independent work).
- Workspace panels: a built-in browser that shares page context with the agent and keeps tabs with the session, a terminal in the current workspace, per-turn diffs in a Changes panel, and file previews for Markdown, JSON, HTML, PDF, CSV, images, and code.
- Shared local configuration with the Kimi Code CLI (account, model, provider, plugin settings); third-party providers require a name, API, API key, base URL, and model information, and the CLI command /desktop or kimi install-desktop opens the Desktop page.
Unknown
- Pricing and usage limits for official Kimi models across membership tiers.
- Which specific official models are available to signed-in users by default.
- Whether Swarm mode has concurrency limits or queueing behavior under load.
- Exact data retention and telemetry policies for local workspaces and browser context.
- Rollout timeline for HarmonyOS mobile support mentioned on the download page but not detailed in the Desktop docs.
Our take
Kimi Code Desktop reads as a deliberate push to capture developers who want a visual, review-first loop without leaving their local environment. The built-in browser and annotation tools address a real friction point in web work — checking visual changes without context-switching — while Swarm mode and layered permission modes show that agent autonomy needs guardrails. Missing pricing detail for official models and unspecified Swarm concurrency limits are the main unknowns for teams weighing adoption.
