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If a downloaded PS5 or PS4 game shows a padlock, restore its license from the console that displays the lock. On PS5, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses, or highlight the game, press the Options button and select Restore License. On PS4, go to Settings > Account Management > Restore Licenses and choose Restore. Sony says this process does not affect saved data or other user data. If the lock remains, verify the purchasing account, transaction or PlayStation Plus entitlement, sharing settings, service status, system software and, finally, the console database.
What a padlock on a PlayStation game means
A padlock means the console cannot currently validate the right to start that digital game. Restoring the license refreshes the entitlement stored on the console, but it is not a universal unlock command. The underlying cause can be an account mismatch, an incomplete or reversed purchase, an expired subscription entitlement, a game that has left a subscription catalog, disabled console sharing, a PlayStation service interruption, outdated system software, a local database problem or parental controls.
Look at the account currently signed in before changing anything. A game bought by one PlayStation Network account is not automatically owned by every account on every console. Likewise, a game obtained through PlayStation Plus remains playable only while the applicable subscription and catalog entitlement continue to apply. Sony’s troubleshooting flow separates those entitlement checks from license restoration, so perform them in that order when a simple restore does not work.
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The timing and scope of the symptom provide useful clues. A single locked title with otherwise normal Store and online access often points to that title’s account record or transaction. Several games locking at once can indicate a sign-in or PlayStation Network service problem. A lock that appears only when a family member uses a different profile points toward sharing or primary-console activation. Treat the icon as a symptom, not proof of one specific fault.
Restore a license on PS5
Use the system-wide license menu
- Sign in to the PlayStation Network account that purchased the game or claimed the entitlement.
- From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
- Select Users and Accounts.
- Choose Other.
- Select Restore Licenses.
- Choose the locked game, or select the option to restore the available licenses.
After the process completes, return to the game and try to start it. If the title is still locked, do not repeatedly restore it; move to the entitlement and sharing checks below. If several games are affected, restoring the available licenses from this menu lets you test the account more broadly than repairing one icon at a time.
Remain signed in to the owning account while the operation runs. If the console cannot connect to PlayStation Network, the menu may not resolve the entitlement, so address sign-in or service problems before treating an unsuccessful attempt as proof that the purchase is invalid. A completed restore also does not download a missing game; it only refreshes license information. If the installation itself is incomplete, use Sony’s download troubleshooting sequence after confirming ownership.
Restore only one game from its icon
- Highlight the locked game on the home screen or in your game library.
- Press the controller’s Options button.
- Select Restore License.
- Wait for the confirmation to finish, then launch the game again.
The per-game route is useful when one title is affected but other digital games open normally. The system-wide route is more appropriate when several purchased games show locks at the same time. If the per-game command is unavailable or does not change the icon, continue with the account, transaction and sharing checks instead of deleting the installation.
Restore a license on PS4
- Sign in to the account that bought or claimed the game.
- Open Settings from the PS4 function screen.
- Select Account Management.
- Choose Restore Licenses.
- Select Restore and wait for the operation to complete.
Start the game again after the restore. Sony states that restoring licenses will not affect your data. It does not delete the installation, save files or screenshots; it refreshes the console’s license records. A restore on PS4 also cannot change which account owns a purchase or make a Plus catalog title available after it leaves the catalog.
If the PS4 is being used by someone other than the purchaser, test the game once from the purchasing profile and once from the other profile. That comparison distinguishes an entitlement problem from a primary-console sharing problem. If it starts only for the purchaser, continue to the activation section.
Check that the account actually owns the game
A successful license restore cannot create an entitlement that the account never received. If the lock remains, confirm ownership before attempting maintenance steps.
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Use the purchasing account
Sign out of any account that does not own the title and sign in to the account used at checkout. On a family console, ask the owner to verify the game from their own account. If the game was redeemed with a code, verify that the code was redeemed on the intended account; redeemed content cannot be moved to another account simply by restoring licenses.
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Check the account email carefully when a household has more than one PlayStation Network login. Similar usernames, child and adult accounts, or a second regional account can make a genuine purchase appear missing. The console’s installed icon does not identify which account completed the transaction, so use account records rather than the icon alone.
Check transaction history
Open the account’s transaction history and confirm that the purchase is listed as completed. A pending, canceled, refunded or failed transaction does not provide a playable license. If the transaction is absent, check other PlayStation Network accounts used in the household rather than buying the game again immediately. Keep the transaction date, order details and account email available if support is needed.
If the game was bought as an add-on or special edition, verify that the locked item is the base game or edition actually included in the transaction. A license for downloadable content does not by itself grant the separate base game. Likewise, restoring a license cannot reverse a refund or complete a payment that never finalized.
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Check a PlayStation Plus entitlement
For a game obtained through PlayStation Plus, verify both conditions:
- The PlayStation Plus subscription associated with the entitlement is active on the account.
- The game is still available to that account under the relevant Plus catalog or monthly-game entitlement.
A title can remain installed while access ends. In that situation, reinstalling or restoring licenses does not bypass the subscription or catalog requirement. If the subscription was renewed on a different account, use the account that originally claimed the game.
Do not assume that every Plus game follows the same availability rule. Check whether it was claimed as a monthly game or accessed from a catalog tier, then confirm that the applicable entitlement still appears for the owner. If the game was removed from a catalog, the installed files may remain visible while the start permission is withdrawn.
Check sharing and console activation
When another user owns the game, the owner’s console-sharing or primary-console setting determines whether other profiles can launch it. Use the platform-specific check that matches your console.
| Console | Setting to verify | What it allows |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play | Other users on the enabled PS5 can play the owner’s purchased and downloaded games and media while offline and can use some PlayStation Plus benefits. Only one PS5 can have Console Sharing and Offline Play enabled for an account at a time. |
| PS4 | Activate the owner’s account’s console as its primary PS4 in Account Management. | Other users on that primary PS4 can use the owner’s purchased content and applicable benefits. |
PS5 sharing checks
- Sign in on the PS5 with the account that owns the game.
- Open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Enable the setting if it is disabled.
- Sign out of the owner account and test the game from the other user’s profile.
If the setting is already enabled on another PS5, the owner must disable it there before enabling it on this console. Sony documents the feature and its one-console limit in its PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play guide.
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The feature is about the owner’s enabled PS5, not every console on which the account has signed in. Other users can use the owner’s purchased and downloaded games on that enabled console even when it is offline, but a different PS5 may still require the owner account to be signed in and connected. Test both profiles after changing the setting so you know which access path is working.
PS4 primary-console checks
- Sign in with the purchasing account.
- Open Settings > Account Management.
- Confirm that Activate as Your Primary PS4 is enabled for this console.
- Switch to the other user’s profile and launch the game.
If the owner recently changed consoles, the old primary-PS4 activation may still be consuming the account’s activation. Resolve that account state before troubleshooting the installation itself. If the owner can launch the game but another profile cannot, the license is probably present and the sharing configuration deserves priority.
Rule out PlayStation service and system-software problems
Check service status before changing local settings
License validation depends on PlayStation Network services. Check the official downloaded-game troubleshooting page and PlayStation’s current service-status information when several games lock at once, the Store will not load, or sign-in is failing. If Sony reports an outage or maintenance, wait for service to recover and retry the game. Local license restoration cannot repair a server-side interruption.
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Install available system software
On the affected console, open the system-software update area in Settings and install any pending update. Restart after the update finishes, sign in again and test the title. Older system software can interfere with Store downloads, entitlement checks and game launching, so update before using Safe Mode maintenance.
Update the console itself rather than assuming a game patch will correct an account lock. If the update cannot complete because the network is unavailable, resolve the connection or service issue first and retain the exact error message for support.
Use Safe Mode database maintenance only after entitlement checks
Sony’s troubleshooting sequence places database maintenance after checking the account, purchase or subscription, sharing, service status, software and licenses. It is intended for local indexing or data-structure problems, not for a missing purchase.
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Sony’s PS5 download-troubleshooting instructions direct users to Safe Mode’s Clear Cache and Rebuild Database option when earlier checks do not resolve the issue. Follow the current on-screen Safe Mode instructions rather than interrupting power or selecting a reset option. Choose the database-maintenance command, allow it to finish, restart the console and test the locked game.
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Use the wording shown by the console: database maintenance is different from resetting or initializing the PS5. Select only the cache/database option specified for this troubleshooting path. If the lock remains afterward, further repeats are unlikely to fix an account or catalog problem.
PS4
For PS4, Sony lists Rebuild Database in Safe Mode as the corresponding maintenance step. Use the Safe Mode instructions linked from the same official troubleshooting flow, select Rebuild Database, wait for the console to restart and then try the game again.
Database rebuilding is different from initializing the console. Do not choose an initialization or reset command unless you have separately backed up what it removes and Sony Support has specifically instructed you to do so. A reset does not establish ownership and should never be the first response to a padlock.
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A padlock over the whole game image can indicate a parental-control restriction rather than a broken license. Sony’s launch-troubleshooting guidance identifies parental controls as a possible cause when the lock covers the complete game image. Review the family-management restrictions on the account and console, confirm the game’s age rating is allowed, and test again with an authorized adult account. Do not assume a license restore will change a restriction that is working as configured. See Sony’s game-launch troubleshooting guidance for this branch.
Compare the same title from an adult owner profile and the restricted profile. If only the restricted profile sees the lock, changing the entitlement or rebuilding the database is less relevant than reviewing family settings. Keep the restriction in place unless the account holder intentionally changes it.
Diagnose the symptom before escalating
| What you see | Most useful next check |
|---|---|
| One purchased game is locked, while other games work | Restore that game’s license, then verify the purchasing account and transaction history. |
| Several purchased games become locked together | Check PlayStation service status, sign-in and system software, then restore licenses. |
| A game owned by another household user is locked | Check PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play or PS4 primary-console activation on the owner’s account. |
| A PlayStation Plus game is locked | Confirm the subscription is active and that the game remains in the applicable catalog or claimed entitlement. |
| The padlock covers the entire game image | Review parental controls as well as account and license status. |
| The lock persists after every check | Use the platform’s Safe Mode database-maintenance option, then contact PlayStation Support. |
Write down the result of each test: whether the owner account can launch the title, whether another profile can launch it, and whether other games are affected. This prevents repeating the same restore and gives support a clear sequence to reproduce.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to contact PlayStation Support
Contact support when the correct account owns the game, the transaction or subscription is valid, sharing is configured correctly, services are operating, system software is current and license restoration plus database maintenance have failed. Sony’s troubleshooting instructions ask you to provide details that let an agent reproduce the problem.
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- The game title, console model and account affected.
- The steps that lead to the lock, including whether it appears for one game or many.
- The date and approximate time of the attempt.
- A screenshot or video of the padlock and message, if possible.
Keep proof of purchase or the transaction reference available. Do not remove the game, delete save data or initialize the console merely because the icon is locked; those actions do not establish ownership and can make recovery harder. Tell support whether the game was purchased directly, redeemed with a code, claimed through PlayStation Plus or shared from another account.
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What restoring licenses does—and does not do
- It does: refresh the console’s record of digital entitlements for the signed-in account.
- It does not: transfer ownership between accounts, reinstate a refunded purchase, extend an expired subscription, return a removed catalog title, enable sharing on another console or override parental controls.
- It does not erase your data: Sony explicitly says, “Please note, restoring licenses won’t affect your data.”
Use restoration as the first local repair because it is quick and non-destructive, then diagnose the entitlement or account condition that may be preventing the game from opening. The correct order is account and entitlement, sharing, service and software, license restoration, Safe Mode database maintenance, and support escalation. That sequence avoids unnecessary downloads, purchases or resets while addressing each cause Sony identifies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does restoring a PlayStation license take?
The console normally completes the menu operation quickly, but the important test is whether the game launches afterward. If it does not, move to account, subscription, sharing, service and software checks rather than repeating the restore.
Will restoring licenses delete my PS5 or PS4 saves?
No. Sony says restoring licenses will not affect your data. It refreshes license records and is separate from deleting a game, deleting saves or initializing the console.
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Why is a PS5 game locked for another user but not the owner?
Check Console Sharing and Offline Play on the owner’s PS5. The setting must be enabled on that console, and only one PS5 can have it enabled for the account at a time.
Can restoring a license unlock a PlayStation Plus game after it leaves the catalog?
No. Confirm that the subscription is active and that the title remains available through the applicable Plus catalog or claimed entitlement. A restore cannot bring back a removed catalog title.
What should I do if several digital games show padlocks?
Check PlayStation Network service status, sign-in and system software first. Then restore licenses. A widespread lock is more likely to involve service or account validation than one damaged game icon.
Does a padlock always mean the license is broken?
No. It can also reflect the wrong account, an incomplete or refunded transaction, subscription status, sharing configuration, a service interruption, outdated software or parental controls.
Should I delete and reinstall a locked game?
Not as the first step. Reinstallation does not create an entitlement. Confirm the owning account and transaction, restore the license, and follow Sony’s troubleshooting sequence before removing the installation.
What information does PlayStation Support need?
Provide the exact message or error code, title, console model, affected account, steps to reproduce, approximate date and time, and a screenshot or video if available. Keep transaction or purchase details ready.
The Bottom Line
On PS5, use Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses or the game’s Options menu. On PS4, use Settings > Account Management > Restore Licenses > Restore. If the padlock remains, verify the owning account and transaction, Plus status and catalog availability, console sharing or primary-PS4 activation, service status, software and parental controls. Only then use the platform’s Safe Mode database option and contact PlayStation Support with the error details.
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