> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.comfy.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using Comfy Desktop

> Overview of Comfy Desktop — creating new installations, managing instances, and more

Comfy Desktop is the official desktop application for **ComfyUI**. It manages everything for you — installing ComfyUI, keeping it updated, and letting you run multiple independent setups side by side.

To understand the relationship: **Comfy Desktop** is the app that manages and launches **ComfyUI** instances. You don't install ComfyUI separately — Comfy Desktop handles the installation, Python environment, and dependencies for each instance automatically.

### Key Features

* **[Multi-instance management](/installation/desktop/usage/instance-management)** — run multiple ComfyUI instances side by side, each with its own version, custom nodes, and configuration
* **[Snapshots](/installation/desktop/usage/manage#snapshots-tab)** — save and restore the full state of an instance (ComfyUI version, custom nodes, Python packages), making it easy to roll back or reproduce an environment
* **[Shared storage](/installation/desktop/usage/settings#storage)** — models are shared across all instances by default, saving disk space. You can also add external model folders
* **[Automatic updates](/installation/desktop/usage/manage#update-tab)** — update Comfy Desktop itself and individual ComfyUI instances independently through the Manage panel
* **Cloud integration** — launch or connect to Comfy Cloud instances directly from the Chooser view
* **[Track existing installations](/installation/desktop/usage/instance-management#tracking-an-existing-installation)** — add your existing portable or git-cloned ComfyUI installations to Comfy Desktop for unified management

This guide covers how to use these features.

## Dashboard Overview

Comfy Desktop window is divided into several key areas. The image below labels the main parts of the Dashboard:

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/dripart/WOU4QA85ezVoyrZE/images/desktop/interface/interface_desktop_dashboard.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=WOU4QA85ezVoyrZE&q=85&s=853c7a0226e45c59b1c1ee448b7fa833" alt="Comfy Desktop Dashboard" width="1854" height="1200" data-path="images/desktop/interface/interface_desktop_dashboard.png" />

### App Menu

The hamburger menu (☰) in the top-left corner opens the application menu (File / Edit / View / Window / Help). Use it to open a new window, access global preferences, quit the app, or find other desktop-level controls.

<CardGroup cols={1}>
  <Card title="Settings" icon="cog" href="/installation/desktop/usage/settings">
    Global settings: theme, auto-updates, proxy/mirror, and data locations.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Instance Switcher

The center pill shows the name of your active ComfyUI instance. Click it to open the **Instance Picker**, a popover that lists every installed instance, shows their running status, and lets you switch between them or launch a new one.

<CardGroup cols={1}>
  <Card title="Managing Installations" icon="sliders" href="/installation/desktop/usage/manage">
    Launch, update, snapshot, and configure your installations through the Manage panel.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Trailing Buttons

The buttons grouped on the right side of the title bar provide quick access to:

* **Desktop Update**：when a new version of Comfy Desktop is available, a pill appears here. Click to download and apply the update.
* **Feedback**：send feedback to the Comfy Desktop team.
* **Downloads**：opens the downloads tray showing active and recent downloads.

### Search

The search box lets you filter your installed instances by name, making it easy to find a specific setup when you have many.

### Chooser (Instance List)

The main area of the Dashboard, called the **Chooser**, displays all your ComfyUI instances as cards. **Click any instance card to launch or switch to that instance.**

From here you can:

* **＋ New Install**：create a new standalone ComfyUI instance.
* **Comfy Cloud**：connect to or launch a cloud instance.
* **Existing instance cards**：each card shows the instance name, status, and type. Right-click (or click the ⋮ icon) to manage, update, snapshot, or delete the instance.

<CardGroup cols={1}>
  <Card title="Instance Management" icon="layer-group" href="/installation/desktop/usage/instance-management">
    Create, rename, edit, and delete ComfyUI instances.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Feedback and Issues

Found a bug or have a suggestion? Comfy Desktop is open source. You can report issues and check planned features here:

* **Comfy Desktop issues** — [github.com/Comfy-Org/Comfy-Desktop/issues](https://github.com/Comfy-Org/Comfy-Desktop/issues)
* **Documentation issues** — [github.com/Comfy-Org/docs/issues](https://github.com/Comfy-Org/docs/issues)

For general questions about ComfyUI, visit the [ComfyUI GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/Comfy-Org/ComfyUI/discussions) or join the [ComfyUI Discord](https://www.comfy.org/discord).