Skip to main content

How to activate a Unity license via command line on macOS.

Updated

Activate via command line on macOS

 
Note: Unity no longer supports manual activation of Personal licenses. For more information, see: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/LicensesAndActivation.html

 

First, delete the existing .ulf file found in the following location (if it is there): Library/Application Support/Unity. Now close the Hub completely.
 
To create an .alf file, enter the following into the Terminal (replacing <editor-installation-location> with the actual installation location, such as /Applications/Unity/Hub/Editor/2019.4.37f1/Unity.app/Contents/MacOS/Unity):
 
Note: It does not matter which Editor version you choose. The activation will work for all installed Editors.
 
<editor-installation-location> -batchmode -createManualActivationFile -logfile
 
After you generate a license activation (.alf) file, the next step is to use this to request your Unity license (.ulf) file from the license server:
  1. Open the license.unity3d.com/manual webpage.
     
  2. If prompted, sign in to your Unity ID. This is necessary to request a Unity license file. The Manual activation webpage appears.
  3. Click the Browse button to locate the license activation (.alf) file you already generated using your system’s file browser. By default, your .alf is found in /Users/<username>
  4. If the upload was successful and Unity detected that the file you chose was a license activation file, the filename appears in the text box with a green checkmark. If you see a red X instead, try again.
  5. Click the Next button. The Activate your license webpage appears.
  6. Select which license type you are activating. Enter your serial number.
  7. Click the Next button. The Download license file webpage appears.
  8. Click the Download license file button.
  9. Allow downloads for the license.unity3d.com/manual webpage if your system prompts you.
  10. Open your browser’s downloads location and locate the new Unity license file with the .ulf extension.
Now you are ready to activate your Unity license from the command line.
 
Enter the following into the Terminal (replacing <editor-installation-location> with the actual installation location, such as /Applications/Unity/Hub/Editor/2019.4.37f1/Unity.app/Contents/MacOS/Unity):
 
<editor-installation-location> -batchmode -manualLicenseFile <yourulffilelocation> -logfile
 
Your Unity license is now activated.
 
If this does not work for you, send your log files and screenshots of any errors received to the Customer Experience team.
 
 
More Information:
 
Note: Unity Plus is no longer available to purchase.

 

I see the error ‘Your serial number is not valid’ when attempting to activate through the Unity Hub. What does this mean?
I have been asked to provide a log file, where do I find this?

Related to

Related articles