diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/recovery.test.ts b/packages/desktop/src/recovery.test.ts
index 4eaca4cb..d463896b 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/recovery.test.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/recovery.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   RecoveryStateStore,
   extractErrorCode,
   buildTrayMenuTemplate,
+  buildAppMenuTemplate,
   type RecoveryState,
 } from './recovery';
 
@@ -211,3 +212,45 @@ describe('buildTrayMenuTemplate', () => {
     expect(downloadedItem!.enabled).toBe(true);
   });
 });
+
+describe('buildAppMenuTemplate', () => {
+  it('returns top-level menu with App, Edit, Window submenus', () => {
+    const template = buildAppMenuTemplate('Backspace', defaultState());
+    const [appMenu, editMenu, windowMenu] = template;
+    expect(template.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(3);
+    expect(appMenu!.label).toBe('Backspace');
+    expect(editMenu!.label).toBe('Edit');
+    expect(windowMenu!.label).toBe('Window');
+  });
+
+  it('App submenu includes About and Change Instance', () => {
+    const template = buildAppMenuTemplate('Backspace', defaultState());
+    const [appMenu] = template;
+    const appSub = appMenu!.submenu as MenuItemConstructorOptions[];
+    const labels = appSub.map((i) => i.label).filter(Boolean);
+    expect(appSub.find((i) => i.role === 'about')).toBeDefined();
+    expect(labels).toContain('Change Instance');
+    expect(appSub.find((i) => i.role === 'quit')).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('App submenu includes Check for Updates with state-correct label', () => {
+    const template = buildAppMenuTemplate('Backspace', defaultState({ updateState: 'idle' }));
+    const [appMenu] = template;
+    const appSub = appMenu!.submenu as MenuItemConstructorOptions[];
+    const item = appSub.find((i) => i.id === 'check-for-updates');
+    expect(item).toBeDefined();
+    expect(item!.label).toBe('Check for Updates…');
+  });
+
+  it('App submenu inserts Restart to Install Update only when downloaded', () => {
+    const [idleAppMenu] = buildAppMenuTemplate('Backspace', defaultState({ updateState: 'idle' }));
+    const idleSub = idleAppMenu!.submenu as MenuItemConstructorOptions[];
+    expect(idleSub.find((i) => i.id === 'restart-to-install')).toBeUndefined();
+
+    const [dlAppMenu] = buildAppMenuTemplate('Backspace', defaultState({ updateState: 'downloaded' }));
+    const dlSub = dlAppMenu!.submenu as MenuItemConstructorOptions[];
+    const restartItem = dlSub.find((i) => i.id === 'restart-to-install');
+    expect(restartItem).toBeDefined();
+    expect(restartItem!.label).toBe('Restart to Install Update');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/recovery.ts b/packages/desktop/src/recovery.ts
index 21b0799b..bcc44744 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/recovery.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/recovery.ts
@@ -136,3 +136,60 @@ export function buildTrayMenuTemplate(
 
   return items;
 }
+
+export function buildAppMenuTemplate(
+  appName: string,
+  state: RecoveryState,
+  actions?: Partial<MenuActions>,
+): MenuItemConstructorOptions[] {
+  const appSubmenu: MenuItemConstructorOptions[] = [
+    { role: 'about' },
+    { type: 'separator' },
+    checkForUpdatesItem(state, () => actions?.onCheckForUpdates?.()),
+  ];
+
+  if (state.updateState === 'downloaded') {
+    appSubmenu.push({
+      id: 'restart-to-install',
+      label: 'Restart to Install Update',
+      enabled: true,
+      click: actions?.onRestartToInstall,
+    });
+  }
+
+  appSubmenu.push(
+    { type: 'separator' },
+    { label: 'Change Instance', click: actions?.onChangeInstance },
+    { type: 'separator' },
+    { role: 'hide' },
+    { role: 'hideOthers' },
+    { role: 'unhide' },
+    { type: 'separator' },
+    { role: 'quit' },
+  );
+
+  return [
+    { label: appName, submenu: appSubmenu },
+    {
+      label: 'Edit',
+      submenu: [
+        { role: 'undo' },
+        { role: 'redo' },
+        { type: 'separator' },
+        { role: 'cut' },
+        { role: 'copy' },
+        { role: 'paste' },
+        { role: 'selectAll' },
+      ],
+    },
+    {
+      label: 'Window',
+      submenu: [
+        { role: 'minimize' },
+        { role: 'zoom' },
+        { type: 'separator' },
+        { role: 'front' },
+      ],
+    },
+  ];
+}