Activate SnapByFace
A license removes the trial cap on results. The license code is verified on your own computer — activation needs no internet connection and no account.
Step 1
Where do I find my machine code?
It is shown in the Software Activation dialog. Copy it — do not retype it.
Open SnapByFace
Launch the app. The window title bar shows the activation state.
Open Software Activation
Use the menu, or the “not activated” button in the toolbar.
Click Copy
The machine code sits in a read-only field. Click Copy and paste it into the order page.
One wrong character produces a license that cannot activate on this machine — always copy and paste.
Step 2
Activating takes five steps
- 1 Copy your machine code from the Software Activation dialog.
- 2 Choose a plan and paste the machine code at checkout.
- 3 Wait for the email — the license code usually arrives within a minute.
- 4 Paste the entire license code into the code box and click Activate.
- 5 The dialog shows your plan and expiry date; the results cap is gone.
Copy the whole line. A license code is base64(payload).base64(signature) — both parts and the dot are required. A line break in the middle makes it invalid.
Trial
What the trial limits
The trial does the same work on your own folders — only the number of matches you can see is capped, and you can start up to 100 runs in total.
| Capability | Trial | Activated |
|---|---|---|
| Matches shown per person | 5 | Unlimited |
| Matches shown per search | 20 | Unlimited |
| Analyses you can start | 100 in total | Unlimited |
| Working through your folders and searching | Full | Full |
| Media export (photos and video) | Available | Available |
Activating does not make you start over: the matches already found are unlocked immediately, even on a very large library. One analysis means one pass over your media folders — browsing results, exporting, and re-checking after you change the match strictness do not count against the 100.
Renewal and transfers
Renewal, moving machines, and reinstalling
Renewal
Timed plans expire on the date shown in the dialog, and the app tells you when that happens. Renewing means buying a plan again with the same machine code and activating the new code. Nothing renews automatically. Until you renew, you can still open SnapByFace, browse and export — but you cannot start a new analysis, and the results view falls back to the trial cap (5 matches per person, 20 per search). Export follows what is currently visible. Renewing restores full access to everything already found; nothing has to be done again.
Moving to a new computer
Your machine code changes with the hardware. Send us your old machine code, the new one and the email used at checkout, and we will re-issue the code for the new machine.
Reinstalling
Reinstalling on the same hardware keeps the machine code, so your existing code still works. Deleting ~/.snapbyface/ removes the activation state too — keep your license email.
Fix it
Common activation failures
Most failures are one of these seven.
| What you see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The code is reported invalid | The code is truncated — only one of the two base64 parts, or the dot between them is missing. | Paste the whole code again from the email, including everything after the dot. |
| The code is reported invalid after copying from the email | Your mail client wrapped the code across several lines. | Paste it into a plain text editor, join it into a single line, then paste it into the dialog. |
| Machine code does not match | The license was issued for a different machine code. | Copy the machine code from this computer and request a re-issue. Never reuse a code from another machine. |
| License expired | A timed plan (6 Months / 1 Year / 2 Years) reached its end date. New analyses are blocked, and the results view falls back to the trial cap. | Buy a renewal and activate the new code in the same dialog. Everything already found is shown in full again — nothing needs to be done over. |
| The dialog rejects the code even though it looks right | Leading or trailing whitespace, or a stray space inside the code. | Strip the spaces so the code is one continuous line, then activate. |
| The machine code field is empty | Hardware information could not be read (rare, usually a locked-down environment). | Contact support with your order email. Do not try a code issued for another machine. |
| No license email arrived | Wrong address, spam folder, or a payment still being confirmed. | Check spam and the address on the order, then contact support with the order email and your machine code. |
Missing email
Didn’t get your license code?
- 1. Check the spam and junk folders of the address you used at checkout.
- 2. Confirm the address on the order — typos are the most common cause.
- 3. Wait a few minutes: some payments take a moment to confirm.
- 4. Still nothing? Contact support with the order email and your machine code, and we will re-send it.