← All support articles

Activating Notel on your Macs

Licensing & trial Updated 27 July 2026

After you buy Notel, your access code appears on the page checkout returns you to. Copy it from there; it is not emailed.

Entering your code

When the trial ends, Notel shows its lock screen. Choose Enter Access Code and paste the code in. Activation needs an internet connection for a moment; after that, Notel runs offline.

There is no way to enter a code while the trial is still running, so if you buy early, keep the code somewhere safe until the lock screen asks for it.

The device limit

One access code activates up to 3 Macs. Each activation is tied to the Mac itself, not to an account.

Moving to a new Mac

To retire an old Mac, open Settings → About → Log Out… on it. Notel removes the saved access code and relaunches locked; your notes and settings stay exactly as they were. Then activate the new Mac with the same code.

Do it while the old Mac is online. Logging out offline still locks that Mac, but its seat is only released once the app can reach us, so an offline log out can leave the slot looking occupied.

If you sold or wiped the old Mac without logging out, contact us on Discord or by email and we will free the slot.

“License not valid” at launch?

Notel revalidates its activation occasionally at launch. If something looks wrong (for example the code was refunded or mistyped), the lock screen reappears. Re-enter your code; if it keeps happening, see Recovering a lost access code or come find us on Discord.

Still need help?

Email [email protected] or hop into the Notel Discord and the community and the team are happy to help.