If the Freedom app doesn't appear to be active on your Mac, follow the steps below to diagnose and resolve the issue. Each step includes specific checks and actionable guidance to help restore full functionality.
Step 1: Check Device Status from the Freedom Dashboard
You can confirm whether Freedom is running on your devices from the online dashboard.
Log in with your Freedom account.
Look for your device in the Devices section.
Status Indicators:
Green Light: Freedom is active on the device.
Gray Light with Alert Symbol: Freedom is not currently active on the device.
Step 2: Look for the Freedom App in the Mac menu bar
Check your menu bar (top right of your screen) for the Freedom butterfly icon:
This icon indicates that the app is running.
If the butterfly is present, the app is running.
If the butterfly is missing, try these steps:
Open your Applications folder.
Launch the Freedom app.
The butterfly icon should now appear in the menu bar.
Tips:
Menu bar space is limited. MacOS typically displays only 8–15 icons depending on screen resolution and system font size.
If your menu bar is full:
Unpin or close other apps from the menu bar.
Relaunch Freedom from your Applications folder to restore visibility.
Step 3: Manually Sync the App to Start a Session
If scheduled sessions are not starting automatically, you may need to trigger a manual sync.
How to sync:
Click the Freedom butterfly icon in your menu bar.
Choose Sync Freedom from the menu.
This ensures any recent changes made in your dashboard are reflected immediately on the desktop app.
If sessions only start after syncing manually, check the following:
Your computer is connected to the internet at the time the session is supposed to start.
You are not running software that blocks Freedom’s connection, such as:
VPNs
Antivirus software
Firewall or filtering apps
Tip: a list of common VPNs you might be using can be found here: Freedom Troubleshooting for Mac
Note: If you consistently need to sync manually to start sessions, contact our support team so we can investigate.
Step 4: Confirm You're Logged In to the App
If the app is running (butterfly icon is present) but the dashboard still shows your device as inactive, you may not be logged in.
How to Log In:
Click the Freedom icon in your menu bar.
Select Log In.
Enter your Freedom username and password.
Tips:
Make sure you're using the same email you used to log into the Freedom dashboard.
You can verify which email you're logged in with by looking at the top of the Freedom desktop app menu.
Having trouble?
For more Mac troubleshooting tips, please see Freedom Troubleshooting for Mac. If you're having any difficulty, please feel free to contact us. We're happy to help!