Help
Troubleshooting
Find the message or problem you see, then follow the fix. If nothing here helps, send a Problem from Feedback in the sidebar.
Widgets don’t appear on the desktop
Check these in order.
The Desktop Agent isn’t running
The Desktop Agent draws your widgets. If it isn’t running, the Widgetscape window shows Desktop Agent Isn’t Running, or a banner says Desktop Agent isn’t running.
- Click Start Desktop Agent, or Start in the banner.
- If widgets still don’t appear, click Repair.
You can also choose Settings › General and look at Desktop Agent. If it says Stopped, click Start. If widgets stop appearing, click Repair Desktop Agent.
Note: Quitting Widgetscape doesn’t remove your widgets. Only Stop in Settings › General does.
Widgets are hidden
When widgets are hidden, the Widgetscape icon in the menu bar changes to an eye with a line through it. Click it to see why:
- Widgets Hidden: choose Show Widgets, or press the Hide Widgets shortcut (⌃⌥⌘H unless you changed it).
- Presentation Mode On: choose Presentation Mode to turn it off.
- Widgets Hidden While Sharing: your screen is shared or recorded. Choose Show Widgets While Sharing to show them anyway.
See Hide widgets and Presentation Mode.
A widget is hidden in this display setup
In the library, the widget’s card says Hidden here. Right-click the card and choose Show in This Setup.
If the card says Waiting for display, the widget waits for a display that isn’t connected. Connect that display, or change Show on under Displays in the widget’s Layout tab. See Displays and the Lock Screen.
The widget is on another Space or behind a full-screen app
Open the widget’s Layout tab. Under Spaces, set Show on to All Spaces. To see it over full-screen apps, turn on Show in full-screen apps.
“Connecting to the Desktop Agent…” doesn’t go away
Wait a few seconds after you open Widgetscape. If the message stays, quit Widgetscape and open it again. If it still stays, choose Settings › General, then click Repair Desktop Agent.
“Desktop Agent Needs Repair”
The Desktop Agent that is running comes from an earlier or newer version of Widgetscape. Click Repair Desktop Agent. It restarts the agent from the copy of Widgetscape you opened.
If you see “Install Widgetscape in Applications to repair the Desktop Agent.”, move Widgetscape to the Applications folder, open it from there, then repair again.
“Widgets Stopped After Repeated Crashes”
The desktop widgets crashed several times while starting, so Widgetscape stopped restarting them. Click Review Crash Report and send the report, then click Start Widgets Again. See Feedback and support.
Widgets don’t come back after you log in
The Desktop Agent starts by itself when you log in. If it doesn’t, macOS may be blocking it from running in the background.
- Open System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions (Login Items on macOS Sonoma).
- Under Allow in the Background, turn on Widgetscape.
- In Widgetscape, choose Settings › General and click Start next to Desktop Agent.
A widget needs access
A widget that can’t show its data yet shows a key and a line, such as “Calendar needs access to show your events”. In the library its card says Needs Setup, or Access Off if access was turned off.
- Click Allow on the widget, or on its Privacy tab.
- If macOS doesn’t ask, Allow opens System Settings. Turn on the name shown in the hint, either Widgetscape or Widgetscape Agent.
| What the hint says | Where to fix it |
|---|---|
| “Turn on Widgetscape in Privacy & Security › Calendars.” | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Calendars |
| “Turn on Widgetscape in Privacy & Security › Reminders.” | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Reminders |
| “Turn on Widgetscape in Privacy & Security › Location Services.” | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services |
| “Turn on Widgetscape in Privacy & Security › Photos.” | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Photos |
| “Turn on your player under Widgetscape Agent in Automation.” | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation |
| “Turn on Widgetscape Agent in Screen & System Audio Recording.” | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen & System Audio Recording |
| “Choose Always Allow for Widgetscape Agent in Paste from Other Apps.” | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Paste from Other Apps |
| “Turn on the folders under Widgetscape Agent in Files and Folders.” | System Settings › Privacy & Security › Files and Folders |
If you get a notification such as “Calendar access was turned off”, click it. Widgetscape opens Settings › Privacy & Permissions at that permission.
Calendar shows no events
- If Calendar Accounts says “Calendar access is disabled. Open Privacy & Security to allow Widgetscape to read events.”, turn on Widgetscape in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Calendars.
- Check that the calendar appears in the Calendar app on your Mac. Widgetscape shows the same calendars.
- Open the widget’s General tab and check that the calendar is selected under Calendars.
- If a Microsoft account shows Sync issue or Update needed, click Manage on a Calendar or Agenda widget’s Privacy tab, then click Refresh Accounts. If that doesn’t help, disconnect the account and connect it again.
If you see “The calendar account needs to be connected again.” or “Calendar credentials need approval.”, connect the account again. On a Calendar or Agenda widget’s Privacy tab, click Manage, click the … button next to the account, choose Disconnect Account, then add it again with Add Another Account.
Email doesn’t connect
The form shows the reason in orange. Find it here:
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| “The mail server rejected the user name or password. Most providers need an app password, not your account password.” | Create an app password in your account’s security settings and use it. See App passwords. |
| “Widgetscape could not reach the mail server. Check the server name and port.” | Check IMAP SERVER and PORT. For Proton Mail, make sure Proton Mail Bridge is running. |
| “The mail server’s security certificate is not trusted, so Widgetscape did not send your password.” | Check the server name. Widgetscape connects only to servers with a trusted certificate. |
| “The mail server does not offer STARTTLS, so Widgetscape did not send your password. Use SSL/TLS instead.” | Set SECURITY to SSL/TLS and PORT to 993. |
| “The mail server does not accept password sign-in on this connection.” | Your provider may need IMAP turned on, or another sign-in. For Outlook.com and Microsoft 365, use Microsoft 365 & Outlook.com. |
| “The mail server did not answer in time.” or “This Mac appears to be offline.” | Check your internet connection, then click Connect again. |
For Outlook, Hotmail and Live addresses, use Microsoft sign-in. See Outlook.com and Microsoft 365.
Email stops updating
- If the account shows Sync issue or Update needed, open Email Accounts and click Refresh accounts. To open it, click Manage next to the account on the Email widget’s Privacy tab, or in Settings › Privacy & Permissions.
- If you see “The local mail server’s certificate changed since you connected.”, Proton Mail Bridge or another local server has a new certificate. Connect the account again.
- If you see “The email account needs to be connected again.” or “Email credentials need approval.”, connect the account again.
To connect an account again: in Email Accounts, click the … button next to the account, choose Disconnect account, then add it again. See Calendars, email and location.
Note: If you changed your account password or deleted the app password, create a new app password before you connect again.
Weather doesn’t show
- Weather Unavailable with No connection: your Mac is offline. Weather updates when you’re back online. A widget that already has a forecast keeps showing it, marked OFFLINE.
- Weather Unavailable with Weather service unavailable: Apple Weather can’t be reached right now. Try again later.
- “Weather needs your location for local weather”: click Allow, or open the widget’s General tab and choose a city under Location.
- If location says “Enable Widgetscape in Privacy & Security → Location Services.”, click Open Settings and turn on Widgetscape there.
“No room for” a widget
You see “Every display is full. Remove a widget or choose a smaller size, or drag it onto a widget to stack them.”
- Remove a widget you don’t need, or make some smaller.
- Or drag the new widget onto another one to make a stack. See Stacks.
Lock Screen widgets are missing
- Open the widget’s Layout tab and turn on Show on Lock Screen.
- To arrange them, choose Appearance › Visibility, then click Arrange next to Widgets on the Lock Screen.
Widgets on the Lock Screen dim after a minute. To keep them bright, turn off Dim on the Lock Screen in Appearance › Visibility.
Note: Some versions of macOS don’t let apps show widgets on the Lock Screen. Then widgets stay on the desktop only.
See Displays and the Lock Screen.
A license key doesn’t activate
The Enter License Key sheet shows what went wrong:
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| “This license key wasn’t found” | Copy the whole key from your purchase email and try again. |
| “That doesn’t look like a license key” | Paste the key from your purchase email, without spaces. |
| “This key is for another product” | Use the Widgetscape Pro key from your purchase email. |
| “This license key isn’t active” | It may have been refunded or disabled. Write to support@vpolabs.com if you think this is a mistake. |
| The sheet shows This key is already active on 2 Macs | Click Deactivate next to a Mac you no longer use, then Deactivate and Use This Mac. See Free a Mac you can’t reach. |
| “Couldn’t reach the license server” | Check your internet connection and try again. |
| “The license server had a problem” | Try again in a few minutes. |
| “That doesn’t look like an email address” | Type the email you bought Widgetscape Pro with, or leave it empty. |
The list of Macs, in the sheet or in Manage Macs, can show these:
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| “We couldn’t find a license with that key and email” | Use the email you bought Widgetscape Pro with and the key from that email. |
| “Too many attempts” | Wait a few minutes and try again. |
| “The license service isn’t available right now” | Try again later, free the Mac on the website’s License page, or write to support@vpolabs.com. |
If a banner says License inactive, choose Settings › License and follow the fix shown there. See License problems.
Pro widgets show a lock
Your trial ended, or Pro isn’t active on this Mac. Click Buy or Enter License on the widget. Its settings are kept. See Free widgets, trial and Pro.
An update doesn’t install
- If Settings › Updates says “Install Widgetscape in Applications to enable self-update.” and Check Now is dimmed, quit Widgetscape, move it to the Applications folder and open it from there. Widgetscape updates itself only from there.
- If you see Widgetscape couldn’t update, check your internet connection, then choose Check for Updates in the menu bar menu.
- If the Software Update window says Waiting for Widgetscape to quit., close the Widgetscape window, then click Try Again.
See Updates.
Launch at login doesn’t turn on
Launch Widgetscape at login works only when Widgetscape is in the Applications folder. Move it there, open it from there, then turn the setting on again. If macOS refuses, the reason appears in orange under the setting.
Your widgets appear at login either way, because the Desktop Agent starts on its own.
Uninstall Widgetscape
- If you have Widgetscape Pro, choose Settings › License and click Deactivate This Mac to free the activation.
- Quit Widgetscape.
- Drag Widgetscape from the Applications folder to the Trash.
- A small window says Widgetscape is in the Trash. Click Remove Widgets to remove them from your desktop.
- Empty the Trash.
To keep your widgets instead, click Show in Trash and put Widgetscape back.
Your layouts and settings stay on your Mac, so reinstalling brings them back. To remove them too, delete these after you empty the Trash:
- The folders whose names start with com.vpolabs.widgetscape in
~/Library/Containers. - The Widgetscape folder in
~/Library/Application Support. - The Widgetscape folder in
~/Library/Logs. - Widgetscape items in Keychain Access, such as your license key and email passwords.
Tip: To delete what Widgetscape sent from your Mac to the Widgetscape team, choose Settings › Privacy & Permissions and click Delete next to Sent from this Mac before you uninstall.