Troubleshooting
Something not working the way you expect? Find the message you’re seeing, or the thing that’s going wrong, and follow the fix. Most problems take a minute to sort out, and none of the fixes on this page change your notes.
If you’re still stuck, contact support and include your Varlig version from Varlig › About Varlig.
Calculations
A line shows no answer
- Check it’s inside a calc block. Calculations only work between a
```calcline and a closing```. Press ⌘Y to insert a block. - Check it isn’t a comment. Lines that start with
#or//never show an answer. - Finish the line. Something like
total =, or a name you haven’t defined yet, shows nothing until it’s complete.
A line shows an error
An error on one line doesn’t stop the rest of the note from working. Look up the exact message in Errors, diagnostics and limits, which explains every message with an example of what causes it.
Error: missing rate
Varlig doesn’t have exchange rates for that currency yet. It needs to download them once:
- Make sure your Mac is online.
- Open Settings › Calculations and scroll to Exchange rates.
- Click Refresh Now, or turn on Refresh currency and crypto rates hourly.
If a download fails, the reason appears in red under the status lines, and Varlig tries again after a few minutes. After one successful download, conversions keep working offline with the last rates Varlig saved.
A calculation setting didn’t change anything
Most options in Settings › Calculations take effect only after you click Apply at the bottom of the pane. The exchange-rate switch applies straight away.
Numbers with commas aren’t read the way I expect
Varlig reads numbers using the Number format in Settings › Calculations. With North America, a comma separates thousands and 12,50 isn’t a number. Choose the format you write in, click Apply, and the note updates.
Inside brackets, a comma followed by three digits groups thousands and a comma followed by a space separates values, so max(1,000, 2,000) compares two numbers. When commas could be read either way, as in sum(10,100), the error shows you both ways to write the line.
A number before a name doesn’t multiply it
After people = 5, the line split £1480 among 5 people counts five people rather than multiplying by your value, which is almost always what you mean. The same goes for any plural name or unit, such as hours or nights. Hold the pointer over the word to see which reading Varlig used, and write * when you do want to multiply: 2 * servings.
Notes and your library
“Notes need attention”
This is the title of Varlig’s alert when something went wrong. The message underneath says what happened, for example a note that couldn’t be saved or a backup that couldn’t be restored, and usually what to do next.
Varlig couldn’t open your library
Your original notes haven’t been changed, and the message shows where they are. If it mentions an unsupported format, the library was most likely last used by a newer version of Varlig, so install the latest version and open it again. Don’t delete the library folder while you sort it out.
Varlig couldn’t save your latest edit
Your edit is still held in memory, and Varlig won’t quit while it can’t save, so nothing is lost yet.
- Check that your Mac has free disk space.
- Keep the note open and make another small edit to try saving again.
- If it keeps failing, copy the note’s text somewhere safe and contact support.
I can’t find a note
- Search everything. Press ⇧⌘F and type a word from the note. Search also finds text inside pictures and PDFs.
- Check the Trash and Archive. Choose View › Go To › Trash (⌥⌘0) or Archive (⌥⌘9). Restore a trashed note with Note › Restore Note (⇧⌘R).
- Is it locked? Search can’t see inside password-protected notes. Look in the Locked section of the sidebar.
Locked notes
I forgot a note’s password
Varlig can’t recover a forgotten password. That’s what keeps your notes private.
- If you turned on Allow Touch ID or Mac password on this Mac for that note, select it and choose Unlock with Touch ID or Mac Password.
- Otherwise, a copy you exported or backed up before adding the password is still readable.
“The password is incorrect or the encrypted note is damaged”
Check Caps Lock and your keyboard layout, then type the password again. Passwords are case-sensitive.
“No saved note key is available. Use this note’s password.”
Touch ID unlocking for that note isn’t set up on this Mac, for example because you set it up on a different Mac. Unlock the note with its password instead. Then choose Note › Note Password… and turn on Allow Touch ID or Mac password on this Mac to use Touch ID from now on.
My unlocked notes keep locking again
That’s on purpose: unlocked notes lock again when you switch to another app, and after your Mac has been idle for 5 minutes. Change this in Settings › General, under Lock protected notes when Varlig is inactive and Lock when idle.
“Unlock this note before copying it” or “before exporting it”
Password-protected notes stay encrypted until you unlock them. Select the note, choose Unlock Note, then copy or export it. Remember that exported copies aren’t encrypted.
Importing and backups
“No local Bear library was found”
Open Bear on this Mac and wait for your notes to finish downloading, then try Settings › Imports › Import from Bear again.
“This library contains encrypted Bear notes”
Varlig can’t unlock notes that are encrypted in Bear. In Bear, export those notes unlocked, then bring them in with File › Import Notes….
“A Bear attachment is missing locally”
Bear hasn’t downloaded every attachment yet. Download all attachments in Bear, then import again.
“Varlig couldn’t access Bear’s library”
Give Varlig access in System Settings › Privacy & Security, then try importing again.
A file is too large to import
Varlig accepts attachments under 100 MB and Soulver files under 50 MB. Split large Evernote exports into files under 100 MB, and keep ZIP archives under 200 MB.
Restoring a backup did nothing, or made copies
Restoring adds to your library and never overwrites. Notes that haven’t changed are skipped, and notes that changed since the backup come back as separate copies. See Import, export and backups.
Look and feel
The app icon changed in the Dock but not in Finder
Varlig can only change its Finder icon when it’s in a folder it’s allowed to change. Move Varlig into your Applications folder, then choose the icon again in Settings › App Icon.
A global shortcut won’t record
Shortcuts that work from any app must include ⌘ or ⌃. If you see “That shortcut is unavailable”, Varlig can’t use that combination, so try a different one.
The tour or practice notes are gone
Choose Help › Take the Varlig Tour. It picks up where you left off, or starts again with a new set of practice notes. Your own notes aren’t touched.