Troubleshooting

Something not working? Start here.

Browser Extension Issues

Extension won't load

Make sure you installed it from the Chrome Web Store (not a development version)
Go to chrome://extensions and look for error messages
Try disabling the extension and re-enabling it
Restart Chrome completely if that doesn't work

Sidepanel won't open

Click the PebbleFlow icon in your toolbar (top right)
Make sure you're on a regular webpage (some pages like Chrome settings don't allow extensions)
Go to chrome://extensions, find PebbleFlow, and click "Reload"
Try clicking the icon again

Blank or broken sidebar after an update

Clear your browser cache and reload the extension
Close and reopen the sidepanel
If nothing helps, disable and re-enable the extension

Sign-In Issues

Can't sign in with Google / Apple / Microsoft

Make sure your browser isn't blocking popups — OAuth requires a popup window
On iOS, if Google sign-in gets stuck, try the "Sign in with Apple" option instead
Clear cookies for pebbleflow.ai and try again
If you recently changed passwords, sign out of the provider in your browser first, then try again

Stuck on the login screen after signing in

Wait a few seconds — the app is fetching your profile
If it stays stuck, close and reopen the app (or reload the extension)
Make sure your device clock is correct — OAuth token validation fails if the clock is off

API Key Problems

API key not working

Copy your key again from the provider's website and paste it carefully (no leading/trailing spaces)
Check that your account has credits left
Try generating a fresh key and using that instead
Check that the key format is correct (OpenRouter keys start with sk-or-, Anthropic keys start with sk-ant-, etc.)

Can't find my API key

OpenRouter: openrouter.ai/keys
Anthropic (Claude): console.anthropic.com/keys
OpenAI (GPT): platform.openai.com/api-keys
Google (Gemini): ai.google.dev/api-keys

See AI Providers & API Keys for more details.

Google Integration (Pro Tier)

Can't connect to Google

Go to Settings > Google Integration
Click "Sign in with Google"
Make sure you approve all the requested permissions
Check that your account shows as connected
If it still doesn't work, disconnect and try again

Google tools aren't working

Verify Google is connected (Settings > Google Integration)
Try refreshing your Google connection ("Reconnect Google" button)
Make sure the specific tool is enabled (Settings > Tools)

Private Sync Problems

Sync isn't working

Check that private sync is actually enabled (Settings > Private Sync)
Verify your Google account is connected
Make sure you have storage space left in your Google Drive
Click "Reconnect Google" if your token expired
Try toggling sync off and back on

Data didn't sync across devices

Private sync works in the background—give it a few seconds
Check that you're using the same Google account on all devices
Make sure private sync is enabled on the other device too
Manually refresh by toggling sync off and back on

Performance Issues

Responses are slow

Check if the AI provider is having issues (check their status page)
Try using a faster, cheaper model (like Gemini Flash or Mistral)
Archive old conversations if you have hundreds of them
Check your internet connection

Conversations are taking forever

The AI is working—look for the spinning indicator
Some models are slower than others. Switch to a faster one if you're in a hurry
If it's taking more than a few minutes, the AI might be stuck. Click Stop and try again

Subscription & Billing

Can't see "Manage Plan"

Make sure you're signed in with the account that holds the subscription
If you subscribed on iOS, the Manage Plan button routes to Apple's subscription settings
If you subscribed on the web, it routes to the Stripe billing portal
Sign out and back in to refresh your subscription status

"Manage Plan" opens the wrong place

iOS In-App Purchases are managed in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions — not on pebbleflow.ai/account
Stripe subscriptions are managed via the portal link in Settings > Profile or at pebbleflow.ai/account
PebbleFlow routes automatically based on where you subscribed — this is expected

Upgraded but still on the old tier

Stripe upgrades take a minute to propagate — reload the app
Apple IAP can take up to 24 hours to verify. Tap "Restore Purchases" in Settings > Profile to speed it up
If you already have a subscription on another platform, the Subscribe button will tell you to manage it there instead

Other Issues

Blank screen in the desktop or mobile app

Restart the app completely
Check that you're connected to the internet
Try clearing the app's cache (varies by platform)
Update to the latest version

Tools aren't working

Go to Settings > Tools and check that the tool is enabled
Some tools require permissions or setup (like Google Integration for Google tools)
If you see a "needs permission" error, reconnect the provider in Settings > Google Integration (or the matching provider) and reapprove scopes

Extension can't connect to the desktop app

If you're using both the browser extension and the desktop app, the extension connects to the desktop app over a local WebSocket (capability bridge, not sync)
Restart the desktop app and then reload the extension
Make sure no other copy of the desktop app is running — multiple instances conflict

Message attachments won't upload

Check that the file format is supported (PDF, images, Word docs, spreadsheets, presentations)
Try a smaller file
Make sure you have internet connection

Getting Help

Quick answers: Click the ? icon in the header
Settings & troubleshooting: Click the gear icon
This guide: Settings > Documentation & Legal