Clicking “Activate” shows a brief loading spinner, but then the screen just refreshes back to the activation prompt without any error message or completing the process. Restarting didn’t resolve the loop. Any advice on how to fix this?
Hello,
When MarginNote 3 needs to verify the App Store purchase receipt again, the purchase may occasionally fail to restore correctly. This can cause the app to revert to Free/Viewer mode or prevent access to previously purchased editing features.
Please try the following steps in order:
Confirm that the Apple Account currently signed in to the App Store is the same account originally used to purchase and download MarginNote 3.
Please also check the App Store purchase history and confirm that the MarginNote 3 purchase appears under this account. MarginNote 3 purchases for iOS/iPadOS and macOS were sold separately, so the purchase must correspond to the platform currently being used.
Update MarginNote 3 to the latest version available for your device.
If the App Store search results do not show an “Update” button, open the MarginNote 3 product page and check again.
Restart the device, reopen MarginNote 3, and go to:
Home → More (…) → Purchase Options → Restore Purchase
If Restore Purchase does not respond, sign out of and back into “Media & Purchases,” then try again:
On iPhone or iPad:
Settings → Apple Account → Media & Purchases → Sign Out → Sign In
On Mac:
Open the App Store, sign out of the current account, and sign in again with the Apple Account originally used to purchase MarginNote 3.
If the purchase still cannot be restored, you may try reinstalling MarginNote 3—but only after creating and verifying a complete manual backup. Deleting MarginNote 3 will remove all locally stored documents, notebooks, mind maps, handwriting, and other local data. Do not delete the app before confirming that the backup has been saved successfully outside MarginNote.
To create a complete backup:
Open MarginNote 3 and go to:
Home → Settings → Data → Backup & Restore
Select:
Backup Notes Database & All Documents
Save or share the generated backup file to a location outside MarginNote 3, such as the system Files app, Finder, or another reliable storage location.
Open the selected folder and confirm that the backup file is actually present and accessible.
Only after confirming the backup should you delete and reinstall MarginNote 3 using the same Apple Account that originally purchased and downloaded it.
After reinstalling, open the saved backup file with MarginNote 3 to restore your documents and notes.
These instructions apply to the App Store edition. The Mac DMG edition uses a license code and cannot restore its purchase through the App Store. If you purchased the DMG edition, please send us the approximate purchase date, purchase email, and license information so that we can check the activation record.
Best regards,
MarginNote Support Team
Deleting MarginNote 3 will remove all locally stored documents, notebooks, mind maps, handwriting, and other local data. Do not delete the app before confirming that the backup has been saved successfully outside MarginNote.