Connect to the Desktop App
The browser extension must connect to the Ameow desktop app before it can send tasks. The most important states in the popup are Connected and Disconnected.
Check connection before judging the download. If it says Disconnected, fix connection first. If it says Connected and the task still fails, move on to page type, login state, site support, or output-folder checks.
[Screenshot: extension popup changing from Disconnected to Connected]
Shortest connection path
Section titled “Shortest connection path”- Launch the Ameow desktop app.
- Confirm the floating window is visible near the desktop edge.
- Open the browser extension popup.
- Wait a few seconds and confirm the status becomes
Connected. - Open a supported page and try sending a task.
Success state: the popup shows Connected and the desktop app is still running. Tasks sent from the page should now enter the Ameow download flow.
State meanings
Section titled “State meanings”| State | Meaning | What you should do |
|---|---|---|
Connected | The extension is linked to the Ameow desktop app on this machine | You can send tasks from the page |
Disconnected | The extension is not linked to the desktop app | Launch or restart Ameow, then reopen the popup |
| No status or broken popup | The extension itself may not be loaded correctly | Reload the extension in the browser |
The extension connects to the local address 127.0.0.1:39527. This is a local communication channel between the browser and desktop app.
If it stays Disconnected
Section titled “If it stays Disconnected”Check in this order:
- confirm the Ameow desktop app is actually running, not just installed;
- confirm the floating window is visible;
- close the popup and reopen it;
- reload the Ameow extension in the browser’s extension manager;
- quit and restart the Ameow desktop app;
- check whether a firewall, security tool, or browser-management policy is blocking local connections.
After that, the popup should switch to Connected. If the status recovers but tasks still fail, move on to download troubleshooting instead of reinstalling the extension repeatedly.
Connected, but the task still does not enter the desktop app
Section titled “Connected, but the task still does not enter the desktop app”That is usually not a connection problem anymore. Check:
- whether the current page type is supported;
- whether the content needs login, paid access, region access, or age verification;
- whether the page finished loading;
- whether you triggered the action on the correct video, image, or content page.
If the page needs login state, stay logged in and retry. For more on that, see Cookies and Login State.