Procreate freezes when you open layers is often caused by a bug in the most recent update of the app. Otherwise, it could be an issue of having limited RAM availability on your iPad. Update your app and free up some storage on your device.
I’m Carolyn and I’ve been running my own digital illustration business for over three years. The only program I use to complete all of my client’s projects is Procreate, therefore I’m using and exploring all of its incredible features and setting.
This also means that I often come across issues when using the app so I’ve spent more of my fair share of hours troubleshooting multiple issues, glitches, and errors that may occur in the middle of a project. And as always, my goal is to fix the issue as fast as possible.
Note: Screenshots are taken from Procreate on iPadOS 15.5.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- History has shown that most of the time it’s a bug in a recent update that causes Procreate to freeze when opening layers.
- Always make sure your app is up to date with the most recent app update available and also that your device is running on the most recent iOS version also.
- Freezing can also occur due to low storage or memory available on your device, so try to free up some storage by deleting files and photos that you no longer need.
- Make sure your device is fully charged or on Low Battery Mode until you can access a power source.
- RAM will have an effect on how your app runs and how much memory you have available to you.
- If in doubt, turn your app and device on and off again.
Procreate Freezes When Opening Layers: How to Fix
As I mentioned above, this has been a common issue for Procreate users in the past after they have recently updated their app with the newest version. Sometimes app updates will come alongside random issues but are generally fixed within a short period of time.
If your app is constantly freezing when opening layers, make sure to check when the app was last updated and have a look online on the Procreate Folio page to see if you can find a solution.
Unfortunately, if it’s a bug, there’s nothing much you can do. If it is an app-specific issue, you will have to wait until the developers resolve the bug and release a new version update of the app. Keep your eye on updates in your App store.
Open up your app store and tap on your profile icon in the top right-hand corner, this will open your account. Tap on Purchased and scroll until you find Procreate. Here you can find out the app version that you’re working with and when it was last updated.
If this issue is not being caused due a bug or app error, you may have limited storage or memory available on your device. Each device has its own amount of RAM and this determines how much of the Procreate features can be supported by your device.
This may have an impact on the speed at which your app runs or it could potentially reduce your storage accessibility and limit canvas size or maximum layer amounts. You can check the RAM of your device by going to this link and typing in your model number.
Solution #1: Clean Up Your Files
Try freeing up some space on your device by deleting photos, music, or files that you no longer need or that you already have backed up elsewhere. This might have a small impact on your storage amount but may potentially improve how your app runs.
Solution #2: Reset Your App/Device
The issue may be totally random and not be a serious issue. For any and all issues with any technology, the best thing to do is reset it. Shut down your app and turn off your device and let it rest for a while.
Depending on what model device you are working on, close your app by double-tapping the home button and swiping it up to shut it down. Hold the button on the top of your iPad down for a few seconds until it shuts down the device completely.
Solution #3: Charge Your Device
This may just be in my head but I always find that my devices start to act strangely if they are low on battery. Whether it’s my iPad, my MacBook, or my iPhone, once that battery goes below 10%, things start to get weird. Things start to freeze and randomly shut down.
If you know you will be working for a while on a project without having access to a power source, be proactive and place your device in Low Battery Mode. You can do this by opening the Settings app on your device and scrolling down the Battery menu.
Plug your device into a power source and let it fully charge. To speed up the process, you can put your phone on Low Battery Mode in the Settings App of your device.
Final Thoughts
From the research I have done online, I’m fairly confident in (mostly) blaming this issue on a Procreate update bug, which is good and bad. It’s good because now you know it’s not your device starting to die but it’s bad because there’s nothing you can do to fix it except wait it out.
Besides that, you can always try to reset your app, charge your device or clean up the storage to see if that helps.
Always do a quick search online when you’re experiencing any issues before jumping to conclusions and thinking about the worst-case scenario.
Have you had this issue before when opening layers? Let me know in the comments section below.