Complete guide to Devin Desktop
Getting started
Windsurf was acquired by Cognition (the company behind Devin) in December 2025, and in June 2026 it was integrated and rebranded as Devin Desktop: the local desktop companion that works alongside the cloud AI engineer. If you're looking for the classic Windsurf experience as a code editor with agentic AI, you'll now find it under that new brand. Download it, connect it to your Cognition/Devin account, open your existing project, and start asking for changes in natural language: the editor understands the full context of the repository, not just the open file.
Use cases
Code changes with whole-project context
Unlike a simple autocomplete, it understands the entire repository to propose consistent changes across multiple files.
Local companion to the cloud AI engineer
As Devin Desktop, it works as the local, visual side of Devin, letting you work with the same agent directly from your editor.
AI-assisted debugging
Explains errors and stack traces, and proposes the fix directly on your project's actual code.
Agentic development inside the editor
The agent can navigate the code, make changes, and verify the result without you having to go file by file manually.
Advanced setup
- Connecting your Cognition/Devin accountAfter the integration, access is managed together with your Devin account, unifying work in the cloud (Devin) and locally (Devin Desktop, formerly Windsurf).
- Importing your existing setupIf you're coming from another editor, most settings and extensions can be imported without starting from scratch.
- Agent autonomy levelYou can request targeted changes or broader tasks that the agent handles more autonomously, depending on how much detail you give in the request.
Tips
- If you already used Devin in the cloud, use Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) to keep continuity between your local work and the work delegated to the cloud agent.
- Provide whole-project context in your larger requests, not just the open file: the editor is designed to reason about the entire repository.
- For very narrow changes, a short, direct prompt is usually enough. For full features, also describe the end goal, not just the technical step.
- Review the change history before accepting large auto-generated edits, especially on production code.
FAQ
Does Windsurf still exist as an independent brand?
Not exactly. Cognition acquired it in December 2025 and rebranded it as Devin Desktop in June 2026, integrating it into its ecosystem alongside Devin.
Do I need a Devin account to use it?
Yes. After the integration, access is managed together with your Cognition/Devin account.
Can I keep using the extensions from my previous editor?
Generally yes. Most common settings and extensions can be imported without starting from scratch.
What is the difference between Devin Desktop and cloud Devin?
Devin Desktop is the local companion that works directly inside your editor. Cloud Devin runs tasks autonomously in isolated environments without you having the editor open.
Based on cognition.com/blog (note: product integrated and rebranded as Devin Desktop in 2026)