How to Activate or Move Your License Between Macs

ChassisWatch is a one-time purchase activated with a license key. There's no account to create. Each license covers a set number of Macs (1, 2, or 5, depending on the one you bought), and each Mac you activate uses one of those spots.

Activate ChassisWatch

• After you buy, Polar (our payment processor) emails you your license key and receipt.
• Open ChassisWatch. The first-launch setup asks for your key. If you've already finished setup, open Settings and go to the License tab.
• Paste your license key.
• Check the device name. It shows as "This Mac will be added as …" and helps you tell your Macs apart. Click Edit to change it.
• Click Activate. When it works, the status changes to Active and your automations can run.

To find your license key again, click Manage License in Settings > License. It opens the Polar customer portal, where you can see your key and receipts.

Move your license to a new Mac

If your license has a free spot, just activate on the new Mac. Nothing else needed.

If every spot is in use, free one up first:

• On the old Mac, open Settings > License.
• Click Deactivate This Mac, then confirm with Deactivate.
• On the new Mac, activate with the same key.

Deactivating stops automations on that Mac until you activate a license there again. It doesn't delete your automations. To bring them to the new Mac, see how to export and import automations.

If the old Mac is lost, broken, or already wiped and you can't deactivate it, email support@chassis.watch with your license key and we'll free up the spot.

Using ChassisWatch offline

ChassisWatch checks your license with our server now and then. If it can't reach the server, the status changes to Reconnect Needed and automations keep running for up to 14 days. Connect to the internet before the date shown in Settings > License and it revalidates by itself.

If the 14 days run out, automations pause until ChassisWatch can reach the server again.

If activation fails

"ChassisWatch could not activate this license. Check the key and try again."

Either the key is wrong, or every Mac your license covers is already activated. Copy the key again from your email or the Polar customer portal, without extra spaces. If the key is right, deactivate a Mac you no longer use, then try again.

"This Mac's device identity could not be determined."

ChassisWatch couldn't read the identifier it uses to tell Macs apart. Restart the Mac and try again. If it keeps happening, email support.

License status messages

Settings > License shows what's going on with your license:

• Active: this Mac is licensed and automations can run.
• Reconnect Needed: ChassisWatch couldn't reach the license server recently. Automations keep running until the date shown. Connect to the internet before then.
• Needs Attention: automations are paused. The message under the status says why:
  • "could not validate this license in time": the 14-day offline period ran out. Connect to the internet so it can revalidate, or activate again.
  • "This license needs to be re-activated": enter the same key again and click Activate.
  • "This Mac was deactivated": this Mac was freed up, from here or another way. Activate again if you want to use it here.
  • "invalid", "refunded", "revoked", or "expired": this key can no longer be used. Enter a different key, or email support if you think it's a mistake.
• Not Activated: no license on this Mac yet. Enter your key, or click Purchase a license.