Hey passbolt community members,
The Desktop app just got an update with the new release of v0.3.0 version, packed with exciting new features! Dive into these improved experiences and rest assured, we’re diligently working on delivering more. 
Please note that this release remains exclusive to developers for now but don’t worry; soon a version will be made available to all users.
What’s New?
1. Effortless account kit export from the web app
Exporting your account kit for the desktop app is now effortless. In this new version, users can smoothly export the account kit directly from the web app. The account kit export includes essential components such as the user ID, security token, the users public-private key, trusted domain, server public key, user name. All these elements can be exported from the web app and readily imported to the desktop app using this new version.
2. Importing your account kit into the Desktop Application
Setting up an account is now a breeze. With just a few clicks, you can now set up your account by importing the downloaded account kit directly into the desktop application, making the account set up process quick and easy.
3. Enhance security with passphrase login
We’ve taken a page from our browser extension and introduced passphrase login to our desktop app. In the previous version, users were limited to auto-logging, but in this latest version, we’ve introduced passphrase authentication as an added security feature.
4. Synchronizing with the latest web app version
This release brings the desktop app in line with the current web app version, making it a cohesive and feature-rich workspace experience with users having full access to the user workspace. From improved grid to password policies, you get to have it all in the desktop application.
5. Streamlined password exportation
Version 0.2 presented challenges to exporting passwords because of UWP (Universal Windows Platform). But worry not! We made some adjustments to the code to align with these constraints. Users can now export their credentials easily.
6. Improved security
The latest update (version 0.3) for the passbolt’s Windows desktop app introduced some important security improvements.
Here’s a simplified explanation:
Well, extra security measures were added, like a CSP created by UWP (Universal Windows Platform). This system ensures that only authorized users can access specific parts of the app based on their current status, like whether they’re logged in, working in a specific area, or importing data.
To make things even more secure, we’ve split the apps in three different applications , those apps are called by the two webviews (the one used for rendering and the background one) depending on what you’re doing:
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An app for importing data.
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An app for authentication (making sure you’re who you say you are).
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An app for managing different workspaces within passbolt.
Each of these apps operates independently and is launched or closed depending on what you’re doing. When you use the authentication and workspace features, we’ve set up special rules (CSP) to limit which websites and domains the app can access, making sure your data stays safe and only interacts with trusted sources stored securely in your credential locker.
What’s Next?
The window version of the desktop application is coming along swiftly. Even though this is just developers-exclusive, its work is advancing rapidly. Get a sneak peek into what’s on the horizon in version v0.4.0.
The version v0.4.0 will include:
- Exporter account kit will be signed with the user private kit
- 2FA definition/authentication will be moved from the API and supported into the desktop app.
Stay tuned for more updates, as there are thrilling developments underway in our eagerly anticipated desktop application.
Want to get more involved? The application repository is publicly available and accessible to all on github. You can also read about the process to build the application in the repository readme.
Feel free to visit passbolt community forum and leave a feedback or comment below.