Activating Pro or Ultra: sign in, or enter a key

Pro and Ultra are tied to the email you paid with. To unlock them, paste the key from your purchase email on the License page, or sign in to the app with that email: either way your plan appears automatically. Founder and gift keys go on the License page too. This guide covers both, plus renewing and moving a license to another PC.

Bought Pro or Ultra? Paste your key, or sign in

1. Install BRUTAL Optimizer if it isn't on your PC yet, from the download page.
2. Open the app, go to License, paste the key from your purchase email and press Activate. Your Pro or Ultra plan appears straight away. Signing in with the email you paid with (the app offers it the first time it starts) does the same thing. If the License page won't take a key that starts with free_, sign in with the email you paid with instead.
3. Already signed in on this PC with that same email? Close the app completely (right-click the tray icon near the clock and choose Exit) and open it again. It re-checks your license when it starts, and your plan appears.

Entering a key on the License page

Founder keys (found_), gift keys (gift_) and subscription keys (sub_) can be typed or pasted on the License page:

1. Open the app and click Account at the bottom of the left rail.
2. In the sidebar, click License.
3. Type or paste your key into the key box.
4. Click Activate. The status shows Verifying with server… while it checks.
5. On success the status reads PRO ACTIVE or ULTRA ACTIVE, your expiry date appears, and any founder badge shows. The badge at the top of the left rail updates too.

A plan bought on the website comes with a sub_ key. If you had already signed in with your email before buying, your plan sits on that existing free_ key instead; if the License page says Invalid format for it, sign in with the email you paid with, as described above.

The Activate in the app button in emails

Some of our emails, and your account page at brutaloptimizer.com/account, include an Activate in the app or Sync my license button. It uses a brutal://activate?key=… link that hands the key straight to the app, and opens the app if it's closed. It takes the same keys as the License page; if the app says Invalid format, sign in with your email instead.

Check your status and expiry

On the License page you can always see:

• Status: LITE or FREE on the free tier, PRO ACTIVE or ULTRA ACTIVE on a paid plan, and PRO — RENEW NOW (or ULTRA — RENEW NOW) during the grace window.
• Your license ID and a shortened, hashed machine ID.
• Expiry / days left; gift keys show Lifetime.
• A founder badge with your founder number, if applicable.

Renewing

Pro and Ultra renew automatically once a year until you cancel, and we email you before each renewal. When a paid license nears its end, a Renew button appears on the License page and a banner shows across the top of the app. You keep your plan through a short grace period after expiry, and either way your settings are kept. For what changes when a paid plan ends, see Free vs Pro: what you get.

Moving a license to a new PC

A free account works on any number of PCs: sign in with the same email on each one. A paid plan works on one PC at a time. To move it:

1. Sign in at brutaloptimizer.com/account with your email and press Unbind this PC. You can do this yourself twice in any 90 days.
2. On the new PC, sign in to the app with the same email, or enter your key on the License page.

Remove License on the License page takes the license off the PC you are using. To free a paid plan for a different PC, use Unbind this PC on your account page. For a key that isn't tied to an email, or for more moves than that, email [email protected] and we'll help with genuine hardware changes.

Common issues / troubleshooting

• "Invalid format" or "Invalid key format." Re-copy the key with no spaces. If your key starts with free_ and the License page won't take it, sign in with the email you paid with instead.
• "Could not reach license server." You are offline or a firewall is blocking it. Connect to the internet and try again.
• "This key is already active on another device." A paid plan works on one PC at a time. Release the old PC with Unbind this PC at brutaloptimizer.com/account, then try again.
• Still LITE or FREE after paying. Close the app from the tray (Exit) and reopen it so it re-checks your license, and make sure you signed in with the email you paid with. See I paid but I'm still on Free.