Affinity Photo Crashing

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Workaround available Windows, macOS Updated November 13, 2026Based on 4 user reportsHow we research

Quick answer

Affinity crashes at startup or while editing mostly because of an outdated build, a problem user font, or GPU/hardware acceleration settings. Update first, then test fonts and hardware acceleration.

Most likely fix: Update to the latest version

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Update to the latest version

    1. Check for the newest Affinity release on the official download page
    2. Install over the existing app and restart
    Did this fix it?
  2. 2. Temporarily remove suspect fonts

    1. Move recently installed fonts out of your font folder or disable them in your font manager
    2. Relaunch Affinity; the 3.0.x notes list a fix for some user fonts crashing startup
    Did this fix it?
  3. 3. Turn off hardware acceleration

    1. Open Settings > Performance
    2. Untick hardware acceleration, restart, and test
    Did this fix it?
  4. 4. Update graphics drivers or macOS

    1. Install the latest GPU driver (Windows) or macOS update
    2. Reinstall Affinity if it still crashes
    Did this fix it?

Symptoms

The app closes at launch, when zooming, when hovering a font, or when quitting.

Why it happens

  • Old build with known crash bugs (fixed in 3.0.x releases)
  • A faulty user-installed font
  • Hardware acceleration / graphics driver problems
  • Corrupt preferences

This guide also covers

  • affinity photo crashing
  • affinity photo keeps crashing
  • affinity crashes on startup

Still not working?

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