Start with the state, not a reinstall
Note the LittleDraft version, macOS version, active AI mode, and exact message. Open Overview and Account to check readiness. Try one simple fictional or low-stakes email. A failing automatic workflow, a cloud-account problem, and a local-model problem have different recovery paths.
Mail cannot be read
Open Mail, select one ordinary message, and invoke Draft Reply from the menu. Check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation → LittleDraft → Apple Mail. If permission was denied, change it deliberately and retry. Confirm the account and message content are actually available in Mail rather than still downloading.
The reply is not inserted
Check Accessibility and the intended Mail reply window. The app may refuse an unverified or changed target rather than risking the wrong draft. Use the provided Copy/manual handoff, paste above the signature, and review recipients. Do not repeatedly generate just to force insertion: a new successful cloud request can consume another credit.
The writing style is missing or wrong
Check the selected account, Sent folder, date range, usable-example count, and learned-style switch. At least five usable examples are needed for a finished sample. Empty or unsuitable messages can make the checked count larger than the usable count. Refresh the right account and use the fictional style test before collecting more history.
Capture is blank, wrong, or blocked
Check Pro access, Screen Recording permission, Library capacity, and which display was under the pointer. Zoom small source text, hide unrelated windows, and capture again. Inspect the saved text in Library. A saved capture can be reused across accounts, so remove the wrong record rather than assuming it cannot affect another reply.
Private Mode is unavailable
Check for an Apple silicon Mac, macOS 26 or later, enabled Apple Intelligence, completed model downloads, supported English/German content, and activated Pro access. Monthly activation must refresh online for a renewed paid period. If the context is too large, select a shorter email and fewer references. Local failure does not cause an automatic cloud upload.
Cloud drafting or research is unavailable
Check connectivity, sign-in, the correct reply or research balance, the billing-period dates, and any temporary service message. Research always requires online AI and uses its own policy. Version 0.20.57 permits a separately approved research request while Private AI remains selected. A displayed balance does not override rate or safety limits. Refresh Account after a purchase before assuming a plan has failed to activate.
Pre-Drafts show nothing ready
Check the selected inboxes, enabled state, working hours, unread eligibility, smart filtering, exclusions, successful daily limit, and Recent processing. LittleDraft needs to be running with Mail available. Not every unread email is eligible; newsletters and automated receipts can be deliberately skipped.
Send a useful support request
Include: “LittleDraft [version], macOS [version], Cloud AI/Private Mode. In Mail, I selected a message and chose Draft Reply. I expected [result], but saw [exact error]. Manual copy works/does not work.”
Optional attachment: A cropped screenshot using fictional or redacted content, showing the state and relevant control.
Use Feedback & Contact or email hello@littledraft.com. Do not include passwords, API keys, full payment-card details, or an unredacted customer inbox. If a real message is needed to reproduce a problem, agree on the minimum appropriate sample with support first.
Local quality or resource limits in the 0.20.57 release
If an English/German reply is in the wrong language, repeats the customer’s question, omits a reference number, or includes editing instructions, stop before sending. Check the detected conversation language, give a short explicit direction, and supply the exact identifiers that must remain. The release adds checks and a bounded German polishing pass, but you still need to inspect the result.
Use a shorter message and only relevant references when local context is too large. Background work can be limited under memory, thermal, or power pressure. Let the Mac recover and retry when appropriate; do not interpret a pause as permission for a cloud upload. Cancellation should stop the current operation, and Private drafting never silently changes to Cloud AI.
If research does not start after you cancel its disclosure, that is expected. Invoke it again only if you want to review and approve a new online request. Include the installed version and active processing mode when reporting a problem.
Private AI beta and insertion recovery
On 0.20.57, Private AI is labelled Private · Beta. Replies can be shorter and less accurate than Cloud AI; correct or regenerate a weak reply before sending. Safety-filter errors now include an explanation. To restore a lost Mail draft connection, return to the intended draft and choose Recheck & insert. Pressing the shortcut again during an insertion should not create a second insertion.