Version: 2021.2
Offline (manual) license activation
2D or 3D projects

License Troubleshooting

This section provides information on the following licensing management issues:

Activation issues

If you encounter any error codes or other problems during the activation process, they might be caused by the following issues:

Issue: Solution:
No internet access Try to manually activate your licence. For more information, see Offline (manual) license activation.
Security settings block Unity Review your firewall, proxy, or internet security settings. They might be blocking Unity from sending and receiving data about your license file.
No write privileges for saving the license file Grant or obtain write permissions to the user account you are using to activate a licence. This often occurs in closed networks, such as those at workplaces and schools. Contact your IT administrator to find out whether there are any restrictions in place.
License fails to recognize your machine Major operating system changes or updates might affect your machine’s ID, which might cause your licence to stop recognizing your machine. See this Unity Knowledge Base article: I Have Just Updated/Installed A New Operating System. Why Is My License Failing To Activate?
Unity’s license servers are down See the Unity Cloud System Status Page for status updates on all Unity servers.
Too many license activations Return your license if you no longer need it for a specific machine.

You must return your license before you switch machines. You must also return your license before you make any hardware changes or OS changes to your machine. If you fail to return the license, the Unity license server sees a request from another machine and informs you that you have reached your activation limit for the license.

If you get this message but you think it’s an error, you can always return all licenses at once, and then reactivate each machine as needed.
Account credentials not recognized Make sure you enter your details correctly. Passwords are case sensitive, so make sure you enter them exactly as registered. To reset your password, go to I forgot my password.

If you are still having problems logging in, contact support@unity3d.com.

Issues with returning licenses

If you encounter any error codes or other problems while returning your license, they might be caused by the following:

Issue: Solution:
Machine not accessible for returning licenses Visit the licensing page on the Unity Store, and select the Disable all activations button to return all activations at once. If you have licenses activated on other machines, you need to re-activate them afterwards.

If you still can’t return your license, email support@unity3d.com and explain your situation. Include these details:

- The serial number you were using on the machine.
- The (local network) name of the machine that died.
- The order or invoice number used to make the purchase.

The Support Team can return your license manually if you provide the above information; however, it can take some time. This process is only available for purchased licenses.

Answers to other questions

Question: Answer:
How many machines can I install my copy of Unity on? Every paid commercial Unity license allows one person to use Unity on two machines that they have exclusive use of. It doesn’t matter where the machines are physically located or what operating system they are running.

Educational licenses sold via Unity or any one of our resellers are only good for a single activation. The same goes for Trial licenses (Unity 4.x only), unless otherwise stated.

The free version of Unity cannot be licensed by a commercial entity with annual gross revenues (based on fiscal year) in excess of US$100,000, or by an educational, non-profit or government entity with an annual budget of over US$100,000.

If you are a Legal Entity, you cannot combine files developed with the free version of Unity with any files developed by you (or by any third party) through the use of Unity Pro.

See our EULA for further information regarding license usage.
Can I use the current version of Unity with a Serial number from a previous version? If the serial number you want to use is for Unity versions 2.x, 3.x, or 4.x, you need to purchase a new Unity Plus or Pro license. Go to the online store or contact Unity sales.

If the serial number you want to use is for Unity version 5.x and later, you can use the same serial number.
I have two licenses, each with an add-on I require, how do I activate them in unison on my machine? You may use a single license on only one machine at a time. You cannot activate two or more licenses at the same time on one machine.
How can I use different Unity versions? Unity assumes that only a single version of Unity can be run on a machine. You can, however, have multiple Unity versions installed and running on your machine. These versions all need the same serial number. If you have different versions of Unity which need different licenses, you need a way to copy licenses around. For example, you could store the licenses on your Desktop. Before running a specific version, copy the Unity license (.ulf) file into the location where the license needs to be stored.

For any further assistance, please contact at support@unity3d.com.
I am planning to replace an item of hardware and/or my OS. What should I do? You must return your license before you make any hardware changes or OS changes to your machine. You must also return your license before you switch machines. If you fail to return the license, the Unity license server sees a request from another machine and informs you that you have reached your activation limit for the license.
Where is my Unity license file stored? - /Library/Application Support/Unity (OS X)

- C:\ProgramData\Unity\ (Windows)

- C:\Users\(username)\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\ProgramData\Unity, if Windows User Account Control (UAC) has restricted your access to C:\ProgramData\Unity. (This can happen if the folder is deleted or Unity is started with administrative permissions first time.)

More help

For information on all potential errors and how to resolve them, see the Unity Support Knowledge Base. If you can’t find a solution, contact Unity Customer Services for more assistance.

Offline (manual) license activation
2D or 3D projects