Github Desktop Browser Authentication/Login

[Lamp218]

The problem

Whenever i try to sign into github desktop via browser authentication it will either do nothing after following all steps or show an error message if i try to push origin whilst not signed in

Release version

Latest

Operating system

SteamOS

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Install Github Desktop on SteamOS
2. Open and Sign Into Github Desktop
3. Go to settings and press login
4. Follow all steps to login to the account via browser authentication

Log files

No response

Screenshots

No response

Additional context

No response

[Prosopho]

Experiencing the same login issues too. I'd log in, authenticate, it'd go back to the app and then not authenticate.

[lmcquellin]

I am experiencing the same issue as well. Tried both 3.4.9 and 3.4.13. OS is Ubuntu 22.04.5.

[mccright]

I am experiencing the same issue as well. I am attempting to use Github Desktop 3.4.13 on Lubuntu/Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS 'focal' (GNU/Linux 5.4.0-204-generic x86_64) and LXQT window manager. GitHub Desktop is an Authorized OAuth App in my github.com profile settings.
When I use the GitHub Desktop "File > Options > Accounts > Sign in to Github.com account..." feature, the browser authentication appears to work successfully and the redirect back to the GitHub Desktop app brings the app into the foreground but the "Sign in using your browser" has a spinner in the upper right quadrant and the authentication process never finishes.

FROM: https://github.com/settings/applications

GitHub Desktop
Last used within the last week · Owned by [desktop](https://github.com/desktop)

and

The GitHub Desktop Development App
Never used · Owned by [desktop](https://github.com/desktop)

And both OAuth Apps have these permissions:

Permissions
  Full control of private repositories
  Update all user data
  Update github action workflows

FROM: "$HOME/.config/GitHub Desktop/logs/2025-05-26.desktop.production.log"

2025-05-26T22:07:34.347Z - info: [ui] [AppStore] loading 16 repositories from store
2025-05-26T22:07:35.017Z - info: [ui] launching: 3.4.13-linux1 (Linux 5.4.0-204-generic)
2025-05-26T22:07:35.018Z - info: [ui] execPath: '/tmp/.mount_GitHubJ5UoEA/github-desktop'
2025-05-26T22:07:51.996Z - info: [ui] [SignInStore] initializing OAuth flow
2025-05-26T22:07:52.000Z - info: [main] opening in browser: https://github.com/login/oauth/authorize?
client_id=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&scope=repo%20user%20workflow&state=nnnnnnnn-nnnn-nnnn-nnnn-nnnnnnnnnnnn
2025-05-26T22:07:58.185Z - info: [main] Received possible protocol arguments: 2
2025-05-26T22:13:06.596Z - info: [ui] [SignInStore] OAuth error but session has changed: Error: cancelled
2025-05-26T23:04:44.929Z - info: [ui] [AppStore] loading 16 repositories from store
2025-05-26T23:04:45.662Z - info: [ui] launching: 3.4.13-linux1 (Linux 5.4.0-204-generic)
2025-05-26T23:04:45.663Z - info: [ui] execPath: '/tmp/.mount_GitHubzsKRnq/github-desktop'
2025-05-26T23:05:34.831Z - info: [ui] [SignInStore] initializing OAuth flow
2025-05-26T23:05:34.839Z - info: [main] opening in browser: https://github.com/login/oauth/authorize?client_id=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&scope=repo%20user%20workflow&state=nnnnnnnn-nnnn-nnnn-nnnn-nnnnnnnnnnnn
2025-05-26T23:05:42.487Z - info: [main] Received possible protocol arguments: 2
2025-05-26T23:30:24.703Z - info: [ui] [SignInStore] OAuth error but session has changed: Error: cancelled

Here is the github.com security log export for my activity today:

export-mccright-1748298554.csv

[RegressiaUK]

Unable to login it no browser I use will return it back to the app.

[Prosopho]

I were able to login more recently, but it seems to be somewhat inconsistent, but works.