Troubleshooting
Something not working? Start here.
Common problems, what causes them, and how to fix them. Junior is a desktop app that runs on your computer, and your Junior account uses email and password only.
Account and login
Signup says my email is already registered
What's happening: An account with that email already exists, so signup blocks the duplicate.
How to fix it:
- Log in at My Account instead of creating a new account.
- If you do not remember your password, use forgot password.
Login fails with "check your credentials"
What's happening: The email or password does not match an active account. This is usually a typo or an old password.
How to fix it:
- Recheck the email spelling, including the domain.
- Reset your password from the forgot password page.
- If you are sure the account exists and reset does not help, email support@heyjunior.ai.
I keep getting logged out of the website
What's happening: Website sessions are short-lived by design and only last for the browser tab you logged in with. Closing the tab, or leaving it open for a while, ends the session. This protects your account and is not a bug.
How to fix it: Sign in again at My Account. Nothing is lost when a session ends.
The password reset email never arrived
What's happening: Reset emails are only sent when the address matches an active account. The page always shows a success message either way, so nobody can use it to check whether an email is registered.
How to fix it:
- Check your spam or junk folder for an email from Junior.
- Confirm you entered the same email you signed up with, then request again.
- If it still does not arrive and you are sure the account exists, email support@heyjunior.ai.
My reset link is invalid or expired
What's happening: Reset links expire quickly for security, and they only work with the complete link from the email.
How to fix it: Request a fresh link from the forgot password page and use it right away. Click the link in the email directly rather than copying part of it.
My new password is rejected
What's happening: Passwords must be at least 8 characters, contain at least one uppercase letter, and both password fields must match.
How to fix it: Adjust the password to meet those rules and retype the confirmation field carefully.
I am blocked after too many attempts
What's happening: Login, signup, and password reset are rate limited to protect accounts from automated guessing.
How to fix it: Wait a minute or two, then try again once.
Payment and subscription
Checkout was cancelled
What's happening: You came back from the Stripe payment page without completing payment, so no charge was made and no subscription started.
How to fix it: Restart checkout from the signup page, or log in at My Account and complete your signup from there.
Checkout will not start
What's happening: The secure Stripe checkout session could not be created. This is usually a temporary problem on the payment side.
How to fix it: Wait a moment and try again. If it keeps failing, email support@heyjunior.ai and we will finish the signup with you.
I paid, but the success page says verification failed
What's happening: Stripe confirmed your payment, but our check of the payment ran before Stripe finished processing, or the page was opened without its payment reference. Your money is not lost.
How to fix it:
- Wait a couple of minutes, then refresh the success page.
- Use the manual download button on the success page. It works even while verification catches up.
- If Stripe shows the payment window is still open, finish the payment there first.
- Still stuck after a few minutes? Email support@heyjunior.ai with the email you paid with.
I cannot check out because I already have a subscription
What's happening: You already have an active subscription, so a second checkout is blocked to prevent double billing.
How to fix it: Log in at My Account and use Manage Subscription to change your plan or payment method instead.
The portal says "complete your signup" or "subscribe"
What's happening: Your account exists but has no active subscription. Either checkout was never completed, the subscription was cancelled, or payment could not be collected.
How to fix it: Follow the button in My Account to finish checkout, or update your card if a payment failed.
My card payment failed / my subscription shows past due
What's happening: The latest invoice could not be charged, usually an expired or declined card. Stripe retries for a while, but access may pause until a payment succeeds.
How to fix it: Log in at My Account, open Manage Subscription, and update your payment method promptly.
My coupon will not apply
What's happening: The code is invalid, expired, or mistyped. Codes are checked against Stripe when you submit them.
How to fix it: Re-enter the code exactly as it was given to you. If it still fails, the offer has likely ended; you can check out without it or ask support whether it can be reissued.
My complimentary or trial offer link will not activate
What's happening: Offer links carry a personal token and can expire. A link that is incomplete, forwarded, or too old will not activate.
How to fix it: Open the link directly from the original email, in the same browser you use for Junior. If it says the offer expired, email support@heyjunior.ai.
Download and install
The full install walkthroughs with screenshots live in the Windows guide and the macOS guide. These are the most common blockers.
Download links will not load
What's happening: The page fetches the latest release from GitHub, and that lookup occasionally fails.
How to fix it:
- Refresh the page and try the download button again.
- Download directly from the releases page.
- If neither works, email support@heyjunior.ai and we will send you a direct link.
I paid, but the installer never started downloading
What's happening: Your browser blocked the automatic download. Payment went through fine.
How to fix it: Click the manual "Download Now" button on the success page, or log in at My Account and download from there.
Windows: "Windows protected your PC"
What's happening: SmartScreen shows this while Microsoft code-signing reputation is still building for the installer. It is expected and the installer is safe.
How to fix it: Click More info, then Run anyway. Full walkthrough with screenshots: Windows Install Help.
Mac: "unidentified developer" or the app will not open
What's happening: macOS Gatekeeper blocks apps outside the App Store by default. This reflects signing policy, not malware detection.
How to fix it:
- Right-click Junior.app and choose Open.
- Or go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
- Last resort, run this in Terminal:
xattr -cr /Applications/Junior.app
Full walkthrough: macOS Install Help.
Mac: the app runs slowly or will not open at all
What's happening: You may have the wrong build for your Mac. Intel builds run slowly on Apple Silicon (M1 and later), and mismatches can occasionally fail to open.
How to fix it: Check which chip you have under Apple menu → About This Mac, then download the matching build (Intel or Apple Silicon) from My Account.
First launch and LinkedIn
The one-time LinkedIn connection is covered step by step in the First Launch Setup Guide.
LinkedIn login, 2FA, or CAPTCHA fails during setup
What's happening: LinkedIn shows security prompts (2FA codes, CAPTCHA) that you cannot answer if the browser is running invisibly in headless mode.
How to fix it:
- Enable the 2FA checkbox in Junior before starting. This helps even if you do not use 2FA.
- Run your first session in visible browser mode (headless off).
- Complete the login, 2FA, or CAPTCHA prompts yourself in the Chrome window Junior opens.
- Let Junior close the window when it finishes. Do not close it manually.
Junior asks me to log in to LinkedIn every time
What's happening: The saved LinkedIn session expired or your LinkedIn credentials changed. Junior stores session data, never your LinkedIn password, so when the session dies it must be captured again.
How to fix it: Repeat the one-time visible login from the First Launch Setup Guide and let Junior close Chrome itself so the new session is saved.
The desktop app says "invalid credentials"
What's happening: The app logs in with your Junior account, the same email and password you use on this website, and needs an active subscription.
How to fix it:
- Confirm you can log in at My Account with the same email and password.
- Check there that your subscription is active.
- If the website works but the app does not, email support@heyjunior.ai.
Chrome does not open or closes immediately
What's happening: Junior drives a real Chrome session, so an outdated Chrome or operating system, or leftover Chrome windows, can stop it from starting cleanly.
How to fix it:
- Update Chrome and your operating system, then restart your computer.
- Close every Chrome window before starting Junior again.
- If it still fails, try one run with browser extensions disabled to rule out a conflict.
LinkedIn says my session expired
What's happening: LinkedIn invalidated the stored cookies, which it does periodically or after a password change.
How to fix it: Sign out of LinkedIn and back in once in Chrome, then run one visible Junior session so the fresh session gets saved.
Comments, results, and limits
I hit a daily or monthly comment limit
What's happening: Every plan has daily and monthly caps, and new accounts ramp up gradually during their first weeks to keep pacing natural. This protects your LinkedIn account.
How to fix it: Wait for the daily or monthly reset, check your current usage in My Account, or upgrade your plan if you regularly hit the cap.
Junior skipped a post I wanted to comment on
What's happening: Junior never comments twice on the same post. If it already commented there, it skips it on purpose.
How to fix it: Nothing to fix. This is expected behavior.
Comments show as failed in the dashboard
What's happening: Posting or verification failed for those comments, and the reason is recorded in the Activity Log as a red error line.
How to fix it:
- Open the Activity Log and read the red error line. The Onboarding Guide shows how.
- Run again. Occasional individual failures are normal.
- If failures repeat, email support@heyjunior.ai with the date and the post it failed on.
Comments sound generic, or Junior finds no good posts
What's happening: Junior writes from your bio and searches with your terms. A vague bio produces vague comments, and weak search terms find the wrong posts.
How to fix it: Make your bio specific and use 5 to 10 recruiter-style search phrases. The Onboarding Guide has examples of both.
Junior says it could not generate a comment
What's happening: The AI service failed after several attempts. This is almost always temporary.
How to fix it: Try again later. If it persists across a day, email support@heyjunior.ai.
LinkedIn warned or restricted my account
What's happening: LinkedIn flags activity that looks automated, usually because of volume or pacing. Per the Terms of Service, staying within LinkedIn's rules is your responsibility.
How to fix it:
- Follow LinkedIn's recovery steps for your account first.
- Once restored, lower your daily limits and keep pacing human.
- Run visible sessions until activity is stable again.
Junior is not applying to jobs or filling out applications
What's happening: That is by design. Junior starts conversations by commenting on LinkedIn posts. It does not submit job applications or fill ATS forms.
How to fix it: When Junior surfaces a job link worth pursuing, apply manually. The comments are what get you noticed before you apply. See why applying alone is not enough.
Website demo (Try It)
The demo says I have seen how it works
What's happening: The Try It demo allows a limited number of comments per day so it stays fast for everyone.
How to fix it: Come back tomorrow, or create an account to generate comments without the demo cap.
The demo asks for a longer post or a hiring post
What's happening: The demo needs enough text to work with, and it is tuned for hiring posts specifically.
How to fix it: Paste more of the post, or use one of the sample hiring posts on the demo page.
The demo timed out or failed
What's happening: The request to our servers timed out, usually a network blip.
How to fix it: Check your connection and try once more.
Partner and campaign offers
Partner checkout was not completed
What's happening: You left the Stripe payment page before finishing, so nothing was charged.
How to fix it: Return to the partner page you started from and submit the signup form again.
My offer link will not activate
What's happening: Offer links carry a personal token and can expire.
How to fix it: Open the link directly from the original email. If it says the offer expired, email support@heyjunior.ai.
What does CareerBridgeIQ cover versus Junior?
What's happening: They are separate products that work together. CareerBridgeIQ covers resume and interview preparation; Junior covers LinkedIn visibility through commenting.
How to fix it: Use CareerBridgeIQ for your materials and Junior for daily LinkedIn engagement. Partner details: CareerBridgeIQ page.
Still stuck?
Email support@heyjunior.ai and we will help directly. We typically reply within one business day. Include your operating system, what you already tried, and a screenshot or the red error line from the Activity Log.
Junior finds posts, but comments do not publish
What's happening: Usually one of three things: the daily limit is too aggressive for a new or lightly used LinkedIn account, LinkedIn has restricted the account, or the posting flow has not been verified end to end on your machine.
How to fix it: