Cake Wallet on desktop: macOS, Linux, Tails and Windows

Quick steps

1. Check your system. macOS 12 or later, or a Linux system with Flatpak or tar.xz support. New Windows builds are paused; use the mobile app instead.
2. Get the file from an official source. Use the Mac App Store, or type cakewallet.com yourself and follow it to the cake-tech/cake_wallet GitHub releases. Pick a file starting with Cake_Wallet.
3. Verify the download. Run shasum -a 256 (macOS) or sha256sum (Linux) and compare the result with the SHA-256 hash in the release notes or the signed SHA256SUMS file.
4. Install. On macOS, drag the app to Applications. On Linux, install the Flatpak and start it from the app menu, or extract the tar.xz and run cake_wallet. On Tails, keep it in Persistent Storage.
5. Create or restore a wallet and back it up. Set a PIN, create or restore a wallet, and write the seed on paper. For 25-word Monero seeds, also write down the restore height.

Cake Wallet started on phones and its desktop apps came later: macOS in 2023, Linux in 2023 and Windows in 2024. Cake has since paused new Windows builds to rebuild the desktop experience; no 6.x version has been released for Windows. Here is what works today and how to install it safely.

Desktop status (October 2026)

Cake says its desktop apps are being redesigned, expects a refreshed release in late 2026, and recommends the Android or iOS apps for the best experience in the meantime (Cake Wallet docs, 2026).

What is missing on desktop

• Coins: Zcash, Decred and Zano are not included in the macOS and Linux builds.
• Lightning: available on macOS, not on Linux.
• Litecoin MWEB: Android and iOS only.
• Payjoin: mobile only.

Monero, Bitcoin (including Silent Payments), Litecoin, Ethereum and the other main networks work on desktop. See supported coins.

macOS

Mac App Store (recommended)

The App Store listing for Cake Wallet (ID 1334702542, developer Cake Technologies, LLC) includes the Mac version. Install it from there for automatic updates. See the Apple guide for how to recognise the real listing.

GitHub .dmg

1. Type cakewallet.com yourself and follow the link to the GitHub releases of cake-tech/cake_wallet. Not every release includes a Mac file; use the most recent one that does.
2. Download Cake_Wallet_v…dmg. Do not confuse it with Monero_com_v…dmg, the Monero-only app.
3. In Terminal, run shasum -a 256 on the file and compare the result with the hash in the release notes.
4. Optionally, confirm the signature: Cake's verification guide says the disk image is notarised by Apple and signed with team ID 32J6BB6VUS.
5. Open the .dmg and drag Cake Wallet to Applications.

GitHub installs do not update themselves; download each new version and check it the same way.

Linux

Flatpak (recommended)

1. Install Flatpak through your distribution if it is not already present, and add the Flathub repository so dependencies can be installed.
2. Download the _Linux.flatpak file from the latest GitHub release that includes Linux files.
3. Check it: sha256sum on the file must match the hash in the release notes, or use the signed SHA256SUMS file if the release has one.
4. Install the file you verified with flatpak install, then start it from your app menu.

Cake's docs give flatpak run com.cakewallet.cake_wallet as the terminal command, but the Flatpak manifest in Cake's source code uses the app ID com.cakewallet.CakeWallet. If one does not work, run flatpak list to see the ID your installed copy uses.

Cake's verification guide notes that the Flatpak bundle has no embedded signature, which is why checking the hash before installing matters.

tar.xz archive

Download _Linux.tar.xz, check its hash, extract it with tar -xf and run the cake_wallet program inside the folder. Cake says there are no separate signature files for older releases, so compare the SHA-256 hash with the release notes (Cake Wallet docs, 2026).

Tails

Tails forgets everything at shutdown unless you use Persistent Storage, so Cake's guide keeps the whole installation there.

1. Set up Persistent Storage in Tails.
2. In Tor Browser, download the Linux tar.xz from Cake's GitHub releases and check its hash.
3. Extract it into the Persistent folder.
4. Open a terminal in the extracted folder and start cake_wallet with the environment settings from Cake's Tails guide (docs.cakewallet.com), which point its wallet and preference folders inside Persistent Storage.
5. After each restart, open the Persistent folder and run the same command.

Back up your seed on paper as well. A damaged USB stick loses Persistent Storage, and with it the wallet files.

Windows

New Windows builds are on hold during the redesign. Cake's docs say only pre-6.0 Windows builds remain on GitHub and that they lack newer features and security fixes (Cake Wallet docs, 2026). Our advice:

• Use the Android or iPhone app for now, or Linux in a dedicated setup.
• If you still run an old Windows version, make sure your seeds are backed up, and consider moving funds to a current app.
• Any website offering a new Cake Wallet .exe is not official. Check links with our download checker.

Moving a wallet between desktop and phone

Desktop and mobile apps do not sync with each other. To use the same wallet on both, restore its seed on the second device: Restore Wallet, choose the coin, enter the seed and, for a 25-word Monero seed, the restore height. Both copies then see the same balance. Notes and saved transaction keys stay on the device where you made them. If you are leaving an old Windows install, restore your seeds in the mobile app first, confirm the balances, and only then remove the old copy.

Desktop security tips

• Desktops run many programs and browser extensions, so malware risk is higher than on a phone. Use an up-to-date system and avoid pirated software.
• For larger amounts, pair Cake Wallet with a Ledger or Trezor. See hardware wallets.
• Never store your seed in a file on the computer. Write it on paper; for 25-word Monero seeds, also note the restore height.
• Cake Wallet says its support never asks for your seed and never messages you first.

Frequently asked questions