Getting Started

This guide does one job: confirm Ameow works on your machine. Start with the desktop app, then decide whether you need the browser extension or advanced settings.

Just want the first run to work?

Prepare one local test file and one public web link. Do not start with members-only, region-locked, login-required, or age-gated content.

1. Install and Launch

Windows

1. Most users should download the Installer EXE and run it.
2. If you chose the Portable ZIP, extract it fully first, then run Ameow from the extracted folder.
3. After launch, a small floating window should appear near the desktop edge.

macOS

1. Open the DMG.
2. Drag Ameow.app into Applications.
3. Launch it from Applications.
4. If the system blocks it, right-click Ameow.app and choose Open.

[Screenshot: Ameow floating window in its first-launch idle state near the desktop edge]

Success state: you can see a small always-available window near the desktop edge. This is the main input surface for files, folders, and links, not a traditional large main window.

2. Save Something Once

1. Select one test file in Explorer, Finder, or on the desktop.
2. Drag it onto the Ameow floating window.
3. Release the pointer.
4. Open the current output folder from Ameow.
5. Confirm the test file appears in the output folder.

[Screenshot: dropping a local file onto the Ameow floating window]

[Screenshot: the output folder showing the file that was just collected]

Success state:

• the file is copied into the current output folder;
• the original file stays in its original location;
• the default output folder is usually Desktop/Ameow_Received.

Folders mean something different

Dropping a file copies it. Dropping a folder changes the output folder instead of copying the whole folder. If you cannot find a result, open the current output folder from Ameow first.

3. Test One Public Link

For your first link test, use a public page or public media link.

1. Copy a public image link, video link, or supported page URL in the browser.
2. Return to the Ameow floating window.
3. Press Ctrl+V, or Cmd+V on macOS.
4. Watch the task feedback in the window.
5. When it finishes, open the current output folder from Ameow and confirm the file.

Success state:

• if the link is supported, Ameow enters preparation, download, or conversion;
• when finished, the file is written into the current output folder;
• unsupported, invalid, or permission-limited links can fail.

If a public link works, the desktop app’s basic flow is healthy.

4. When Should I Install the Browser Extension?

The desktop app works on its own. The browser extension is an optional upgrade, not a first-launch requirement.

Install it when:

• you mainly download web video;
• the page plays in the browser but a copied link fails in Ameow;
• the site needs login state, cookies, paid access, or page context;
• you want to choose video, audio, or image items from the popup’s current-page media list.

Shortest path:

1. Download the matching Ameow_<version>_browser_extension.zip.
2. Extract the zip.
3. Open Chrome or Edge extension management and turn on Developer Mode.
4. Click Load unpacked and choose the extracted extension folder.
5. Launch Ameow, then open the extension popup and confirm it shows Connected.

Full details are in Browser Extension and Install the Extension.

Common First-Run Failures

I Do Not See the Floating Window

Confirm Ameow really launched. On Windows, reopen it from the Start menu. On macOS, confirm the app is in Applications. If macOS blocks launch, use the right-click Open flow or allow it in system settings.

Continue with First Launch on macOS.

I Dropped a File but Cannot Find It

Open the current output folder from Ameow. Do not rely only on the default path, because dropping a folder changes the current output folder.

Continue with Output Folder and Missing Files.

I Pasted a Link and Nothing Happened

First confirm the link opens in the browser. If the content needs login state, send it through the browser extension instead. If it still fails, continue with Download Failures.

Next Steps

Once your first test works, continue only where needed:

• Browser Extension: send web content, login state, and current-page media into the desktop app.
• Output Folder: avoid losing track of saved files.
• Core Concepts: understand how the floating window, output folder, and queue work together.