Having issues getting Freedom to work on your desktop? We've created this document to provide some troubleshooting tips to make sure you're able to get Freedom up and running on your computer.
CONTENTS:
1. Make sure the Freedom app is installed and you are logged into the app
First, make sure the Freedom app is installed on your computer and you are logged into the app using your Freedom account email address and password. If you do not have the app installed, you can download it from our Freedom downloads page.
Next, go to freedom.to/dashboard and log in. You should see your device listed under “My Devices” with a green circle next to it. Once you see that, you should be good to go.
If you need help installing Freedom on your computer, please see our detailed instructions here: How to install Freedom for Windows.
If Freedom is still not working, you might want to try quitting and restarting the app, or even doing the old faithful computer restart.
2. Make sure the app is running in the background
Freedom has to be running on your computer to work. To determine if it's running, look for the butterfly in your taskbar. Sometimes it is hidden behind the ^ symbol in your system tray, and it looks like this:
If it's not there, try relaunching the Freedom app. It should then appear and blocks should kick in!
3. Make sure you are running the latest version of the app
You can do this by clicking ‘Check for Updates’ in the Freedom app menu:
4. Make sure your security software isn't blocking Freedom
Over-zealous security software may prevent Freedom from running.
To fix this, you can add Freedom to the allowed list on any security software you're running. Here are instructions on how to add programs to various allowed lists:
Note: this list isn't comprehensive. A simple Google query will generally return instructions for how to add programs to the "allowed list" for your security software of choice.
5. Check to see if you're using NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or another tunnel/VPN
Here are some VPNs you might be running:
NordVPN
ExpressVPN
ProtonVPN
Surfshark
TunnelBear
CyberGhost
Private Internet Access
Corporate/Work VPN (Cisco, etc.)
If you would like to run a VPN alongside Freedom but you're having trouble, it should help to run Freedom in non-proxy mode. Find information on how to do that here: Non-Proxy Mode for Windows.
6. Ensure Freedom is active on the device
If your sessions don’t seem to be starting automatically, please see Ensuring Freedom is active on Windows
7. Check your session details
From your dashboard, please be sure to confirm the following:
Your block session is set to be active right now
Your session has the correct device(s) included (Tip: after adding a new device to your account, you also need to include the device on your sessions in order for blocks to take effect).
Your session has the correct blocklist(s) included
Your blocklist has the correct domains and/or filters included
8. Still having trouble?
If none of the troubleshooting steps above seem to help, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to help!
When you contact us, please include the following in your email to help us assist you:
Your Freedom account Email Address
A detailed description of the problem you are encountering.
Important: Let us know what type of device you're experiencing the problem on.
We are best able to help if you include a video demonstrating the problem. You can use the built-in screen recording ability on your device, or a free service like Loom.
Any steps you have taken to fix the issue, and how long ago the issue started.