Activating Your License
Before you open LunaFinder
When you purchase LunaFinder, you receive a license key. You need this key the first time you run the app. LunaFinder uses a one-time payment model: pay once and use the app without a recurring subscription for the app itself.
Keep your license key in a safe place (email, password manager, or purchase receipt).
What happens when you launch the app
- LunaFinder may briefly show “Checking license…” while it verifies whether the app is already activated on your Mac.
- If the app is not yet activated, you will see the Activate LunaFinder window.
- After successful activation, the main workspace opens and you can use all features.
How to activate
Step 1: Enter your license key
In the activation window:
- Read the welcome message.
- Click in the License Key field.
- Type or paste your license key exactly as provided (check for extra spaces).
Step 2: Activate
- Click Activate, or press Enter on your keyboard.
- While validation runs, you will see “Validating license…” and the button may show Activating…
- When activation succeeds, you will see a confirmation message and the main app will appear.
Step 3: Need help?
If you are unsure about your key or account, use Visit Support in the activation window. This opens LunaFinder’s support page in your browser.
After activation
You normally do not need to enter the license again on the same Mac unless the license is reset or you reinstall in a way that clears activation data.
The app does not show a separate “deactivate” option in the interface; activation is tied to validating your key with LunaFinder’s servers when required.
Common activation messages
| Message | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Please enter a license key | The field was empty | Enter your key and try again |
| The license you provided is invalid… | The key was not accepted | Double-check the key; contact support if it still fails |
| Unable to connect to activation server… | No network or blocked connection | Check Wi‑Fi or firewall; try again |
| An unexpected error occurred… | Something went wrong during validation | Try again; contact support if it persists |
If activation fails due to a connection problem, LunaFinder may close automatically after a few seconds so you can retry once your network is working.
Internet requirement for activation
Activation requires a connection to LunaFinder’s activation service. Browsing and tagging your photos afterward works offline for most features; optional AI Search has its own internet needs when you first download the search model (covered in the AI Search guides).
Privacy note
Activation checks your license key with LunaFinder’s servers. It does not upload your photo folders or image contents as part of activation.
Next steps
Once activated, continue to Your first photo library to open a folder and start working.