Troubleshoot when Creative Cloud apps ask for serial number

Find out if you have access to the Adobe activation servers.

If you see two Adobe logos, you should have access to the activation servers. Try signing in to your application.

If you are still having trouble signing in, click this link.

If you see a test successful message, you have access to the activation servers. Now try signing in to your software.

Click the Creative Cloud icon, located in the taskbar (Windows) or Apple menu bar (macOS), to open Creative Cloud desktop app.

In your profile menu, click Sign out.

To sign in again, enter your Adobe ID (usually your email) and password, and click Sign in.

Click the three vertical dots icon in the upper-right corner.

Choose Check for App Updates from the pop-up menu. You can also press Ctrl+Alt+R (Windows) or Command+Option+R (Mac OS) to refresh Creative Cloud desktop app and check for updates.

If you aren’t using the latest version of Creative Cloud desktop app, a prompt to update will appear. Click Update.

Sign in to your Adobe account with your Adobe ID (usually your email) and password.

If you’re having trouble signing in, see Adobe ID account and sign-in troubleshooting.

In the navigation bar at the top, click the Plans tab.

In the My plans section, click Manage plan.

In the plan details page, under Plan & payment, click Manage payment.

Confirm that your credit or debit card number, expiration date, billing address, and phone number are entered correctly, without spaces or dashes. Get help with updating your billing info.

In the navigation bar at the top, click Communication.

In the left pane, click Marketing communication. Then, in the Contact preferences section, confirm that your postal address is correct and the same as the address associated with your account payment card.

Sign in to your Adobe account with your Adobe ID (usually your email) and password.

If you’re having trouble signing in, see Adobe ID account and sign-in troubleshooting.

If prompted, enter your birth date and click Update. If your birth date is not accepted, your entered age does not meet CC’s eligibility requirements. See: Error: You are not eligible to use Creative Cloud.

To change your birth date, clear your browser cache (see your browser's documentation for instructions) and try again. Alternatively, try another browser. You may need to wait 24 hours before you can enter a new birth date.

Click the Creative Cloud icon in your taskbar (Windows) or the Apple menu bar (Mac OS) to launch the Creative Cloud desktop app.

Click the three vertical dots icon at the upper-right corner and select Preferences.

Select Creative Cloud, and then click the Apps tab.

Under App Language, select English (International).