diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/DesktopUpdateTooltip.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/DesktopUpdateTooltip.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ee4c228e10b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/DesktopUpdateTooltip.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import type { DesktopUpdateState } from "@t3tools/contracts";
+import type { ComponentProps } from "react";
+import { ExternalLinkIcon } from "lucide-react";
+
+import {
+  getDesktopUpdateLatestVersion,
+  getDesktopUpdateReleaseNotesUrl,
+} from "./desktopUpdate.logic";
+import { readLocalApi } from "../localApi";
+import { stackedThreadToast, toastManager } from "./ui/toast";
+import { TooltipPopup } from "./ui/tooltip";
+
+type DesktopUpdateTooltipPopupProps = {
+  state: DesktopUpdateState | null;
+  summary: string;
+  side?: ComponentProps<typeof TooltipPopup>["side"];
+};
+
+function getDesktopUpdateTooltipTitle(state: DesktopUpdateState | null): string {
+  if (!state) return "Update Available";
+  if (state.status === "downloaded") return "Restart to Update";
+  if (state.status === "downloading") return "Downloading Update";
+  if (state.status === "error") return "Update Needs Attention";
+  if (state.status === "available") return "Update Available";
+  return "Application Update";
+}
+
+function openReleaseNotes(state: DesktopUpdateState | null) {
+  const api = readLocalApi();
+  const url = getDesktopUpdateReleaseNotesUrl(state);
+  void api?.shell.openExternal(url).catch((error: unknown) => {
+    toastManager.add(
+      stackedThreadToast({
+        type: "error",
+        title: "Could not open release notes",
+        description: error instanceof Error ? error.message : "Unable to open GitHub Releases.",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+}
+
+export function DesktopUpdateTooltipPopup({
+  state,
+  summary,
+  side = "top",
+}: DesktopUpdateTooltipPopupProps) {
+  const latestVersion = state ? getDesktopUpdateLatestVersion(state) : null;
+
+  return (
+    <TooltipPopup side={side} className="w-72 text-left">
+      <div className="flex flex-col gap-3 py-1">
+        <div className="flex flex-col gap-1">
+          <div className="text-sm font-semibold text-popover-foreground">
+            {getDesktopUpdateTooltipTitle(state)}
+          </div>
+          <div className="text-xs leading-snug text-muted-foreground">{summary}</div>
+        </div>
+        <div className="grid grid-cols-[auto_1fr] gap-x-4 gap-y-1.5 text-xs">
+          <span className="text-muted-foreground">Current Version</span>
+          <span className="min-w-0 truncate font-mono text-popover-foreground">
+            {state?.currentVersion ?? "Unknown"}
+          </span>
+          <span className="text-muted-foreground">Latest Version</span>
+          <span className="min-w-0 truncate font-mono text-popover-foreground">
+            {latestVersion ?? "Unknown"}
+          </span>
+        </div>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          className="inline-flex h-8 w-fit items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md border border-border bg-background px-2.5 text-xs font-medium text-foreground transition-colors hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground"
+          onClick={() => openReleaseNotes(state)}
+        >
+          Release Notes
+          <ExternalLinkIcon className="size-3" />
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </TooltipPopup>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/desktopUpdate.logic.test.ts b/apps/web/src/components/desktopUpdate.logic.test.ts
index 454ecdfe0e9..732209c91e0 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/desktopUpdate.logic.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/desktopUpdate.logic.test.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import {
   getDesktopUpdateActionError,
   getDesktopUpdateButtonTooltip,
   getDesktopUpdateInstallConfirmationMessage,
+  getDesktopUpdateLatestVersion,
+  getDesktopUpdateReleaseNotesUrl,
   isDesktopUpdateButtonDisabled,
   resolveDesktopUpdateButtonAction,
   shouldShowArm64IntelBuildWarning,
@@ -290,3 +292,47 @@ describe("getDesktopUpdateButtonTooltip", () => {
     );
   });
 });
+
+describe("desktop update release notes helpers", () => {
+  it("resolves the latest version from downloaded or available state", () => {
+    expect(
+      getDesktopUpdateLatestVersion({
+        ...baseState,
+        availableVersion: "1.1.0",
+        downloadedVersion: "1.1.1",
+      }),
+    ).toBe("1.1.1");
+    expect(getDesktopUpdateLatestVersion({ ...baseState, availableVersion: "1.1.0" })).toBe(
+      "1.1.0",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("links stable updates to their GitHub release tag", () => {
+    expect(
+      getDesktopUpdateReleaseNotesUrl({
+        ...baseState,
+        channel: "latest",
+        availableVersion: "1.1.0",
+      }),
+    ).toBe("https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/releases/tag/v1.1.0");
+  });
+
+  it("links nightly updates to their GitHub release tag", () => {
+    expect(
+      getDesktopUpdateReleaseNotesUrl({
+        ...baseState,
+        channel: "nightly",
+        availableVersion: "1.1.0-nightly.20260501.17",
+      }),
+    ).toBe("https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/releases/tag/nightly-v1.1.0-nightly.20260501.17");
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to the releases page when no latest version is known", () => {
+    expect(getDesktopUpdateReleaseNotesUrl(null)).toBe(
+      "https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/releases",
+    );
+    expect(getDesktopUpdateReleaseNotesUrl(baseState)).toBe(
+      "https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/releases",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/desktopUpdate.logic.ts b/apps/web/src/components/desktopUpdate.logic.ts
index 38983c810b5..379e67ba90a 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/desktopUpdate.logic.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/desktopUpdate.logic.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import type { DesktopUpdateActionResult, DesktopUpdateState } from "@t3tools/con
 
 export type DesktopUpdateButtonAction = "download" | "install" | "none";
 
+const DESKTOP_UPDATE_RELEASES_URL = "https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/releases";
+
 export function resolveDesktopUpdateButtonAction(
   state: DesktopUpdateState,
 ): DesktopUpdateButtonAction {
@@ -76,6 +78,20 @@ export function getDesktopUpdateButtonTooltip(state: DesktopUpdateState): string
   return "Up to date";
 }
 
+export function getDesktopUpdateLatestVersion(state: DesktopUpdateState): string | null {
+  return state.downloadedVersion ?? state.availableVersion;
+}
+
+export function getDesktopUpdateReleaseNotesUrl(state: DesktopUpdateState | null): string {
+  const latestVersion = state ? getDesktopUpdateLatestVersion(state) : null;
+  if (!state || !latestVersion) {
+    return DESKTOP_UPDATE_RELEASES_URL;
+  }
+
+  const tag = state.channel === "nightly" ? `nightly-v${latestVersion}` : `v${latestVersion}`;
+  return `${DESKTOP_UPDATE_RELEASES_URL}/tag/${encodeURIComponent(tag)}`;
+}
+
 export function getDesktopUpdateInstallConfirmationMessage(
   state: Pick<DesktopUpdateState, "availableVersion" | "downloadedVersion">,
 ): string {
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsPanels.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsPanels.tsx
index 8fc36d4a32b..19a759a7dae 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsPanels.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/settings/SettingsPanels.tsx
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import {
   isDesktopUpdateButtonDisabled,
   resolveDesktopUpdateButtonAction,
 } from "../../components/desktopUpdate.logic";
+import { DesktopUpdateTooltipPopup } from "../../components/DesktopUpdateTooltip";
 import { ProviderModelPicker } from "../chat/ProviderModelPicker";
 import { TraitsPicker } from "../chat/TraitsPicker";
 import { resolveAndPersistPreferredEditor } from "../../editorPreferences";
@@ -304,7 +305,9 @@ function AboutVersionSection() {
                 </Button>
               }
             />
-            {buttonTooltip ? <TooltipPopup>{buttonTooltip}</TooltipPopup> : null}
+            {buttonTooltip ? (
+              <DesktopUpdateTooltipPopup state={updateState} summary={buttonTooltip} />
+            ) : null}
           </Tooltip>
         }
       />
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/sidebar/SidebarUpdatePill.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/sidebar/SidebarUpdatePill.tsx
index d7e5b74d42d..8856efe5481 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/sidebar/SidebarUpdatePill.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/sidebar/SidebarUpdatePill.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   shouldToastDesktopUpdateActionResult,
 } from "../desktopUpdate.logic";
 import { Alert, AlertDescription, AlertTitle } from "../ui/alert";
+import { DesktopUpdateTooltipPopup } from "../DesktopUpdateTooltip";
 import { Tooltip, TooltipPopup, TooltipTrigger } from "../ui/tooltip";
 
 export function SidebarUpdatePill() {
@@ -158,7 +159,7 @@ export function SidebarUpdatePill() {
                 </button>
               }
             />
-            <TooltipPopup side="top">{tooltip}</TooltipPopup>
+            <DesktopUpdateTooltipPopup state={state} summary={tooltip} side="top" />
           </Tooltip>
           {action === "download" && (
             <Tooltip>