The fastest path to a fix when the Cradle desktop app is slow to start is to run the app's built-in diagnostics. From v26, the diagnostics flow uploads your logs and your computer's specs to Cradle's AI, which can spot the common culprits (low memory, contacts-list size, sign-in retries, antivirus interference, etc.) and either tell you the fix directly or hand the case to a human with the right context already attached.

Run the built-in diagnostics

Open Cradle and click the Settings tab.
Click Create Support Ticket and go through the support-ticket flow.
Cradle bundles your logs and your computer's specs and uploads them to our AI. The AI returns an answer if it can spot the cause, or our team picks up the ticket if it needs a human.

This is the right first step on v26 and later. The sections below describe the usual culprits the diagnostics check for, so you know what's likely going on.

A very large contacts list

This is the most common single cause on accounts with a lot of CRM-synced contacts. Every time Cradle starts, it processes your contacts so search and caller-ID work. If your list is large, that processing takes time.

To check how many contacts your account has synced:

Open Settings → Contacts.
Look at the Sync contacts row. The number is shown there.

If the count is more than 10,000, your launch time is probably contact-processing bound. Two things make a real difference:

Update to v26.1.1 or later. From v26.1.1 onward Cradle stores contacts in a local SQLite database on the machine, which is dramatically faster than the previous on-launch processing. If you're on an older build, updating is the single biggest win. See Updating the Cradle desktop app.
Check your computer's age. Very large contact lists on an older or low-memory machine will always be slow. If your machine is more than five years old and runs hot when Cradle opens, it may simply be time for new hardware.

Other common causes

First launch after an update

Cradle auto-updates on Windows and macOS. The first time the app opens after applying an update, it does extra one-off work: checking the new files, refreshing your local cache, and migrating any data that's changed shape between versions. The next launch should be back to normal.

Sign-in is waiting on Google or Microsoft

The first part of every Cradle launch is the sign-in step. Cradle asks Google or Microsoft "is this user still valid?" before showing your call tab. If Google or Microsoft is slow, or your internet is slow, this step takes longer. Most common first thing on a Monday (token expired over the weekend), after a password change or MFA reset, or on a flaky network.

If your work email is also slow in a browser at the same time, the slowness is on Google's or Microsoft's side, not on Cradle's.

Antivirus or endpoint security scanning Cradle on launch

This is the most common slow-launch cause on Windows. Corporate antivirus and endpoint security suites scan every executable the first time it runs, and sometimes every time it runs.

If you've just installed Cradle, your antivirus will scan the install on first launch. This is a one-off and should be quick on subsequent launches.
If launches stay slow indefinitely, your antivirus may be re-scanning Cradle every time. Ask your IT team to whitelist Cradle in your endpoint security policy.

Low system memory

Cradle is a modern desktop app and it likes a bit of memory to launch quickly. If you have many other apps open and your computer is under memory pressure, Cradle takes longer to start.

To check:

Windows: open Task Manager and look at the Memory column on the Performance tab. If you're consistently above 90% memory use, closing a few other apps will help.
macOS: open Activity Monitor, click the Memory tab. Look at the Memory Pressure graph. If it's yellow or red, close apps.

If your computer has 8 GB of RAM or less and a lot of apps open, Cradle will feel slow against any of them. Adding RAM, or closing other apps, is the fix.

Quick checks

Wait a little longer. First-launch after an update can take 30 to 60 seconds. The next launch will be quick.
Check status.cradle.io. If the service itself is having an issue, sign-in waits longer.
Quit Cradle fully and reopen. A clean restart fixes a surprising number of stuck loaders.

Diagnose by platform

Windows

Slow launches on Windows are most often endpoint security scanning. Ask IT to whitelist Cradle if it persists.
Check Task Manager → Startup apps to see how many other apps launch at login. The more you have, the slower each new launch feels.

macOS

macOS Gatekeeper checks the app's signature on first launch and after some updates. This adds a few seconds. Normal.
Check System Settings → General → Login Items to see how many apps launch at login.

Linux

Launch performance on Linux depends heavily on the distro and desktop environment. AppImage launches are slower than .deb installs because the AppImage extracts itself on each run.
If you installed Cradle via AppImage and want faster launches, consider switching to the .deb install if your distro supports it.

Still stuck?

If Cradle is consistently taking more than 30 seconds to show the call tab, and the in-app diagnostics didn't pin it down:

Note your OS and version, how much RAM you have, your contact count from Settings → Contacts, and how long the launch takes.
Note whether the slowness is at the sign-in step (you see the welcome screen for a long time) or after sign-in (you see a loading spinner for a long time).
Email help@cradle.io with the detail, or use the in-app Create Support Ticket flow again if it didn't get through the first time.
Cradle support is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm New Zealand time.

The app is slow to start