Help

Troubleshooting

Fix purchase, permission, rendering, iCloud, Live Monitoring, AI Assistant, and file opening issues in Telescopo.

Studio purchase completed but features did not unlock

If the Mac App Store purchase completed but Telescopo still shows the Viewer experience:

  1. Quit and reopen Telescopo.
  2. Open Settings > Telescopo.
  3. Click Restore Purchase.
  4. Make sure you are signed into the Apple ID used for the purchase.
  5. Confirm that your Mac has an internet connection.

If Studio still does not unlock, contact support and include:

  • Telescopo version.
  • macOS version.
  • Whether the purchase appears in your Apple purchase history.
  • Whether restore shows an error.

Do not send private document contents.

Restore Purchase does not find my Studio purchase

Restore depends on the Mac App Store and the Apple ID that purchased the upgrade.

Check:

  • You are signed into the same Apple ID that purchased Telescopo Markdown Studio or Telescopo Pro.
  • The purchase was completed and not cancelled.
  • The Mac can reach the App Store.
  • You are using the Mac App Store version of Telescopo.

Then try:

  1. Quit Telescopo.
  2. Reopen Telescopo.
  3. Open Settings > Telescopo.
  4. Click Restore Purchase.

If you previously purchased Telescopo Pro, restore should unlock Telescopo Markdown Studio.

The purchase is pending

Some App Store purchases can be pending instead of immediately completed. This may happen because of App Store review, Ask to Buy, payment authorization, account state, or temporary App Store conditions.

When a purchase is pending:

  • Telescopo cannot unlock Studio until Apple completes the transaction.
  • Keep the app installed.
  • Check the App Store account state.
  • Try Restore Purchase after the pending transaction resolves.

Telescopo listens for transaction updates from StoreKit. When Apple completes the transaction, Telescopo should be able to apply the Studio entitlement.

The app opens as Viewer even though I purchased Studio

This usually means Telescopo has not yet verified the Studio entitlement on this Mac.

Try:

  1. Open Settings > Telescopo.
  2. Click Restore Purchase.
  3. Restart the app.
  4. Confirm the Apple ID.

If the app briefly opens in Viewer before Studio unlocks, the app may be waiting for StoreKit to verify the purchase. This should normally resolve quickly once the entitlement is available.

I previously bought Telescopo Pro but Studio is locked

Telescopo 7.0 honors existing Telescopo Pro purchases as Markdown Studio access.

If you remember the app as Smackdown Markdown Reader, that is part of Telescopo's earlier history. Telescopo has kept the same core promise of a fast, native macOS Markdown reader while expanding into Markdown Studio for editing, templates, Live Monitoring, Navigator, and export.

If Studio is locked:

  1. Make sure you are using the same Apple ID that bought Pro.
  2. Click Restore Purchase.
  3. Restart Telescopo.
  4. Confirm you are using the Mac App Store build.

If restore still fails, contact support with the app version, macOS version, and whether Pro appears in your Apple purchase history.

Telescopo on Setapp

Telescopo on Setapp is a specially created premium version of Telescopo Markdown Viewer with all viewer features unlocked. This version is built for the premium viewing experience and does not include Telescopo Markdown Studio's robust authoring and editing capabilities at this time.

For support with Telescopo on Setapp, email [email protected]. This support center is intended for the Mac App Store distributed versions of Telescopo.

macOS says Telescopo does not have permission to open a linked file

This comes from macOS App Sandbox protections.

Telescopo can access files that you explicitly choose, plus files macOS allows through security-scoped access. A Markdown file may link to a neighboring document that Telescopo has not been granted permission to open yet.

Fixes:

  • Open the target file manually using Open File.
  • Open the containing folder or related project files in a way that grants access.
  • Move linked Markdown files into a folder Telescopo already has permission to access.
  • Use explicit relative links like [Notes](notes.md) or [[notes.md]].

Telescopo does not bypass macOS file permissions.

Clicking a local Markdown link does nothing

Check the link target.

For best results:

  • Include the extension: [[notes.md]].
  • Keep linked files in the same folder when possible.
  • Avoid linking to files outside the folder hierarchy Telescopo can access.
  • Confirm the target file exists.
  • Confirm the target is a supported Markdown file.

If the file exists but still does not open, open the target manually once. This gives Telescopo permission to access it.

Mermaid diagram is not rendering

Mermaid diagrams must be inside a fenced code block labeled mermaid.

Example:

flowchart TD

A[Start] --> B[Finish]

If a diagram fails:

  • Confirm the code fence starts with `mermaid .
  • Check Mermaid syntax.
  • Try a simpler diagram first.
  • Confirm you are using a supported Mermaid diagram type.
  • Avoid unsupported or experimental Mermaid syntax.
  • Restart Telescopo if a diagram renderer appears stuck.

Telescopo supports many Mermaid diagram types, but Mermaid syntax still needs to be valid.

Mermaid diagram looks low contrast in a dark theme

Telescopo supports theme-aware Mermaid rendering and Mermaid background customization.

If a diagram is hard to read:

  • Try a different theme.
  • Use Contrast Light or Contrast Dark.
  • Adjust Mermaid diagram background settings.
  • Export or preview with a lighter theme if the diagram will be shared.

Some Mermaid diagram palettes are more readable on light backgrounds, while others fit better into dark themes.

Mermaid diagram is too small

Use Mermaid diagram magnification to inspect dense diagrams.

You can also:

  • Increase document zoom.
  • Use a wider reading width.
  • Export in landscape orientation for wide diagrams.
  • Simplify extremely dense diagrams into smaller sections.

LaTeX math is not rendering

Telescopo renders LaTeX-style math inside Markdown using KaTeX.

Use inline math:

$E = mc^2$

Use display math:

$$
\frac{a}{b}
$$

If math does not render:

  • Confirm delimiters are correct.
  • Avoid unmatched dollar signs.
  • Try display math for complex formulas.
  • Check whether the command is supported by KaTeX.
  • Escape literal dollar amounts in financial documents if needed.

Dollar amounts are being treated as math

Telescopo includes improved detection to avoid treating normal financial dollar amounts as math. Still, ambiguous text can confuse Markdown math parsing.

If a dollar amount renders incorrectly:

  • Add spaces around normal currency text.
  • Escape literal dollar signs as \$.
  • Use code formatting for examples involving currency syntax.

Example:

The price is \$49.99.

PDF export looks different from the preview

PDF export preserves the rendered Markdown, diagrams, math, syntax highlighting, typography, and selected theme as closely as possible.

Differences may still happen because PDF layout is paged and screen preview is continuous.

Try:

  • Switching between portrait and landscape.
  • Adjusting margins.
  • Changing paper size.
  • Increasing reading width before export.
  • Simplifying very wide Mermaid diagrams or tables.
  • Checking the PDF preview before saving.

Landscape export is recommended for wide diagrams and tables.

Images are missing from my Markdown file

Check image paths and permissions.

For local images:

  • Keep images near the Markdown file.
  • Use relative paths where possible.
  • Open the Markdown file through Open File so Telescopo gets access to the folder context.
  • Confirm the image file still exists.

For remote images:

  • Confirm the URL is reachable.
  • Confirm network access is available.
  • Be aware that remote image loading depends on the external server.

Telescopo is local-first, but it can display remote images when the Markdown document references them and network access is available.

Recent files cannot reopen a document

Recent files depend on macOS file permissions and security bookmarks.

If a recent file does not reopen:

  • The file may have moved.
  • The file may have been renamed.
  • The original folder permission may no longer be valid.
  • The file may be on an unavailable external drive or cloud location.

Open the file manually again using Open File. Telescopo can then refresh its access.

Live Monitoring is not updating my file

Live Monitoring works with local Markdown files in Markdown Studio.

Check:

  • The file is a local Markdown file.
  • Live Monitoring is turned on.
  • The external app is actually saving changes to disk.
  • The file has not moved or been replaced in a way macOS treats as a new file.
  • Telescopo still has permission to access the file.

If needed, turn Live Monitoring off and on again, or reopen the file.

iCloud documents are not appearing on another Mac

Telescopo can use iCloud-first save locations and sync app settings, but iCloud document availability is controlled by Apple iCloud and macOS.

Check:

  • You are signed into the same Apple ID on both Macs.
  • iCloud Drive is enabled.
  • The document was saved to an iCloud location.
  • The other Mac has finished syncing.
  • Low Power Mode, network state, or iCloud status is not delaying sync.

If a document is not visible yet, check Finder's iCloud Drive location and confirm the file exists there.

AI Assistant does not appear or does not work

AI Assistant is a Markdown Studio feature and requires a supported Mac with Apple Intelligence availability.

Check:

  • Markdown Studio is unlocked.
  • Your Mac supports Apple Intelligence.
  • Your macOS version supports the required Apple Intelligence features.
  • Apple Intelligence is enabled in System Settings.
  • The current document is a supported document type.

If AI Assistant is unavailable, Telescopo should continue to work normally as a Markdown reader/editor.

Code files open but the editor button is hidden

The Studio editor is focused on Markdown authoring.

Markdown files can show the editor button. Code files are supported for viewing, syntax highlighting, and navigation where available, but not all code files are meant to open in the Markdown editor.

Use an IDE or code editor for full programming-language editing workflows.

EPUB, PDF, or LaTeX behavior is different from Markdown

Markdown is Telescopo's primary focus.

As of Telescopo 7.0.0, native PDF preview, native EPUB preview, and standalone LaTeX or MathJax-style .tex preview are deprecated.

Telescopo may continue to open some of these formats for now, but they are legacy paths and will likely be removed in a future version to reduce code complexity.

For LaTeX content, the recommended path is KaTeX-style TeX syntax embedded inside Markdown.

Markdown-to-PDF export is separate from PDF preview. Exporting rendered Markdown to PDF remains a supported Markdown Studio feature.

Are SVG and code viewing deprecated?

No. Standalone SVG viewing and code viewing remain supported.

That said, Telescopo's core path is Markdown. The primary future-supported workflow is rich Markdown with embedded images/SVG diagrams, Mermaid diagrams, LaTeX math, and fenced code blocks with syntax highlighting.

For full programming-language editing, use a dedicated code editor or IDE. Telescopo's code support is focused on fast viewing, syntax highlighting, and navigation.