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You can no longer use a desktop app to access your Quickbooks Online account. On April 20, 2021, Intuit discontinued both the Windows and Mac desktop apps for its cloud-based accounting software. Previously, Intuit allowed business owners and accountants to access their respective accounts through these desktop apps. While Quickbooks Online is still available, however, the desktop apps are no longer supported.

Why Intuit Stopped Supporting the Quickbooks Online Desktop Apps

According to Intuit, it stopped supporting the Quickbooks Online desktop apps so that it can focus on more important features and functionality. The desktop apps weren’t particularly popular. And with their limited usage, Intuit decided that it was longer worth the time or resources to support them.

Will the Quickbooks Online Desktop Apps Still Work?

Intuit is simply no longer supporting the Quickbooks Online desktop apps. Therefore, you should be able to use them — at least for now. The Windows and Mac desktop apps for Quickbooks Online will still connect to your account via a web browser.

Without official support, though, the Quickbooks Online desktop apps won’t receive software updates. Intuit will no longer push updates for the desktop apps. This means bugs, as well as vulnerabilities, may go unfixed. You also won’t be able to receive customer support for the desktop apps.

Alternatives to the Quickbooks Online Desktop Apps

There are alternative solutions for the Quickbooks Online desktop apps. You can log in to your Quickbooks Account directly through a web browser, for example. Regardless of whether you have a desktop app, Quickbooks Online is fully accessible through a web browser. The Quickbooks Online login page is available at abo.intuit.com. You can visit this address in your preferred web browser to log in to your Quickbooks Online account. No desktop app is required; you just need a web browser.

Another alternative is to use Quickbooks Desktop that’s hosted by a third party. Quickbooks Desktop, of course, is a different version of Intuit’s popular accounting software. While Quickbooks Online is cloud-based, Quickbooks Desktop is locally installed. With that said, you can still access Quickbooks Desktop over the internet. This is done through third-party hosting. There are third-party hosting companies that offer Quickbooks Desktop. With hosted Quickbooks Desktop, you essentially get the best of both worlds. You’ll have access to all of the Quickbooks Desktop features, but you’ll also be able to use it over the internet.

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