What is grok-build-desktop?

Grok Build Desktop is a downloadable desktop application, built with Electron, that gives you a graphical window for using Grok Build, an AI coding assistant made by xAI that normally runs from the command line. Instead of typing commands in a terminal, this app gives you a chat style window similar to Claude Desktop, with a sidebar of your past sessions, a scrolling conversation timeline, and a box for typing your messages. Under the hood, the app starts a local background process called the agent, using the same Grok CLI tool you would normally run yourself, and talks to it only over your own computer, never sending your data to a separate server run by this project. Your login, settings, and saved sessions are stored in the same folder the Grok command line tool already uses, so switching between the desktop app and the terminal version stays compatible. The app lets you create, rename, delete, search, and even fork chat sessions, and you can run more than one conversation with the agent at the same time without cancelling work in the background. It shows the AI's tool use as expandable cards, including a line by line diff viewer when the assistant edits your code, plus a file browser with syntax highlighted previews so you can reference files directly in your messages. You can attach files, paste images, drag and drop, and queue up messages while the assistant is busy working. A permissions panel lets you approve or always approve actions the assistant wants to take, and it supports extensions like MCP servers and plugins. To run it yourself, you need Node.js version 20 or newer and a working, already logged in copy of the Grok command line tool. Features still missing include bundled installers with the agent built in, automatic updates, and code signing. The project describes itself as a private early shell around Grok Build, following xAI's own branding and license rules rather than shipping its own separate license.