Install the InterviewChamp Desktop app

The desktop app is what unlocks stealth mode — the AI overlay is invisible to screen-share, screen recording, and OS-level capture. Your interviewer literally cannot see it even if they ask you to share your screen.

Available for Windows and macOS. Web works on any device for transcript + AI answers; desktop is the upgrade when you need the overlay invisible.

Windows

1. Visit interviewchamp.ai/download
2. Click Download for Windows — you'll get a .exe installer (~80 MB)
3. Run the installer. Windows SmartScreen may flag it as "unrecognized publisher" the first time — click More info → Run anyway. We're working on EV code signing to remove the warning.
4. The app installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\InterviewChamp and adds a Start menu shortcut.
5. First launch: sign in with the same email you used on the web. Your sessions and resumes sync automatically.

macOS

1. Visit interviewchamp.ai/download
2. Click Download for Mac — .dmg (~85 MB, Universal binary, runs native on both Apple Silicon and Intel)
3. Open the .dmg, drag InterviewChamp to your Applications folder
4. First launch: macOS Gatekeeper may say "InterviewChamp can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer." Right-click the app icon → Open → confirm. (Once-only; subsequent launches go through normally.)
5. Grant Screen Recording + Microphone + Accessibility permissions when prompted. The first two are how transcription works; Accessibility powers the global keyboard shortcuts.

After install — first run

The desktop app boots into the same Sessions list you see on the web. Click Start Session and the overlay launches floating above your meeting window. The overlay is:

• Always on top of every other window
• Excluded from screen-share (Zoom, Meet, Teams, Webex — all major platforms)
• Excluded from screen recording (QuickTime, OBS, system screenshot tools)
• Draggable anywhere on your screen; size and position are remembered between sessions

Keyboard shortcuts that work globally

While the app is running, these fire even when another window has focus:

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+Enter (Windows) / ⌘+Enter (Mac)	Generate AI answer for the latest interviewer line
Ctrl+Shift+X / ⌘+Shift+X	Analyze the current screen (interviewer just shared a doc?)
Ctrl+Shift+C / ⌘+Shift+C	Copy the most recent AI answer to clipboard
Ctrl+M / ⌘+M	Toggle microphone
Ctrl+Shift+S / ⌘+Shift+S	Toggle system-audio capture
Ctrl+/ / ⌘+/	Focus the manual-message composer

Updating

The app auto-checks for updates on launch. When a new version is available, you'll see a banner — click to install (takes ~10 seconds, no restart). You can also force-check via InterviewChamp menu → Check for Updates.

Uninstalling

Windows: Settings → Apps → InterviewChamp → Uninstall. Settings live in %APPDATA%\InterviewChamp\ — delete that folder if you want a clean slate.

macOS: Drag InterviewChamp.app from Applications to Trash. Settings live in ~/Library/Application Support/InterviewChamp/.

Common questions

Q: Windows says "Unknown publisher" / SmartScreen blocked the installer. A: Expected — we don't yet have an EV code-signing cert. Click More info → Run anyway. The installer is signed (standard, not EV), so SmartScreen's reputation will warm up after enough downloads.

Q: macOS says "InterviewChamp can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer." A: Right-click the app in Applications → Open → confirm. Once-only. macOS Gatekeeper will remember the override.

Q: I clicked "Download for Mac" but my browser downloaded the Windows version. A: The download link uses User-Agent sniffing. If you're on a Chromebook, Linux, or your browser spoofs UA, the wrong file may download. Use the alternate-download links at the bottom of /download to pick manually.

Q: Where does the app install to? A: Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\InterviewChamp. macOS: /Applications/InterviewChamp.app. Settings + logs: %APPDATA%\InterviewChamp\ (Win) or ~/Library/Application Support/InterviewChamp/ (Mac).

Q: Does the desktop app need admin / root? A: No — both installers are per-user, not system-wide. Don't run as admin.

Q: I installed it but can't find the icon. A: Windows: Start menu → search "InterviewChamp". macOS: Applications folder or Spotlight (Cmd+Space → type "interview"). If it's still missing, the install failed silently — check the installer log.

Q: How big is the install? A: ~80 MB on Windows, ~85 MB on macOS (Universal binary supports both Intel + Apple Silicon).

Q: Can I install on a managed work laptop? A: Probably — both installers are user-scoped and don't need admin. If IT blocks user-mode installs, ask them to whitelist interviewchamp.ai and the installer signature.

Q: How do I update? A: Auto-checks on launch. Banner appears when a new version is ready; click → ~10 sec install, no restart. Force check via menu → "Check for Updates."

Q: Sign-in keeps failing on first launch. A: Three checks: (1) right email? (2) network to api.interviewchamp.ai? (3) tray-icon → Re-run setup to redo auth handshake. Then see Desktop setup.

Still stuck?

Help & Feedback → Contact us with category "Something is broken" + your OS version + which install step failed. The founder reads every reply.

Video walkthrough

Coming soon — we'll record install flows for both Windows and macOS once the EV signing certificate lands.