hongguo-desktop-releases

Project Overview

Hongguo Desktop (the desktop edition of Hongguo short dramas) is a free short-drama player for Windows 10/11 computers, independently maintained by QuDaoYouShu. It solves a common pain point: many people want to watch short dramas on a large computer screen, but the mobile app cannot run on desktop and installing a heavy Android emulator is a hassle. With this app you simply download an EXE installer and run it on Windows, with no Android emulator and no need to download source code. The app lets you find dramas on your computer, search by title, browse categories and rankings, bookmark favorites, and record local watch progress so you can continue where you left off. The current public version is 1.0.2 and the installer is about 102.8 MiB. This is a public release and feedback repository containing installers and update information; it does not contain the private app source code.

Key Features

• Desktop playback: play short dramas directly on a Windows computer without an Android emulator.
• Search and discovery: search by drama title and browse categories, rankings, favorites, and history.
• Watch progress: progress is stored locally so you can resume from where you left off next time.
• Favorites and episodes: bookmark dramas, select episodes, adjust playback speed, and enable auto-play of the next episode.
• Playback service check: a connection check in Settings helps diagnose playback issues.
• Boss key: a configurable boss key hides and restores the window; it does not automatically pause or mute.
• Feedback channels: built-in guidance for reporting issues via GitHub Issues or email.
• Clean interface: the discovery page provides entries for categories, rankings, favorites, and history.

Target Audience

• Users who want to watch short dramas on a large Windows screen instead of a small phone.
• Users who do not want to install a heavy Android emulator.
• Short-drama fans who need search, favorites, and resume features on desktop.
• General users looking for a free desktop short-drama player.

Quick Start

1. Download the installer hongguo-1.0.2-windows-x86_64-setup.exe from the Releases page.
2. Run the installer to complete installation. An existing WebView2 will be reused; if it is missing, the installer completes it online (do not close the window or rerun the installer during this step). If the online completion fails, install the Evergreen Standalone Installer (x64) from Microsoft's official WebView2 page and retry.
3. Open the app, browse categories or search for a title, and click play on the detail page.
4. Watch progress is saved locally; configure the boss key if you need to hide the window.
5. If the detail page says the desktop content service is not ready, wait about one minute, then go to Settings, Playback Service, and click Check Connection; if it is still disconnected, exit the app, reopen it, and check again.

Core Advantages

• No emulator: install the EXE and run it on Windows, skipping the Android emulator.
• Free to use: completely free, with no payment or subscription.
• Desktop experience: supports search, favorites, episode selection, speed control, auto-play, and resume.
• Local progress: watch records are stored locally on the computer.
• Actively maintained: independently maintained by QuDaoYouShu with version updates and feedback channels.

System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11, 64-bit (x64).
• Architecture: x86_64.
• Additional dependencies: requires the WebView2 runtime, which the installer can complete online if missing.

Notes

• The current version has no Windows publisher code signing, so the system may show an unknown publisher or SmartScreen warning; verify the download source and checksum and do not disable system protection.
• Watch records and favorites are stored only on the current computer and are not yet synced between two computers or between a computer and a phone.
• This is a public release and feedback repository; it does not contain the app source code or signing keys and does not mean the app is open source.
• Content and playback availability depend on the source and network conditions.
• In-app updates use a fixed public key to verify update-package signatures and are downloaded only after the user clicks update.