This article explains the license types Solid Explorer uses, how your purchase is recognized, the known problems that can make a license seem to disappear, and how to fix them. Short answers to common questions are at the end.
License types
Legacy plan. Every one-time purchase of Solid Explorer made before 2026 is a Legacy license. In the app it's shown as "Legacy", "2.0 License" or "Classic plan". It gives you ad-free access to every feature that existed when you bought it, which means everything in Solid Explorer 2.
It's still fully honored. Nothing you paid for has been taken away, and nobody is moved to a subscription.
Pro plan. Pro is a new, optional plan introduced with Solid Explorer 3. It unlocks the features added in version 3, such as the Storage Analyzer tool, Secure Cloud Backup, encrypted FTP (FTPES) in the FTP server, and unlimited file sharing through web browser. Pro is available as a monthly, annual plan or as a one-time lifetime purchase, and both include the same features. If you already have a Legacy license, the Pro screen in the app shows a special lifetime price and a free trial that are only offered to existing customers.
If you don't need the new features, you can keep using your Legacy license exactly as before.
Classic Unlock (unsupported). Solid Explorer Classic Unlock is a separate Play Store app that worked as the license key for the first edition of Solid Explorer, prior 2015. It's a legacy licensing method that is no longer supported and is listed in the Play Store to be downloaded by existing purchasers. If you still use it, it may keep working for the Solid Explorer 2 features, but we can't guarantee that it will be detected on new devices or after updates.
It can't be combined with Pro: to get Pro, uninstall the unlocker first.
How licensing works
Your license is tied to the Google account you bought it with, and Solid Explorer checks it through the Google Play Store. It works on every phone and tablet signed in with that account, including devices you get in the future, so you never need a separate license per device.
To make your license more reliable, open the sidebar, go to Your profile and log in with the Google account you bought with. This saves your license on our server, so it won't disappear if the Play Store check fails later. It also syncs your license, settings, bookmarks and connections to your other devices. If Pro shows on one device but not on another, log in on Your profile on the device that already shows Pro first, then on the others. The order matters.
To see which license the app recognizes, open Your profile. It shows Free, Legacy / 2.0 License or Pro. If you contact support about a license, you'll also need your User ID: go to About -> User ID. If you contact us through the About -> Send bug report option that information is provided automatically.
Known caveats
Several Google accounts on one phone. This is the most common cause of a lost license. If a different account is active in the Play Store when Solid Explorer is installed or updated, the Play Store checks the wrong account. Because the app updates every week or two, a license can "disappear" again and again. This is how the Play Store behaves, and we can't control it.
Outdated Play Store data or disabled Google Play services. The app can't confirm your purchase if the Play Store has stale data or Play services are turned off.
Battery optimization. If your phone stops the Play Store or Google Play services from running in the background, the license check can fail and the app may return to the free version after a few days.
Your profile can't find a purchase on its own. Logging in brings over a license that's already saved on our server. It can't recover a purchase that was never saved there. In that case the app must first find it through the Play Store.
An email address isn't enough. The app can't recognize a license from an email address alone. Our support team can check purchase records by email or order number, but the app itself relies on the Play Store.
No Google Play, no license. Licenses work only through Google Play, and there's no standalone license key. On phones without Google Play, such as Huawei devices or phones with microG, GrapheneOS, LineageOS or /e/OS, a purchased license won't be recognized. Payments also go through Google Play only.
"Redeem code" inside the app. It was used for promotional codes in the past and no longer unlocks the full version since Solid Explorer 3. Codes from our support team are redeemed in the Play Store app instead.
Restoring your license
If the app shows the free version, ads or "Become a Pro" even though you paid, follow these steps:
Open your phone's Settings -> Apps -> Play Store and tap Clear data (not just "Clear cache").
Open the Play Store again and make sure it's using the Google account you bought Solid Explorer with.
Open Solid Explorer and tap Restore purchase while you're online. If that doesn't work, reinstall Solid Explorer while the correct account is selected in the Play Store.
Once your license is recognized, open Your profile and log in with the same Google account, so it's saved on our server.
If none of this helps, email us with your User ID, your order number (it starts with "GPA.") if you have it, and a screenshot of Your profile. We'll check your license on our side.
Moving your license to a different Google account
Licenses can't move between Google accounts on their own, but we can transfer yours. Email us with your order number or the email address you used for the purchase. Either one is enough. You'll find the order number in your Google Play confirmation email, or in the Play Store under Payments & subscriptions -> Budget & history.
Once we've confirmed the purchase, we'll send you an activation code. Open the Play Store app while signed in with your new account, tap your profile picture, then Payments & subscriptions -> Redeem code, and enter the code. Then open Solid Explorer and tap Restore purchase.
Frequently asked questions
I bought Solid Explorer years ago. Do I have to pay for Pro?
No. Your Legacy license keeps every feature you paid for. Pro is optional and only adds Solid Explorer 3 features.
Is Pro a subscription?
You choose. Pro is available as an annual plan or as a one-time lifetime purchase.
Is there a discount for existing customers?
Yes. Legacy license holders see a special lifetime price and a free trial on the Pro screen.
Do I need a separate license for each device?
No. One license works on every device signed in with your purchase Google account.
Can I still buy Classic Unlock?
No. It's an unsupported legacy licensing method. Get a Pro plan instead.
Where do I see my license status?
Open the sidebar and tap Your profile.
Where do I find my User ID?
Go to About -> User ID, tapping the field will copy id to the clipboard
Can I use my license without Google Play?
No. Licenses work only through Google Play.
Can I pay without Google Play?
No. All purchases go through Google Play.
Where do I enter a code from support?
In the Play Store app, under your profile picture -> Payments & subscriptions -> Redeem code.
Will updating the app remove my license?
It shouldn't. It can only happen if the Play Store uses a different Google account during the update. Logging in on Your profile protects against this.