If a digital PS5 or PS4 game shows a padlock, restore its license first. On PS5, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses, select the license or licenses, and try the game again. You can also highlight the game, press the Options button, and choose Restore License. On PS4, go to Settings > Account Management > Restore Licenses, then choose Restore.
License restoration is safe for installed saves and other user data. If the lock remains, the cause may be the purchasing account, an incomplete purchase, a PlayStation Plus entitlement, console-sharing settings, a service outage, outdated system software, or parental controls—not the license cache alone.
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Before you restore anything
Identify which account and entitlement should open the game. A title purchased outright is tied to the PlayStation Network account that completed the transaction. A game obtained through PlayStation Plus depends on the subscription and, for catalog titles, continued availability in that catalog. A different user on the same console may need console-sharing or primary-console activation before the game will launch.
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Restore the license on your console
Use the procedure for the console displaying the lock. The full instructions are in PlayStation’s license-restoration guide.
PS5: restore all licenses
- Open Settings from the top-right of the home screen.
- Select Users and Accounts.
- Choose Other.
- Select Restore Licenses.
- Choose the license or licenses you want to restore and follow the on-screen confirmation.
If multiple digital games, add-ons, or other purchased items are locked, restoring from this menu is more efficient than opening each title separately. Stay signed in to the account whose purchases you are checking; restoring licenses on a different profile cannot create ownership for that profile.
PS5: restore 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.
- Launch the game after the operation completes.
The per-game shortcut is useful when only one title is affected. If the shortcut is unavailable, use the Settings route and then check the account and entitlement steps below.
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PS4
- Open Settings.
- Select Account Management.
- Choose Restore Licenses.
- Select Restore and wait for the confirmation.
Restoring licenses does not delete games, saves, screenshots, or other console data. PlayStation’s support documentation states: “Please note, restoring licenses won’t affect your data.” It is an entitlement refresh, not a factory reset, uninstall, or initialization operation.
What the padlock actually tells you
A padlock means the console cannot currently validate your right to start that digital item. It can be a license or network problem, but the icon does not prove that a license refresh is the only fix. Follow the checks below in order instead of repeatedly restoring the same license.
| What you see | Likely area to check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| One purchased game is locked | Purchasing account, transaction, or license | Sign in to the buying account, verify the transaction, then restore the license. |
| Several purchased games are locked | Wrong account, service availability, or console activation | Check the account on the console, PlayStation service status, and sharing settings. |
| A PlayStation Plus game is locked | Subscription status or catalog availability | Confirm the subscription is active and that the title is still included in the applicable catalog. |
| Another user on the console cannot start the game | Sharing or primary-console activation | Check PS5 Console Sharing and Offline Play or PS4 primary activation. |
| The entire game image is covered by a padlock | Parental controls may be involved | Review the console’s family and parental-control restrictions. |
For launch symptoms and the full set of checks, see PlayStation’s game-start troubleshooting guidance. A lock that appears after a profile change, subscription change, or outage should be diagnosed differently from a lock affecting only one newly downloaded game.
Verify the account and entitlement
A restored license cannot create an entitlement that was never completed or belongs to another account. Before deeper console maintenance, establish exactly which account should own access.
Sign in to the purchasing account
On the console, check the signed-in user profile. A game bought by one PlayStation Network account does not automatically become owned by every account on every console. If you are using a different account from the purchaser, sign in to the account that completed the purchase and test the game there. If it opens for the owner but not another profile, the purchase is probably valid and the sharing or activation setting is the next place to look.
Check transaction history
Open the purchasing account’s transaction history and confirm that the game purchase completed rather than remaining pending, canceled, refunded, or failed. If the transaction is absent, verify that you are checking the correct account and region before attempting another download or contacting support. PlayStation’s download-troubleshooting page lists transaction verification as an early check: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/games/troubleshoot-downloaded-playstation-game/.
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Do not buy the game again simply because the installed copy displays a padlock. First establish whether the original transaction is present and completed. Keep any transaction confirmation available if you eventually need support.
Check PlayStation Plus access
If the game was obtained through PlayStation Plus, verify two separate conditions:
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- The title is still available through the relevant PlayStation Plus catalog or benefit.
A game can remain installed while access ends because a subscription expired or a catalog title is no longer offered. Restoring licenses may refresh the entitlement, but it cannot restore access to a benefit that the account no longer has. This distinction matters even when the game worked normally yesterday: an installed download is not proof that the underlying subscription entitlement is still active.
When checking Plus access, use the account that originally claimed or downloaded the game. A different family member’s active subscription does not necessarily make the title available to every account unless the console’s applicable sharing arrangement is enabled.
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 use it. These settings are different on PS5 and PS4.
| Console | Setting to check | What it enables |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play | Other users of the enabled PS5 can play the enabling account’s purchased and downloaded games and media while offline, and can use some PlayStation Plus benefits. Only one PS5 can have this setting enabled for an account at a time. |
| PS4 | Primary PS4 activation for the game-owning account | Other users on that primary PS4 can use the owner’s eligible purchased content and benefits. |
PS5 sharing check
- Sign in to the account that bought or claimed the game.
- Open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other.
- Select Console Sharing and Offline Play.
- Enable the setting if this is the PS5 that should share the account’s games.
- Return to the other user’s profile and test the game.
PlayStation explains that this setting is intended to let users “Play your games and media even when the console is offline.” If the account already has sharing enabled on another PS5, that other console may need to be deactivated before this one can be enabled. The official instructions are at https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/support/account/ps5-console-sharing-offline-play/.
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Only enable sharing on the PS5 that the account intends to make available to its other local users. Switching the setting can change which console receives the offline-sharing benefit; it does not transfer the purchase to a new account.
PS4 primary-console check
On PS4, confirm that the game-owning account activated this console as its primary PS4. If the owner is signed in only temporarily and the console is not the account’s primary system, other local users may see a padlock even though the purchase is valid. Sign in as the owner, verify primary activation, and then test from the other user profile.
Rule out a service or software problem
License validation depends on account and PlayStation network services. A temporary outage can make a legitimate purchase appear locked, especially when several unrelated digital games stop launching at the same time.
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- Check the current PlayStation service-status page from the console’s browser or another device.
- If the status page shows an alert affecting account management, gaming, or the PlayStation Store, wait for service recovery before repeating the license process.
- Install any available PS5 or PS4 system-software update, then restart the console.
- Reconnect to the internet and retry the game after the service issue has cleared.
Do not assume that reinstalling a large game will fix an account-validation outage. PlayStation’s download troubleshooting sequence places service status and current system software before database maintenance: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/games/troubleshoot-downloaded-playstation-game/.
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Use Safe Mode database maintenance only after entitlement checks
If the account, purchase or subscription, sharing, service status, and software version all check out, PlayStation’s next step is database maintenance in Safe Mode. This addresses console data indexing problems that can interfere with downloaded content; it does not change who owns a game.
PS5
Follow PlayStation’s Safe Mode instructions and choose Clear Cache and Rebuild Database as directed for the download or launch problem. Read each Safe Mode option before confirming it, and do not interrupt the console while it is working. The official troubleshooting flow identifies this maintenance step after the entitlement and system checks.
Use the exact maintenance option specified by PlayStation. Do not select an initialization or reset option merely because it appears in the same menu; those are different operations and are not the recommended license fix.
PS4
Enter Safe Mode using PlayStation’s instructions and select Rebuild Database when the troubleshooting flow calls for it. Allow the process to finish before testing the locked title again. Use the exact option specified for PS4 rather than selecting unrelated initialization choices.
Safe Mode database maintenance is not the same as restoring a license: restoration refreshes entitlement information, while rebuilding addresses the console’s content index. Neither step should be used as a substitute for checking the purchasing account or a PlayStation Plus subscription.
Common situations and the right fix
The game was bought on a different account
Sign in with the account that made the purchase, confirm the transaction, and restore licenses there. If other household users need access, configure the applicable PS5 sharing or PS4 primary-console setting while the owner’s account is signed in.
The game was claimed through PlayStation Plus
Check whether the subscription is active and whether the title remains available under the benefit through which it was claimed. If either condition is false, the lock reflects unavailable entitlement rather than a corrupted license.
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The game works for the owner but not another profile
This points to sharing or activation. On PS5, enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on the intended console. On PS4, make that system the purchasing account’s primary PS4. Then sign in to the other profile and test again.
The game image is entirely covered by a padlock
Review parental-control restrictions as well as the account and license checks. A family setting can block launch even when the purchase is valid. Check restrictions for the profile attempting to start the game, not only the adult account that completed the purchase.
The lock appeared during an outage
Check PlayStation service status and wait for affected services to recover. Once the alert clears, restart the console, confirm it is online, and restore the license if necessary.
The game was downloaded but never launched
Confirm the transaction or Plus entitlement first. A complete download only places files on the console; it does not prove that the signed-in profile has a current right to use them. After confirming entitlement, restore the license and retry.
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When to contact PlayStation Support
Contact PlayStation Support if the correct account owns the game, the transaction or subscription is valid, sharing or activation is configured correctly, services are operating, system software is current, and the recommended database maintenance does not remove the lock.
Include the information that lets support reproduce the problem:
- The exact error message or wording beside the padlock.
- The game title, console model, and user account affected.
- Whether the title was purchased outright or obtained through PlayStation Plus.
- The steps you already tried, including license restoration and any Safe Mode maintenance.
- The date and approximate time you attempted to launch it.
- A screenshot or short video of the lock, if possible.
Providing these details avoids repeating generic steps and helps support distinguish an entitlement problem from a console or service fault. Do not send account passwords or other sensitive credentials in a screenshot.
What restoring licenses does—and does not—do
- It does: refresh the console’s recognition of digital purchases and eligible entitlements on the signed-in account.
- It does not: transfer a purchase to another account, reactivate an expired subscription, return a removed catalog title, override parental controls, or enable sharing on a different console.
- It does not affect: saved data and other user data, according to PlayStation’s official restoration guidance.
Start with the short PS5 or PS4 menu operation, then diagnose the entitlement, sharing, service, software, and database possibilities in that order. That sequence targets the most common causes without deleting the installed game or personal data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will restoring licenses delete my saves or installed games?
No. PlayStation says restoring licenses will not affect your data. It refreshes entitlement information and is not an uninstall or factory reset.
Why is only one digital game locked?
Check the purchasing account and transaction first, then restore that title’s license. If the purchase is valid and the lock remains, check software, service status, and database maintenance.
Why are several purchased games locked at once?
Check that the correct account is signed in, review PlayStation service status, and verify console-sharing or primary-console activation. A service or account issue can affect multiple titles.
Can restoring a license fix a PlayStation Plus lock?
Only if the account still has the applicable entitlement. Confirm that the subscription is active and that a catalog title remains available; restoration cannot reactivate an expired subscription or removed title.
How do I let another PS5 user play my digital game?
Sign in to the owning account and enable Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play on the intended PS5. One account can have that setting enabled on one PS5 at a time.
What is the PS4 equivalent of PS5 Console Sharing?
The owning account must activate the console as its primary PS4. Other local users can then use eligible purchased content and benefits associated with that activation.
Does a padlock always mean the license is corrupted?
No. The cause can be the wrong account, an incomplete transaction, subscription or catalog status, sharing, an outage, outdated software, or parental controls. Diagnose those possibilities instead of repeating restoration alone.
When should I use Safe Mode?
Use it after confirming account ownership, transaction or subscription status, sharing, service availability, and current system software. On PS5 choose Clear Cache and Rebuild Database as directed; on PS4 choose Rebuild Database.
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Provide the exact message, game and console model, affected account, purchase or Plus status, steps already attempted, approximate date and time, and a screenshot or video if available.
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, transaction or PlayStation Plus entitlement, sharing or primary-console activation, service status, software, and finally Safe Mode database maintenance. Restoring licenses does not delete your data, but it cannot replace an expired entitlement or correct parental-control and sharing settings.
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