Procreate not working: start with the symptom

Choose the failure you can observe

The app or its menus will not respond

Follow the unresponsive-app route. A frozen interface needs different checks from one brush producing an unwanted mark.

The Pencil makes no mark, or pressure is missing

Use the drawing and input checks. Note whether the issue affects one brush or several.

A fill leaks, or the canvas only uses gray

Choose the fill or color-profile route. These symptoms do not establish that the app itself has failed.

The exported image looks blurred

Compare the export with the original through the file checks, starting with pixel dimensions.

Artwork or a saved file is missing

Preserve remaining files and follow the missing-artwork guidance before trying further changes.

When the app stops responding

Procreate's unresponsive-app guidance starts with relaunching the app and checking iPad storage. Follow that route for a freeze rather than applying unrelated brush-setting changes.

1. Relaunch Procreate using the official instructions and check whether the interface responds.
2. Check Settings, General, iPad Storage. Low storage can cause unexpected behavior; its presence does not prove it caused this particular freeze.
3. If needed, follow the force-restart instructions for your iPad model. The button sequence differs between models with and without a Home button.

If the failure returns, record the action that triggered it before contacting support. Repeating resets without narrowing the symptom gives you little information about the cause.

When a brush or Pencil does not produce the expected mark

For missing paint, the official drawing checks include another brush, a contrasting color, and the size and opacity controls. A mark that blends into the background needs a different response from an input device that does not connect.

Check the active layer and its visibility before replacing brushes. A mask or lock can also change where edits are possible. If drawing works but pressure response does not, choose the pressure guide in the troubleshooting library.

For an actual pairing failure, use Apple's model-specific Pencil pairing instructions. Identify the Pencil and iPad models first. I would keep global pressure and gesture resets for a later, justified step because they can affect a custom setup beyond the brush you are examining.

When a fill or color behaves unexpectedly

A leaking ColorDrop fill calls for a boundary and threshold check. Start with the color hub's fill decision, then use the relevant guide below. Changing a palette does not close a gap in an outline.

If the whole canvas only permits gray, check the profile history. Procreate's grayscale support page explains that an image imported into Gallery may carry a grayscale profile. That is a possible cause for this specific symptom, not an explanation for every color mismatch. Preserve the original while following the matching profile guidance.

When the result is blurred or artwork is missing

For a blurry export, distinguish the original drawing from the delivered image. Check the pixel dimensions and whether the artwork was enlarged. The pixels and DPI explanation shows why raising DPI alone cannot add image detail; use the export guide below for the narrower diagnosis.

For missing artwork, keep the files that remain and identify any independently saved copies. A Gallery on the same iPad does not establish that a backup exists elsewhere. The official backup instructions explain how editable copies are exported; they cannot guarantee recovery of a canvas that was never backed up.