Here’s how to fix TeamViewer’s connection blocked after timeout message:
This message is telling you that your free license is limited.
You have surpassed the time limit for free-user connections, and you will have to wait before you can connect again.
You can upgrade to a paid license to get rid of this limit.
Or, if the message is a mistake, you need to activate your paid license.
So if you want to learn all about what “TeamViewer connection blocked after timeout” means exactly, then this article is for you.
Keep reading!
What Does TeamViewer’s Connection Blocked After Timeout Message Mean?
I’m going to explain how to deal with this in detail, but it all makes more sense if we go over the full text of the common error message:
Connection blocked after timeout.
Your license limits the maximum session duration to a partner, immediate reconnects are blocked. Please try later or upgrade your license.
Reading through it, the mystery dissolves.
TeamViewer is deliberately blocking the connection because the type of license used is limited and doesn’t allow you to connect to the other device for indeterminate periods.
In other words, they want you to buy a license in order to keep doing what you are doing.
But, there’s more to this.
If you are a free user, then this isn’t an error message at all.
It’s telling you how the free version is limited.
Unfortunately, this message has been known to pop up when it shouldn’t, in which case it’s a pretty big error.
What Is a TeamViewer License?
To understand the mechanics of what is happening, we should get deeper into software licensing.
To keep it in simple terms, you don’t really ever own software, even after you buy it.
Instead, what you pay for is a software license.
This is a legal agreement where the person who owns the software copyright gives you permission to use their stuff.
Licenses come in all shapes and sizes.
There are licenses where you make one payment and you can use the software for the rest of your life.
There are licenses where you have to pay a monthly fee in order to maintain access to the technology.
There is everything in between those levels.
It’s really up to the person who made the software to decide how they want to license it.
TeamViewer has been around for more than a decade.
In its time, the software license has evolved.
Once upon a time, you could make a single purchase for a lifetime license. That’s no longer the case.
Today, TeamViewer offers a free license.
There are various paid licenses for single users, small businesses, and even enterprises (very large organizations).
Each license has a different price point and offers different levels of access and various lists of features.
You can pick whichever license makes sense to you, and you can change your license over time if you want to.
The point is, you have to have a license to use TeamViewer (even the free version counts as having a license).
And, depending on your license, your experience will be different.
Ultimately, it’s the licensing control that is responsible for the error message you’re seeing, and whether it is a bug or not makes a difference in how you resolve the situation.
How Do You Fix TeamViewer’s Connection Blocked After Timeout? (4 Steps)
With all of that said, what can you do to fix the problem?
If you’re a free user, you can either wait or buy a license.
If you think this message is a mistake, then there are a few troubleshooting steps you can try.
I’ll take you through all of it right now.
#1 Activate Your License
This error shows up frequently enough for TeamViewer users who have a paid license.
Ideally, if you paid for a license, you will never see this message, but a quick trip down the TeamViewer forums shows that it seems to happen.
So, if you have a license but still see this message, then your best resolution is to make sure the license is activated.
On the TeamViewer app, there should be a spot that says “activate license.”
Click on it (or tap on it with mobile), and follow the steps.
That will resolve the issue.
But, sometimes the button won’t be there.
If that’s the case, you still need to activate your license, but you can’t do it yourself.
Instead, you will have to contact TeamViewer support, and they can help you activate it over the phone (or whatever communication method you use).
#2 Purchase a License
If you’re a free TeamViewer user, then this message means that things are working as intended.
It’s not a bug or point of failure.
The app simply limits usage for free licenses.
In that case, the easiest way to get rid of the error message is to purchase a license.
You can browse all of the options and pick the one that works best for your situation.
When you do make the purchase, activation should be automatic.
You might hit the button.
Either way, the expectation is that your purchase will resolve the situation.
If you make a purchase in response to this error message and still run into problems, then you can try the other troubleshooting tips here or contact customer support.
#3 Troubleshoot With Tech Support
There’s also a chance that you have already successfully activated your license before you see this error message for the first time.
In that case, you’re dealing with misbehaving software.
Call it a bug if you like, but this is not intended behavior, and it’s unlikely that there is an activation button you can use to fix the problem yourself.
It might be sounding redundant at this point, but you want help from tech support.
They can take you through troubleshooting steps to find out what exactly is wrong and how to fix it moving forward.
#4 Try a Different App
Whether you get the message because of an error or not, you also have the option of using different software for remote desktop applications.
There are a lot on the market, and you might find one that works more to your liking or better fits your budget.
I encourage you to shop around before making any commitments.
To help you with that, here’s a list of some well-known and frequently-used remote desktop apps.
Each has its own pros and cons and price points, so take your time with your selection.
There’s no reason to stick with TeamViewer if it isn’t providing the experience that you would prefer.
