diff --git a/interface.d.ts b/interface.d.ts
index 265b6bf2f..56535d972 100644
--- a/interface.d.ts
+++ b/interface.d.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,9 @@ export interface IElectronAPI {
   kittycad: (access: string, args: any) => any
   listMachines: () => Promise<MachinesListing>
   getMachineApiIp: () => Promise<string | null>
+  onUpdateDownloadStart: (
+    callback: (value: { version: string }) => void
+  ) => Electron.IpcRenderer
   onUpdateDownloaded: (
     callback: (value: string) => void
   ) => Electron.IpcRenderer
diff --git a/src/index.tsx b/src/index.tsx
index 6e9b4f4a7..c19e8e23a 100644
--- a/src/index.tsx
+++ b/src/index.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import ModalContainer from 'react-modal-promise'
 import { isDesktop } from 'lib/isDesktop'
 import { AppStreamProvider } from 'AppState'
 import { ToastUpdate } from 'components/ToastUpdate'
+import { AUTO_UPDATER_TOAST_ID } from 'lib/constants'
 
 // uncomment for xstate inspector
 // import { DEV } from 'env'
@@ -53,7 +54,15 @@ root.render(
 // or send to an analytics endpoint. Learn more: https://bit.ly/CRA-vitals
 reportWebVitals()
 
-isDesktop() &&
+if (isDesktop()) {
+  // List for update download progress to begin
+  // to show a loading toast.
+  // TODO: Make use of the progress value in future. Currently this fires only once.
+  window.electron.onUpdateDownloadProgress(({ version }) => {
+    const message = `Downloading update (${version})...`
+    console.log(message)
+    toast.loading(message, { id: AUTO_UPDATER_TOAST_ID })
+  })
   window.electron.onUpdateDownloaded((version: string) => {
     const message = `A new update (${version}) was downloaded and will be available next time you open the app.`
     console.log(message)
@@ -64,6 +73,7 @@ isDesktop() &&
           window.electron.appRestart()
         },
       }),
-      { duration: 30000 }
+      { duration: 30000, id: AUTO_UPDATER_TOAST_ID }
     )
   })
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/constants.ts b/src/lib/constants.ts
index e29c815f4..540c79734 100644
--- a/src/lib/constants.ts
+++ b/src/lib/constants.ts
@@ -102,3 +102,6 @@ export const KCL_SAMPLES_MANIFEST_URLS = {
     'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KittyCAD/kcl-samples/main/manifst.json',
   localFallback: '/kcl-samples-manifest-fallback.json',
 } as const
+
+/** Toast id for the app auto-updater toast */
+export const AUTO_UPDATER_TOAST_ID = 'auto-updater-toast'
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index c561910b0..e1be4b3f5 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -263,6 +263,19 @@ app.on('ready', () => {
 
   autoUpdater.on('update-available', (info) => {
     console.log('update-available', info)
+    autoUpdater.prependOnceListener('download-progress', (progress) => {
+      // For now, we'll send the version to the loading toast start.
+      console.log('update-download-start', {
+        version: info.version,
+      })
+      mainWindow?.webContents.send('update-download-start', progress)
+    })
+
+    autoUpdater.on('download-progress', (progress) => {
+      // TODO: in a future PR (https://github.com/KittyCAD/modeling-app/issues/3994)
+      // send this data to mainWindow to show a progress bar for the download.
+      console.log('download-progress', progress)
+    })
   })
 
   autoUpdater.on('update-downloaded', (info) => {
diff --git a/src/preload.ts b/src/preload.ts
index 2d5e3eec4..c87da4243 100644
--- a/src/preload.ts
+++ b/src/preload.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ const startDeviceFlow = (host: string): Promise<string> =>
   ipcRenderer.invoke('startDeviceFlow', host)
 const loginWithDeviceFlow = (): Promise<string> =>
   ipcRenderer.invoke('loginWithDeviceFlow')
+const onUpdateDownloadStart = (
+  callback: (value: { version: string; }) => void
+) =>
+  ipcRenderer.on('update-download-start', (_event, value) => callback(value))
 const onUpdateDownloaded = (callback: (value: string) => void) =>
   ipcRenderer.on('update-downloaded', (_event, value) => callback(value))
 const appRestart = () => ipcRenderer.invoke('app.restart')
@@ -126,6 +130,7 @@ contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('electron', {
   kittycad,
   listMachines,
   getMachineApiIp,
+  onUpdateDownloadStart,
   onUpdateDownloaded,
   appRestart,
 })