Activate MATLAB Installation Manually

Activation verifies the licensed use of MathWorks® software. This process validates that the license is not being used on more computers or by more users than the license allows. Normally, activation happens during installation or after you start MATLAB®. However, some scenarios require you to activate MATLAB manually. Use the following procedures to manually activate MATLAB R2022b or later. To manually activate MATLAB for earlier releases, see this support article.

Activate MATLAB with New or Updated License

To update an expired license or switch the license your MATLAB installation is using, activate the installation using one of the following options:

  • If you can open MATLAB, in the Resources section of MATLAB, select Help, then Licensing, then Activate Software to open the activation client. Sign in to your MathWorks Account, select your license from the list, and follow the prompts to activate MATLAB.

  • If you are unable to open MATLAB, open the activation client directly from the MATLAB installation folder.

    • Windows® — From the Start menu, search for Activate MATLAB and select the Activate MATLAB <R20XXy> option for your release.

      Alternatively, run the MathWorksProductAuthorizer.exe executable, located in the bin/<arch> folder of your MATLAB installation. For example:

      C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2026a\bin\win64\MathWorksProductAuthorizer.exe

    • Mac — Run the MathWorksProductAuthorizer.sh script, located in the bin/<arch> folder of your MATLAB installation. For example:

      /Applications/MATLAB_R2026a.app/bin/maca64/MathWorksProductAuthorizer.sh

    • Linux® — Run the MathWorksProductAuthorizer.sh script, located in the bin/<arch> folder of your MATLAB installation. For example:

      /usr/local/MATLAB/R2026a/bin/glnxa64/MathWorksProductAuthorizer.sh

    Then, from the activation client, sign in to your MathWorks Account, select your license from the list, and follow the prompts to activate MATLAB.

Activate MATLAB on Offline Computer

To activate MATLAB on a computer that is offline or in a restricted network, first you must get a license file from the License Center. Then you can use that file to activate MATLAB by running the activation client included in the MATLAB installation.

  1. On a computer that can connect to the internet, go to the License Center and select the MATLAB license you want to activate.

  2. On the Install and Activate tab, click the link to the activation page from which you can obtain a license file. The link name varies depending on your license and whether you activated MATLAB on other computers already. Perform one of the following actions:

    • Click Activate a Computer.

    • Click Activate to Retrieve License File.

    • Click Resolve a connection issue and then Activate to Retrieve License File.

  3. Select the release of the MATLAB installation you are activating. If this release is not available, select any later release. Otherwise, contact your license administrator to obtain a license file. If you are unsure who your license administrator is, see Find Your License Administrator.

  4. When prompted, enter the requested information about the offline computer and follow the remaining prompts to download the license file. You will use this file in a later step.

  5. Start the activation client.

    • Windows — From the Start menu, search for Activate MATLAB and select the Activate MATLAB <R20XXy> option for your release.

      Alternatively, run the MathWorksProductAuthorizer.exe executable, located in the bin/<arch> folder of your MATLAB installation. For example:

      C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2026a\bin\win64\MathWorksProductAuthorizer.exe

    • Mac — Run the MathWorksProductAuthorizer.sh script, located in the bin/<arch> folder of your MATLAB installation. For example:

      /Applications/MATLAB_R2026a.app/bin/maca64/MathWorksProductAuthorizer.sh

    • Linux — Run the MathWorksProductAuthorizer.sh script, located in the bin/<arch> folder of your MATLAB installation. For example:

      /usr/local/MATLAB/R2026a/bin/glnxa64/MathWorksProductAuthorizer.sh

  6. After the client opens, ignore the prompt to enter your email address and instead, under Advanced Options, select I want to use a license file.

  7. Enter the path to your license file and click Activate.

See Also

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