docs/content/desktop/installing-and-authenticating-to-github-desktop/about-connections-to-github-in-github-desktop.md

title, intro, redirect_from, versions, shortTitle

title	intro	redirect_from	versions	shortTitle
About connections to GitHub in GitHub Desktop	{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} uses HTTPS to securely exchange data with {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.	/desktop/getting-started-with-github-desktop/about-connections-to-github /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/about-connections-to-github /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/installing-and-authenticating-to-github-desktop/about-connections-to-github /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/installing-and-authenticating-to-github-desktop/about-connections-to-github-in-github-desktop	fpt ghec ghes * * *	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 AUTOTITLE.

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 {% data variables.product.pat_generic %}) 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 AUTOTITLE.

Further reading

• AUTOTITLE