Edit won't open or shows Reconnecting to the editor

Work out why the Edit wing is stuck on a holding screen, and get it open again in a few steps.

Updated September 2, 2026

You clicked Edit and instead of the launchpad or your project you see a holding screen: Edit lives in the Desktop App, Starting Edit, or a line reading Reconnecting to the editor… that never goes away.

Why

Every holding screen on the Edit wing means one thing: the Edit wing is not ready yet. Either you are not in the Mac app at all, or Edit is still starting, or it did not start. Manage and Deliver are not affected.

Which screen you are on

Screen What it means
Reaching Hailo… Hailo is checking whether the engine is awake. Normal for a second or two.
Edit lives in the Desktop App with an Open Desktop App button You opened Hailo at app.hailo.studio rather than in the Mac app. Edit works only in the Mac app. Manage and Deliver work in both.
Starting Edit with "The editing engine is warming up. This can take a moment on the first launch after an update. Edit will open on its own." You are in the Mac app and Edit is still starting. This is not a connection problem, so waiting is all it takes.
Starting Hailo's editor… with "The footage engine is booting, this only takes a moment." and Reconnecting to the editor… under it Same as above, shown from inside the Edit wing. Hailo re-checks every two seconds and opens the workspace the moment Edit is ready.
Reconnecting with "The connection dropped for a moment. Hailo is reconnecting and will pick up right where you left off." A different problem: your connection. See Offline and reconnecting.

What to do

  1. Make sure you are in the Mac app. If the screen says Edit lives in the Desktop App, click Open Desktop App. If Hailo is not installed on this Mac, follow Download for Mac and see Install Hailo. There is no way to run Edit anywhere else.
  2. Give it a minute after an update. The first time Edit opens after an update the engine takes longer to start. Starting Edit clears on its own; you do not need to click anything.
  3. Quit and reopen Hailo. Press ⌘Q (if Hailo asks about a running analysis, let it finish first, or quit a second time within 30 seconds to go through). Open Hailo again from Applications and wait for the hold screen to change before clicking Edit.
  4. Check for a second copy of Hailo. If two Hailo icons are in the Dock, or the version in More is older than the one on hailo.studio/download, an old copy may be the one that opened. Quit both, trash the older one and open the one in the main Applications folder. See Two copies of Hailo.
  5. Check for a waiting update. If an Update tile is pulsing in the sidebar, install it. An out-of-date app is one of the reasons Edit refuses to start. See Updates.
  6. Force-quit if Hailo will not quit. Use the Apple menu > Force Quit, then reopen. A running analysis resumes from its last finished stage the next time you open the project.

What keeps working while Edit is down

Manage and Deliver are unaffected. An analysis that was already running keeps going even while the Edit screen is on a holding page, and you see the progress where it got to as soon as Edit opens.

What to send support

If Starting Edit or Reconnecting to the editor… stays for more than a few minutes after a relaunch, write to us from the contact page with:

  • the version from More at the bottom of the sidebar,
  • what you clicked and which holding screen you got,
  • the diagnostic file launch.log. See Logs and diagnostics for how to find it.

The Feedback tile takes images only, so the file has to go by email. See Contact support.

  • The Edit launchpadFind your way around the Edit wing's home screen, the usage meter, the project tiles and the per-couple Edit hub.
  • Offline and reconnectingLearn what Hailo shows when the connection drops, what keeps working without internet, and what needs it.
  • Two copies of HailoRecognise when an older copy of Hailo is still on your Mac, read the one-time message Hailo shows, and remove the old copy by hand.
  • UpdatesInstall a new version of Hailo from the Update tile in one click, with no password and no download to drag, and know what to do if an update fails.
  • Logs and diagnosticsFind the diagnostic file support asks for and attach it to an email, using Finder.
  • What Hailo isLearn what the three wings hold, where each one opens, and what Hailo does not replace.
  • Two copies of Hailo are on this MacSpot an older copy of Hailo still on your Mac, let Hailo trash it, or remove it by hand.
  • Contact supportReach a person at Hailo from inside the app or by email, and send the few details that get your problem solved in one reply.
Still stuck? Send a note from the contact page and a real person at Hailo answers. Include the studio name you signed up with and, if it is about a specific screen, what you clicked.
Contact support