What do I do if Cradle won't log in?

If Cradle gets stuck on the sign-in screen or logs you out unexpectedly, the cause is almost always one of two things: your Google or Microsoft work account is in a bad state, or the credentials stored on your computer have gone stale.

Try account recovery first

Cradle doesn't manage passwords. Sign-in goes through your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 work account. If your work password isn't currently working, no amount of Cradle fiddling will help.

Confirm by trying to sign in to your work email in a browser:

• Google: mail.google.com
• Microsoft: outlook.office.com

If that fails too, go to I can't sign in to Cradle and work through the account-recovery steps before doing anything else on this page.

If the browser sign-in works fine but Cradle still won't let you in, the local credential cache is the next thing to clear.

Quick checks (try these first)

1. Quit Cradle completely (Ctrl + Q on Windows / Linux, Cmd + Q on macOS) and reopen it. A clean start fixes a surprising number of cases.
2. Check status.cradle.io for any current issue.
3. If your IT team has just rolled out a security change (new MFA device, conditional access policy), check with them, your account may need re-enrolment.

Clear the local credential cache

If a clean restart doesn't help and account recovery isn't the issue, clear the stored credentials Cradle keeps for fast sign-in.

Windows

1. Quit Cradle (Ctrl + Q).
2. Click Start and type Credential Manager. Open the app that looks like a safe.
3. Click Windows Credentials.
4. Under Generic Credentials, find any entries starting with cradle/.
5. Click the arrow next to each one and choose Remove.
6. Open Cradle and sign in.

macOS

1. Quit Cradle (Cmd + Q).
2. Open Keychain Access, press Cmd + Space and start typing the name.
3. Search for Cradle.
4. Right-click each entry and choose Delete.
5. Open Cradle and sign in.

Linux

Cradle on Linux uses your distro's secret service (typically GNOME Keyring on Ubuntu and Fedora, KWallet on KDE). Open Seahorse (Passwords and Keys) or KWalletManager, look for entries with cradle in the name, and delete them. Then sign in.

Still stuck?

If you've recovered your work account and cleared the local cache and Cradle still won't let you in:

• Take a screenshot of any error message.
• Note which browser-style window appears (Google or Microsoft).
• Email help@cradle.io.

Cradle support is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm New Zealand time.

Related

• I can't sign in to Cradle
• Signing into the Cradle desktop app
• Signing out and switching accounts