GarageBand on iOS 26.1 crashing nonstop and other issues

Question

GarageBand on iOS 26.1 crashing nonstop and other issues

GarageBand on iOS 26.1 (on iPad) crashes repeatedly whenever trying to create or access a synthesizer/keyboard instrument, the toggle edit mode in the instrument notes is almost inaccessible, and the UI of some guitar instruments is broken and out of place. To clarify, I have updated the app, I have over 90 GB of storage, made a completely new song file, and the only third party extensions I am using are the default AU extensions (which I am not using in the moment). This happened a couple days back, but it only happened once and afterwards it didn’t crash, but today it is crashing nonstop. The toggle edit mode switch is most of the time in the same region as where the new Mac functionality buttons are, and is very difficult to toggle without minimizing the window several times.

The image below is all the ways to access or create new synth/keys instruments, all of which didn’t work even after many attempts.

The images below are of stringed instruments whose UI’s are disarranged

Finally, the toggle edit mode problem, with the image showing how the toggle is beneath the Mac-UI buttons (top-left corner)

iPad, iPadOS 26

Posted on Dec 9, 2025 8:03 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 29, 2026 11:53 AM in response to just_a_music_producer

We are seeing very similar behaviour in an education environment on multiple managed iPads following iPadOS 26.x updates.

Symptoms include GarageBand crashing on launch or when adding keyboard or synth instruments, UI elements misaligned, and instability persisting despite ample free storage, app reinstalls, sound library refreshes, and device restarts. The behaviour has also been observed across both 26.1 and 26.2.

This is occurring on clean, school managed devices with no third party plugins, no external MIDI devices connected, and no network dependency at the point of failure. Other identical devices on the same configuration are unaffected, suggesting a regression rather than local corruption.

Posting here to confirm whether Apple is aware of this as a known GarageBand or iPadOS issue, and whether any fixes or mitigations are planned.

Reply

Answer 2

Dec 11, 2025 1:34 AM in response to just_a_music_producer

Fixes you can try now:

Turn Off Stage Manager
Reinstall GarageBand
Re-download all sound libraries
Close all apps before opening GarageBand
Switch instruments before opening Keys/Synths
Use Logic Pro for iPad if possible

Reply

Answer 3

Dec 15, 2025 6:01 PM in response to azaksalmarzur28

All issues sieze to exist when I restart the device, yet come back after refreshing the application.

Reply

Answer 4

Dec 11, 2025 8:48 AM in response to azaksalmarzur28

I have tried deleting and reinstalling GarageBand, closing all apps, and nothing changed. I did notice that I can access a few keyboards that aren’t Alchemy Synths. Their UI is also broken.

Reply

Answer 5

Dec 12, 2025 7:29 PM in response to just_a_music_producer

Still broken

Reply

Answer 6

Dec 13, 2025 10:16 AM in response to just_a_music_producer

All issues persist in iOS 26.2 with microphone UI also being disarranged

Reply

Answer 7

Dec 17, 2025 1:49 PM in response to azaksalmarzur28

An alert window now pops-up after GarageBand freezing and then crashing, stating “Midi services not available”

I have no plugins, everything is default, and no midi keyboards or other devices connected.

Reply