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Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues with Zipic, this guide will help you collect diagnostic information and resolve common problems.

Debug Mode

Zipic includes a built-in Debug Mode that enables detailed runtime logging. This is essential for diagnosing compression issues, unexpected behavior, or crashes.

Activating Debug Mode

  1. Open Settings (press ⌘ + ,) and navigate to the License tab.
  2. Tap the Zipic app icon in the License view 5 times to activate Debug Mode.
  3. Once activated, a debug indicator will appear and runtime logs will be recorded.

Exporting Logs

After activating Debug Mode and reproducing the issue, you can export the runtime logs for troubleshooting or to share with our support team.

Common Issues

Dependency Installation Failed

If external tools fail to install, try again from Settings -> Dependency. Version 1.9.0 uses an in-app guided installation window with automatic retry. Check your network connection if the issue persists.

Compression Not Starting

Ensure the file format is supported. If files are being skipped, Smart Skip may have detected them as already compressed — try changing compression settings to trigger re-compression.

Encrypted PDF Error

Zipic automatically detects encrypted PDFs and displays a friendly prompt. You’ll need to decrypt the PDF before compression. Ensure Ghostscript is installed in Settings -> Dependency.

NotchDrop Not Appearing

Make sure “Drag to Notch for compression” is enabled in Settings -> Workflow. Version 1.9.0 fixes several issues with NotchDrop in full-screen apps, after display changes, and with non-drag gestures.

App Crashes on Launch / Won’t Open

If clicking the Zipic icon results in no window appearing, the Dock icon bouncing and disappearing, or the app failing to open after upgrading to a new version — this is usually caused by incompatible local “Folder Monitoring” settings in the new version.

Solution

Open Terminal (search for it in Spotlight), copy and paste the entire command below:

Terminal window
# 1. Quit Zipic completely
killall Zipic 2>/dev/null


# 2. Disable all monitoring items (preserves directory list)
python3 << 'EOF'
import plistlib, json, os
plist_path = os.path.expanduser('~/Library/Preferences/studio.5km.zipic.plist')
with open(plist_path, 'rb') as f:
    pl = plistlib.load(f)
if 'MonitorItems' in pl:
    items = json.loads(pl['MonitorItems'].decode())
    for item in items:
        item['enable'] = False
    pl['MonitorItems'] = json.dumps(items).encode()
    with open(plist_path, 'wb') as f:
        plistlib.dump(pl, f)
    print(f'Disabled {len(items)} monitoring item(s)')
else:
    print('No monitoring config found — try opening Zipic directly')
EOF


# 3. Reopen Zipic
open -a Zipic

What this command does

  • Only disables all “Folder Monitoring” switches — preserves all your configured directory paths and hierarchy settings
  • After launch recovers, re-enable monitoring in Zipic settings
  • Does not affect theme, compression level, save path, clipboard monitoring, or any other settings
  • Does not affect your license (license is stored separately and will be re-verified automatically)
  • Does not affect any previously compressed image files

If the app still won’t launch after running the command, please contact us at [email protected] with your macOS version and chip information (e.g., macOS 26.4.1 / M2).

Submitting Feedback

If you’ve collected debug logs and need further assistance, please reach out to our support team:

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