---
title: About connections to GitHub
intro: '{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} uses HTTPS to securely exchange data with {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.'
redirect_from:
  - /desktop/getting-started-with-github-desktop/about-connections-to-github
  - /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/about-connections-to-github
versions:
  fpt: '*'
shortTitle: About connections
---
{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} connects to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} when you pull from, push to, clone, and fork remote repositories. To connect to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} from {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}, you must authenticate your account. For more information, see "[Authenticating to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}](/desktop/getting-started-with-github-desktop/authenticating-to-github)."

After you authenticate to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}, you can connect to remote repositories with {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}. {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} caches your credentials (username and password or personal access token) and uses the credentials to authenticate for each connection to the remote repository.

{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} connects to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} using HTTPS. If you use {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} to access repositories that were cloned using SSH, you may encounter errors. To connect to a repository that was cloned using SSH, change the remote's URLs. For more information, see "[Managing remote repositories](/github/getting-started-with-github/managing-remote-repositories)."

## Further reading
- "[Cloning and forking repositories from GitHub Desktop](/desktop/contributing-and-collaborating-using-github-desktop/cloning-and-forking-repositories-from-github-desktop)"