Update won't install

When a new version of Confidant is available, you'll see a sage-green banner at the top of the app: "Update available — vX.Y.Z" with an Install & restart button. If clicking that doesn't work, here's what to check.

"Update failed — please quit and reopen Confidant to try again"

This is what you'll see if the install step itself failed. It usually means:

1. The download was interrupted. Quit and relaunch — the next hourly check will fetch a fresh copy and you can try again.
2. A newer version shipped while you were waiting. Confidant detects this case automatically — if so, the banner refreshes with the new version. Just click Install on the new banner.
3. Permission denied writing to /Applications. macOS occasionally puts the Confidant.app into a state where it can't self-overwrite. Quit Confidant, then download the latest installer manually from your account and replace the app.

"An update is available but your update coverage has expired"

Your subscription is active for using Confidant, but your update coverage has lapsed. New versions don't install until you renew.

The banner has a Renew in Settings link — click it, head to Settings → Account → License, and renew. After renewing, restart Confidant and the update will install.

See Update coverage explained for what coverage covers.

No update banner at all

You might not see one yet because:

• There's no update available. Confidant is up to date.
• Network access is off. Confidant can't check for updates without it. Toggle it on in Settings → Privacy & Security → Network, then quit and relaunch.
• The hourly check just hasn't run yet. Confidant checks once an hour while online. To force a check, quit and relaunch — there's a check on launch.

You can also manually check via the menu bar: Confidant → Check for Updates (Mac).

Manual install (last resort)

If the in-app updater is stubbornly broken:

1. Sign in to your account at the Confidant website
2. Download the latest .dmg (Mac) or .msi (Windows)
3. Quit Confidant
4. Install over the existing version (drag to Applications, run the installer)
5. Re-launch — your data is unaffected

The data folder lives at ~/Library/Application Support/com.confidant.notes/ (Mac) or %APPDATA%\com.confidant.notes\ (Windows) and is independent of the app bundle. Manual reinstall keeps everything intact.

How to know what version you're on

The version is shown in the About dialog (Confidant → About on Mac, Help → About on Windows) and in Settings → Developer → Debug Info.