If Scriptation is running slowly or crashing, the fastest fixes are to close extra tabs, restart the app, restart your device, and make sure you're on the current version. The steps below walk through each — start at the top and work down.

Quick fixes (try these first)

1. Close extra tabs. Keep tabs open only for files you're actively working on. This frees memory for the scripts you actually need.

2. Restart Scriptation. Force-quit the app and reopen it.

3. Restart your device. A full power cycle resolves a lot of temporary issues.

4. Update Scriptation. Check the App Store — we ship performance fixes often.

Deeper troubleshooting

5. Optimize your layers. A Layer Optimization shrinks the document's file size — that saves space on your device and helps Scriptation run faster.

6. Turn on the Thumbnail Icon setting. In the Settings menu, enabling the Thumbnail Icon swaps the document preview for a generic file icon. On older devices, this can noticeably reduce memory use.

7. Quit background apps. The more apps running in the background, the less memory available to Scriptation. Close anything you're not actively using.

8. Lower the Image Import Quality setting. In Settings → Annotations → Image Import Quality, dropping the setting one step below Optimized shrinks new image imports — helpful if your workflow includes lots of large photos (blocking plans, shot lists, storyboards). Applies to future imports only, not to existing ones.

9. Archive scripts you don't need. (iPad / iPhone) Move older scripts out of the On My iPad / On My iPhone folder into cloud storage or onto a Mac. Best practice: copy the files first, confirm they're safely in the cloud or on the Mac, then delete the originals from your device and empty the Trash.

10. Remove local copies of cloud files. (iPad / iPhone) Cloud files with a thumbnail next to the file name have a local copy downloaded to your device. To free that space without deleting the file, tap the ⋯ menu next to the file name and choose Remove local file — the cloud version stays intact.

11. Check device storage. (iPad / iPhone) Go to Settings → General → iPad Storage (or iPhone Storage) and see if you're running low. Remove apps you no longer use — but check first; some apps delete their data when removed.

12. Clear cache on next launch. (iPad / iPhone) In Settings → General, toggle Clear cache on next launch on, then fully quit and reopen Scriptation — Scriptation will clear its cache on the next start.

13. Update your operating system. Scriptation is built for the current versions of iPadOS, iOS, and macOS. Open the Settings app and choose Software Update to install any available OS updates.

14. Consider a device upgrade. If you're consistently working with very large scripts on an older device, a newer iPad, iPhone, or Mac with more memory will give you a noticeably smoother experience.

Match your symptom to a specific fix

If your issue matches one of these patterns, jump to the specific fix.

Crashing while drawing or annotating?

If Scriptation freezes or shuts down specifically during drawing, check whether you're using an Apple Pencil Pro — its Hover feature can cause crashes while drawing. See Scriptation crashes when using Apple Pencil Pro for the fix.

Crashing on one specific file?

If a single document crashes when you save, add/move pages, or share — while other files work fine — the file itself may be corrupted. Export a fresh PDF from the source program (like Final Draft) and open the clean copy in Scriptation. Then use Transfer or Import a Layer File to bring your notes across.

Crashing during Note Transfer?

A corrupted annotation or added page somewhere in the file is a common cause. Try transferring one layer at a time or splitting the script into smaller sections to narrow down which pages trigger the crash. See Transfer is crashing? How to fix non-native page issues for another common cause.

Crashing when inserting a photo?

A crash when inserting a photo is usually related to image size or available device memory. Close background apps, try a smaller image (for example, a screenshot of the photo instead of the full-resolution original), and lower Image Import Quality (step 8 above). If the photo won't appear in the picker at all, see I can't Import Screenshots or Images using the Photo Annotation Tool. Help!

Crashing after an OS update?

Check the App Store or Settings for a newer OS patch first — subsequent releases often fix crashes introduced by the previous. If updating doesn't help, use the Send us an email button at the bottom of this page.

Crashing during a specific action?

If the app consistently crashes during one specific action, use the Send us an email button at the bottom of this page and include:

• The action you're taking;
• Whether it happens on all documents or just one;
• Whether it happens on all devices or just one;
• A short screen recording of the crash.

This detail helps us reproduce and fix the issue faster.

PDFs won't import, won't open, or appear blurry?

Use the Send us an email button at the bottom of this page and include a short screen recording plus where the PDF is stored (cloud storage or on the device).

What's Next

Are there any Scriptation best practices?
What hardware does Scriptation work best with?
How do I find my User ID or Device ID for support?
Scriptation keeps crashing on launch (iPad or iPhone)

Updated on: 10/10/2026