> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.pixwel.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Aspera Desktop

> How Pixwel moves large media with IBM Aspera high-speed transfer — how it works today through Aspera Connect, and the move to the Aspera Desktop app.

Pixwel uses **IBM Aspera** to move large media files quickly and reliably. Aspera's high-speed protocol (FASP) transfers big trailers and masters far faster than an ordinary browser download, and lets you pause and resume without starting over.

Aspera needs a piece of software running on your computer to do the transfer. Today that's the **Aspera Connect** browser plugin; later in 2026 it moves to the standalone **Aspera Desktop** app.

## How it works today: Aspera Connect

Right now, Pixwel transfers run through **Aspera Connect** — a small client and browser plugin installed on your machine. When you [download](/features/downloads) a file:

* The transfer runs through Aspera Connect and appears under **Active Transfers** on the Downloads page, with **pause**, **resume**, and **cancel** controls.
* If Connect isn't installed or running, Pixwel falls back to a standard browser download. That still works, but it's slower for large files and can't pause or resume.

<Note>
  If you've ever been prompted to "install Aspera Connect" or to allow a browser extension when downloading, that's this client.
</Note>

## What's changing

Aspera Connect depends on a browser plugin mechanism that modern browsers have **deprecated**, so IBM is retiring Connect in favor of a standalone app. **Later in 2026, Pixwel will move from Aspera Connect to Aspera Desktop.**

<Warning>
  When the switch happens, you'll need to install **Aspera Desktop** to keep getting high-speed transfers. Without it, downloads will fall back to slower standard browser downloads.
</Warning>

## What Aspera Desktop is

**Aspera Desktop** is IBM's standalone, high-speed transfer application. Instead of a browser plugin, it's a normal desktop app that runs in the background. When you start a transfer in Pixwel, the web app hands it off to Aspera Desktop, which does the actual high-speed transfer — no browser extension required.

It's a free IBM transfer client, available for Windows and macOS — see IBM's [system requirements](https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/aspera-for-desktop/1.0.x?topic=upgrades-system-requirements) for the current supported versions.

## Installing Aspera Desktop

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get the app">
    When Pixwel switches to Aspera Desktop, starting a transfer will prompt you to **open or download** the app. You can also get it directly from IBM's [Aspera downloads page](https://www.ibm.com/products/aspera/downloads) (look for *IBM Aspera for desktop*).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install and launch it">
    Run the installer and open the app. Allow it to run in the background so Pixwel can hand transfers to it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Return to Pixwel">
    Back in Pixwel, start a download as usual. Pixwel detects the running app and routes the transfer through it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Using it

Once Aspera Desktop is installed, the experience is the same as today: start a transfer from Pixwel, and track it under **Active Transfers** with pause, resume, and cancel. The difference is that the work is done by the standalone app rather than a browser plugin.

<Info>
  **Don't want to install it?** You can still download files — Pixwel falls back to a standard browser download. This is fine for smaller files, but large media transfers much faster, and resumably, through Aspera Desktop.
</Info>

## See also

* [Downloads](/features/downloads) — where transfers appear and how download permissions work.