Where Does GitHub Desktop Store Data?
GitHub Desktop stores user data in the standard Electron user data directory on each OS. Repositories themselves stay in their existing folders; only metadata and logs live in the app data directory.
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GitHub Desktop keeps account metadata, repository list, preferences, and logs under the Electron user data directory. Install binaries live in a separate location on Windows.
Tokens are kept in the OS credential store, not as plain text in the data directory. Copying the directory to a new machine does not transfer login sessions.
Where GitHub Desktop stores this, by platform
%APPDATA%\GitHub Desktop
%APPDATA% expands to C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming where <user> is the Windows account name. Contains config, IndexedDB, Local Storage, and logs subfolders. Install files live separately under %LOCALAPPDATA%\GitHubDesktop.
~/Library/Application Support/GitHub Desktop
Tilde expands to /Users/<user> where <user> is the macOS account name. Contains IndexedDB, Local Storage, preferences, and logs. Deleting it signs out the app and drops the repository list.
Frequently asked questions
Where are repositories and logs?
Repositories remain where they were cloned. Logs are inside the data directory under a logs folder and can be opened from the Help menu with Show Logs.
Can I move the data directory?
There is no supported relocation option. Some users request an environment variable for the path, but it is not documented. Back up the directory before manual moves.
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