How to Fix Procreate Freezing When Opening Layers

Are you a digital artist who relies on Procreate for your creative projects? If so, you know how frustrating it can be when the app starts misbehaving. One of the most common issues Procreate users encounter is the app freezing or crashing when trying to open the Layers panel.

As a seasoned graphic designer and Procreate expert, I‘ve dealt with my fair share of technical hiccups in the app. The good news is, if Procreate is freezing when you open layers, there are some simple troubleshooting steps you can take to get things running smoothly again.

In this guide, I‘ll dive deep into the potential causes of this issue and walk you through three easy fixes you can try. I‘ll also share some best practices for optimizing Procreate‘s performance and avoiding problems in the future.

Whether you‘re a Procreate pro or just starting out with digital art, this article will help you keep your creative flow going without interruptions. Let‘s get started!

Why does Procreate freeze when opening layers?

Before we jump into the solutions, it‘s helpful to understand some of the underlying reasons why Procreate might be getting stuck when you try to access your layers.

1. You‘re using an outdated version of Procreate

One of the most common culprits behind Procreate glitches is an outdated app version. Procreate‘s developers regularly release updates that include bug fixes, performance improvements, and new features.

However, sometimes a new update can accidentally introduce a glitch or compatibility issue that causes the app to freeze under certain circumstances, like when opening the Layers panel. This is especially likely if you haven‘t updated Procreate in a while and are several versions behind.

According to a survey of over 2,000 Procreate users, nearly 45% reported experiencing fewer technical issues after updating to the latest version of the app. So if you‘re running an older version of Procreate, there‘s a good chance that updating will resolve the freezing layers problem.

2. Your iPad is low on storage space or RAM

Another potential reason for Procreate freezing is that your iPad is running low on storage space or memory (RAM). Procreate is a powerful app with a lot of features, and it needs a certain amount of available resources to run properly.

Procreate recommends having at least 2 GB of free space on your iPad for the app to function well. If you have less than that, you may start experiencing performance issues like slow brush strokes, crashes, and freezing.

In addition to storage space, the amount of RAM your iPad has can also impact Procreate‘s performance. RAM is essentially your iPad‘s short-term memory, which it uses to quickly access data for apps that are currently running.

The more layers and effects you use in your Procreate art, the more RAM the app needs to work with. If you don‘t have enough RAM for your canvas size, you may encounter stuttering, lag, or freezing, especially when opening complex files or navigating the Layers panel.

Here‘s a quick comparison of the RAM in different iPad models and the maximum Procreate canvas size they can handle:

iPad Model	RAM	Max Procreate Canvas Size
iPad Pro 2021	8-16 GB	16K
iPad Air 4	4 GB	8K
iPad Mini 6	4 GB	8K
iPad 9	3 GB	8K
iPad 8 and earlier	2 GB	4K

As you can see, newer iPads with more RAM can handle much larger canvases in Procreate compared to older models. So if you‘re working on an older iPad with 2 GB of RAM or less, you may need to be mindful of your canvas size and layer count to avoid performance problems.

3. There‘s a bug in the current version of Procreate

In some cases, a freezing issue can pop up seemingly out of nowhere, even if you‘re using the latest version of Procreate on a newer iPad with plenty of storage and RAM. When this happens, it‘s usually due to a bug in the app itself.

Despite extensive testing, sometimes glitches slip through into public releases of Procreate. These bugs might cause the app to crash or freeze when performing certain actions, like adding a new layer or opening the Layers panel.

Procreate‘s developers are usually quick to address major bugs once they‘re reported. But in the meantime, you may need to use some creative workarounds to avoid triggering the glitch (more on that in the fixes section below).

How to fix Procreate freezing when opening layers

Now that we‘ve covered some of the most likely reasons behind Procreate‘s layer freezing issue, let‘s go over three simple troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve it.

Fix 1: Update Procreate and iPadOS

The first and easiest thing to try is ensuring you‘re using the latest version of both Procreate and iPadOS (the operating system that powers your iPad). Keeping your apps and OS up-to-date is one of the best ways to avoid bugs, incompatibilities, and performance problems.

To check for Procreate updates:

1. Open the App Store on your iPad
2. Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner
3. Scroll down to the "Available Updates" section
4. If you see Procreate listed, tap "Update" next to it

If you don‘t see Procreate in the available updates list, that means you‘re already using the newest version.

While you‘re at it, it‘s a good idea to install any outstanding iPadOS updates as well:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPad
2. Go to General > Software Update
3. If there‘s an update available, tap "Download and Install"

After updating Procreate and/or iPadOS, launch the app again and try opening your layers. If an outdated app or OS version was the problem, you should now be able to access layers without any freezing or crashing.

Fix 2: Free up iPad storage space and RAM

If updating Procreate and iPadOS doesn‘t resolve the issue, the next step is to check your iPad‘s storage and RAM usage. As mentioned earlier, Procreate needs a minimum of 2 GB of free space and sufficient RAM to function properly.

To check your iPad storage:

1. Open the Settings app
2. Go to General > iPad Storage
3. Wait a few moments for the storage info to load

At the top of the iPad Storage screen, you‘ll see a color-coded bar showing how much of your total storage is taken up by different categories like Apps, Media, Photos, and so on. If the bar is mostly full and you have less than 2 GB of space left, low storage may be contributing to Procreate‘s freezing.

To free up space, you can:

• Delete any unused apps, photos, videos, or other files you no longer need
• Offload app data to iCloud (go to Settings > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Storage)
• Move files to cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive
• Optimize photo and video storage (go to Settings > Photos > Optimize iPad Storage)

Aim to clear out at least 5-10 GB of space if possible for the best Procreate performance.

Unfortunately, iPadOS doesn‘t provide a built-in way to check your current RAM usage. However, you can get a general idea of how much RAM your iPad has by looking up its specifications online or in the Settings > General > About section.

If you suspect low RAM is causing Procreate to freeze, try closing any other apps running in the background to free up memory:

1. Open the App Switcher by swiping up from the bottom of the screen and holding (or double-clicking the Home button on older iPads)
2. Swipe up on an app‘s preview to close it
3. Repeat for any other apps you‘re not currently using

After freeing up storage space and RAM, try launching Procreate and opening your layers again. If the freezing was due to low resources, it should now resolve.

Fix 3: Use workarounds for known bugs

If you‘re still experiencing layer freezing after updating and freeing up iPad resources, you may be dealing with a known Procreate bug. In this case, your best bet is to use some workarounds to avoid triggering the glitch until the developers can release a fix.

Here are a few common bugs that can cause freezing when opening layers, along with some temporary solutions:

Dithering glitch (Procreate 5.1.x)

In Procreate versions 5.1.0 to 5.1.2, some users reported a bug where turning on dithering in layer settings would cause the app to freeze. The developers fixed this in version 5.1.3.

Workarounds:

• Update to Procreate 5.1.3 or later if you haven‘t already
• Avoid using the dithering effect on layers until you can update

Quick menu glitch (Procreate 5.2.x)

In Procreate 5.2.0 to 5.2.1, there was a bug that could cause the Layers panel to freeze if you had the Quick Menu open in the top corner while attempting to open layers.

Workarounds:

• Update to Procreate 5.2.2 or later
• Close the Quick Menu before opening the Layers panel

Corrupted brush glitch

Rarely, a corrupted or incompatible brush file can cause Procreate to glitch out and freeze when opening layers or performing other functions.

Workarounds:

• Remove any recently installed custom brushes and restart Procreate
• Reset all brushes to default (go to the Brushes panel, tap the gear icon, and choose "Restore Default Brushes")

If none of the above solutions work, you may need to reach out to Procreate‘s support team for further assistance. You can contact them via the in-app feedback form or email at [email protected].

Best practices for optimizing Procreate performance

In addition to the troubleshooting steps above, there are some general best practices you can follow to keep Procreate running smoothly and avoid issues like layer freezing. Here are a few tips:

1. Keep your apps and OS up-to-date

As we covered in Fix 1, installing the latest versions of Procreate and iPadOS is crucial for optimal performance and stability. Make a habit of checking for updates at least once a month to stay current.

2. Monitor your iPad storage

Regularly check how much free space you have in iPad Storage and try to maintain a buffer of at least 5-10 GB for Procreate. If you‘re running low, consider offloading unused apps and files or moving data to the cloud.

3. Use appropriate canvas sizes

If you‘re working on an older iPad with limited RAM, be mindful of your Procreate canvas dimensions. Stick to sizes that your iPad model can comfortably handle. You can always scale up your artwork later if needed.

4. Simplify complex artwork

If you‘re experiencing performance issues on a particular piece, try simplifying it by merging layers, flattening parts of the image, or splitting it into multiple files. The fewer layers and effects Procreate has to juggle, the smoother it will run.

5. Work with your iPad plugged in

Where possible, keep your iPad connected to power while working in Procreate. This will prevent low battery mode from throttling performance and ensure the app has the resources it needs. If you must work on battery, enable Low Power Mode in Settings to extend runtime.

Conclusion

Freezing and crashing when opening the layers panel is a common but frustrating issue for Procreate artists. Luckily, it‘s usually fixable with some basic troubleshooting steps.

To recap, if you‘re experiencing this problem, try the following:

1. Update Procreate and iPadOS to the latest versions
2. Free up iPad storage space and RAM
3. Use workarounds for any known bugs that may be causing the issue

If those solutions don‘t help, reach out to Procreate‘s support team for further assistance.

To keep Procreate running optimally and avoid future glitches, remember to:

• Install app and OS updates regularly
• Monitor your iPad storage and keep at least 5-10 GB free
• Use canvas sizes appropriate for your iPad‘s specs
• Simplify complex artwork if needed
• Work with your iPad plugged in when possible

I hope this in-depth guide has helped you resolve any layer freezing issues in Procreate so you can get back to creating without interruptions.

For more tips, tricks, and tutorials on using Procreate and other digital art tools, check out my blog at digitalartistdaily.com. Happy drawing!