The most common Plugr hiccups and how to fix them. If yours isn't here, drop us a line.
This is macOS Gatekeeper being cautious about apps from outside the App Store. Plugr is a real app, but until we're notarized by Apple you'll see this warning the very first time you open it.
To get past it: right-click the Plugr app in your Applications folder and choose Open, then click Open in the dialog that appears. macOS will remember your choice — you only need to do this once.
If that doesn't work, open System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll down, and click Open anyway next to the message about Plugr.
First, make sure you're on macOS 12 Monterey or later — that's our minimum requirement. Click the Apple menu → About This Mac to check.
If you're on a supported macOS and Plugr still won't launch, try deleting ~/Library/Application Support/Plugr/ (your local Plugr data folder) and reopening the app. This resets Plugr to a fresh state without uninstalling. You'll need to rescan your library, but it won't take long.
If neither helps, please send us a bug report with the macOS version and Mac model — we'll get back to you fast.
Plugr scans the standard plugin folders on your Mac:
/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/ (system-wide)~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/ (your user)/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins/ (AAX)If a plugin lives outside those folders (which is unusual but happens), Plugr won't find it. You can add custom scan folders in Preferences → Custom folders.
Also: make sure you've run a fresh scan after installing the new plugin. Click the refresh icon in the toolbar to force a re-scan.
That usually means you have multiple copies of the plugin in different formats (a VST3 and an AU version, for example), or older versions sitting next to newer ones. Plugr is doing the right thing showing them all — but it also marks the older copies with an "old" badge so you can spot them and clean up.
To see duplicates clearly, click the Duplicates filter in the sidebar.
First-time scans of very large libraries (5,000+ plugins) can take 5–10 minutes. The progress bar at the bottom should keep moving — if it does, just wait.
If it appears truly stuck (no movement for several minutes), quit Plugr (⌘Q), reopen it, and try again. The scan resumes from where it left off.
Developer websites occasionally change layout in ways that throw off Plugr's reader. To fix it for that plugin:
Plugr will recalibrate and the correct version will stick for future checks.
If you let us know at hello@plugr.co, we'll fix it in the bundled registry so everyone benefits in the next release.
It means Plugr doesn't yet know where to check for updates for that plugin's developer. To fix it: click the plugin, then click Find update source. Plugr will make its best guess and let you confirm in one click.
If the guess is wrong, you can paste in the developer's product page URL manually. Plugr will remember it for future checks.
"Managed" means the plugin gets updates through a special installer app instead of its developer's website. Plugin Alliance, Native Instruments (Native Access), UAD, and Waves all do this. Plugr knows about these installer apps and shows an Open [installer name] button on the plugin's detail panel — click it to launch the right installer.
Make sure you've added the folder where your projects live to Plugr. Open the Projects tab, click + Add folder…, and point Plugr at the folder containing your sessions.
Plugr looks for Ableton (.als, .alp), Logic Pro (.logicx), and FL Studio (.flp) files. If your projects are in a different format (Pro Tools, Cubase, Studio One, etc.), we don't support them yet — they're on the roadmap.
This usually means the plugins in that project aren't in your scanned Plugr library, or they're identified differently by your DAW than how Plugr's library names them. The fix is usually automatic — Plugr learns matching over time. If a specific case is bugging you, email us with the project name and which plugin should have matched, and we'll look into it.
For Ableton and Logic projects, Plugr reads the tempo and key from your DAW's project metadata. Sometimes Logic doesn't store a project-wide key (it's track-based in Logic), so Plugr can't infer one — in that case, you can set the key manually by clicking the key chip in the project row.
FL Studio doesn't always store key information in a way Plugr can read; manual override works there too.
First, double-check that you're copying the entire key — they're long and easy to truncate. Try copying directly from your purchase email rather than retyping.
If the key is correct but Plugr still says it's invalid, you may have reached your activation limit. Each tier has a maximum number of Macs:
You can deactivate older Macs through your customer portal (the link is in your purchase email) to free up a slot.
The Deals tab refreshes automatically several times a day, but if you've been offline for a while it may need a manual nudge. Click the refresh icon in the Deals tab to pull the latest. If you're still seeing nothing new, please get in touch — there may be an issue on our end.