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Why does GoodNotes 5 crash on launch and show my Support ID?

If you're experiencing recurring crashes, the app won't open at all or you can only see either a popup of your Support ID or a blank page, it could be that GoodNotes can't read your library due to some database failures.

This issue may also persist even if you have already tried force-closing the app and re-launching it, as well as updating GoodNotes.

Things to try first

  • (iOS / iPadOS) Offload the app: go to device Settings > General > iPad/iPhone Storage > GoodNotes > Offload App. This might take a while. After that, tap "Reinstall App".
  • If you have a proper backup (i.e iCloud / auto backup or manual backup), you can uninstall the app (this will remove all your local app data), reinstall and restore the data from your backup.

If the solutions above fail, the library is likely corrupted and we can try our best to recover it. Your files are safe with us and we'll delete them upon your confirmation that the error has been resolved and you have most or all your notes back.

Send your library to our team

From your iPad or iPhone

First make sure the device has enough storage space by looking in your device Settings > General > About. The "Available" capacity should ideally be a few times as large as GoodNotes' Documents & Data in General > iPad/iPhone Storage > GoodNotes.

Then proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Settings app, go to GoodNotes (at the bottom of the left section), and enable Temporary Diagnostic Mode.
  2. Open GoodNotes again and a "Temporary Diagnostic Mode Enabled" dialog will show. Choose OK to export all data, then the app will close (not a crash).
  3. Connect your device to a computer via a USB cable.
  4. Launch iTunes (Windows or macOS) and locate GoodNotes' internal files in the File Sharing section. If you're on macOS Catalina or later, locate GoodNotes Files section instead.
  5. Select the all_goodnotes_files.zip file from GoodNotes and drag it to your desktop.
  6. Send the file to us:
    • If its size is between 50 MB and 2 GB, you can upload it to a free cloud service like WeTransfer.com or your own cloud storage, and provide a public link to it.
    • Alternatively, let our team know so we can generate a link for you to upload the file.

From your Mac

First, make sure the Mac has enough free space.

Then proceed as follows:

  1. Open the Finder, press command + shift + G, paste ~/Library/Containers/com.goodnotesapp.x/Data/Library in the text box, and press return.
  2. Copy the folders "Attachments" and "Databases" to your computer.
  3. Compress the folders in a .zip file.
  4. Send the file to us:
    • If its size is between 50 MB and 5 GB, you can upload it to a free cloud service like WeTransfer.com (max 2 GB) or TransferNow.net (max 5 GB) or your own cloud storage, and provide a public link to it.
    • Alternatively, let our team know so we can generate a link for you to upload the file.

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