The Chatgram Windows installer is unsigned, so Windows SmartScreen may warn you the first time you run it. This guide explains the real file details, the exact SmartScreen steps, how to verify the download and how updates work.
Check the file before you download
The current desktop build is version 1.1.6 for 64-bit Windows 10 or newer. It is an unsigned NSIS installer, which is why SmartScreen can warn about it.
- File: chatgram-windows-setup.exe
- Size: 86,263,690 bytes (82.3 MB)
- Download link: download chatgram-windows-setup.exe
Only download the installer from this site. If a message or another website offers you a Chatgram .exe, treat it as untrusted.
Run the installer past SmartScreen
- Open your Downloads folder and double-click chatgram-windows-setup.exe.
- If a blue window says Windows protected your PC, click More info.
- Check that the app name is Chatgram and the publisher is unknown, then click Run anyway.
- Follow the installer, then launch Chatgram from the Start menu.
This warning appears because the build is not code-signed yet, not because Windows found anything wrong with the file. Do not turn SmartScreen off globally to get around it; click through the warning for this one file and leave the protection on for everything else.
Verify the SHA-256 checksum
If you want to be certain the download is intact, open PowerShell in the folder that holds the installer and run:
Get-FileHash .\chatgram-windows-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256
The current Windows build's checksum begins with 6233ec23 and ends with 9c2e66; the complete value is published with the release feed the download cards read from. If your hash does not match the published value for the version you downloaded, delete the file and download it again.
After installation
The desktop app uses the same account and the same conversations as Android and the web. Sign in once and your chats are already there. Closing the window leaves Chatgram running in the system tray, so notifications keep arriving; use the tray menu to open it again or to quit completely. Start-on-login is available in Settings if you want it to open with Windows.
How updates work
The Windows build checks the published release feed under /downloads/ and installs a newer version when one is published, so you do not need to download a new installer by hand each time. If an automatic update fails, download the installer again from this page and run it over the existing installation; your account data stays on the server and is not affected.
Keeping the Windows app healthy
The installer is a normal Windows program. Keep a few hundred megabytes free on the Windows drive, let the app finish an update before you close the window, and do not run two installers at the same time. If a company firewall sits in front of your connection, Chatgram needs outbound HTTPS and WSS to reach the server; nothing has to be opened inbound. Removing the app with Windows Settings → Apps keeps your account and conversations, and installing it again brings them back after you sign in.
Troubleshooting
- No “Run anyway” button: expand “More info” first — the button only appears after that. If the window still blocks you, the file may have been altered in transit; delete it and download again.
- Antivirus quarantines the installer: an unsigned executable can be heuristically flagged. Verify the checksum and, if it matches, add an exception for this file rather than disabling your antivirus.
- The app will not start: confirm you are on 64-bit Windows 10 or newer. Try running the installer again as the same user; if the tray icon disappears, reopen Chatgram from the Start menu.
- Uninstall: use Windows Settings → Apps → Chatgram → Uninstall. Your chats remain on the server, so signing in again on any device restores them.