Crashes on GarageBand app start - iPhone 4, iOS 7.1

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Crashes on GarageBand app start - iPhone 4, iOS 7.1

Just updated my iPhone 4 to iOS 7.1. I've never had GarageBand installed on this iPhone before (I have it installed on my 3rd gen iPad that I've just updated to iOS 7.1 ... and it works fine).

Since I had to clear space on the iPhone 4 for the update to iOS 7.1, I thought I'd install GarageBand on it as well. But when I start the app, an empty GarageBand home screen appears for about 10-15 sec and then closes back to the home screen. After it closes, there's also a brief (less than a sec) reddish bar that appears at the top of the home screen (related to GarageBand I assume).

If I click the home button prior to the app crashing (within that first 15 sec), the home screen shows this reddish colored bar at the top with the sub-title of "GarageBand" (the sub-title line being just below the time and cellular info line at the top).

Already tried uninstalling, reinstalling etc ... trying to find out if this is a known issue or if something is not set up correctly on the iPhone 4?

Any help is appreciated!

Regards,

IonDrive

iPhone 4, iOS 7.1

Posted on Apr 2, 2014 8:54 PM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

194,761 points

Apr 2, 2014 10:42 PM in response to IonDrive

If I click the home button prior to the app crashing (within that first 15 sec), the home screen shows this reddish colored bar at the top with the sub-title of "GarageBand" (the sub-title line being just below the time and cellular info line at the top).

The reddish bar is shown, if GarageBand is continuing to play a project in the background. It looks like the project that GarageBand is trying to open, when you launch it cannot be played.

Have you tried to reset GarageBand? Go to the "My Songs" view to save your current project, quit GarageBand, and the open the "Settings" app. Scroll down to the applications and select "GarageBand". Enable "Reset".

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Answer 2

IonDrive Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 2, 2014 11:48 PM in response to léonie

Thanks for the reply leonie but unfortunately I have already tried the "Reset" from the "Settings" app. Still the exact same problem. I've also double-tapped the Home button and closed the app prior to changing the Settings (and also tried keeping it running in background).

I have also tried every other combination of settings for GarageBand (in the Settings app) with no help. That is, I have changed the "Knob Gestures", "Crosstalk Protection", "Use iCloud" ... and the "Reset GarageBand" in all kinds of different combinations with no help (I was hoping one combination would work).

I even verified that my iCloud setting were set up OK (my iMovie data/documents are being shared just fine).

One clarification ... in your instructions, you mention: "go to the 'My Songs' view to save your current project" ... I cannot even do that. When I start GB, I literally only see an blank dark grey background with a black upper area with the title "GarageBand" ... no buttons or tabs or anything. Just blank!

And I've timed the auto-return to the Home screen ... about 24 seconds (longer than my 10-15 sec estimate). It does seem to be trying to do something! 😕

Any other ideas?

Thanks again.

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

194,761 points

Apr 3, 2014 3:00 AM in response to IonDrive

Already tried uninstalling, reinstalling etc ...

You said "tried" - did the reinstall succeed?

The problem may very well be an incomplete installation of iOS 7.1 instead of a GarageBand problem. If you have tried everything in this general trouble shooting list

iOS: Troubleshooting apps purchased from the App Store

then try to trouble shoot the iPhone system - try the three R's - Restart, Reset, Restore

:http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3281

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Answer 4

IonDrive Author

Level 1

0 points

Apr 5, 2014 3:49 AM in response to léonie

Thanks for the reply leonie.

Yes, I had already "tried" - not "trying" - in the sense that I tried installing / reinstalling as a possible solution - and it did not make any difference.

And unfortunately, I have also tried (with the same results) the steps listed in the first link you list (Troubleshooting apps purchased from the App Store).

I have also tried to Restart and Reset in multiple ways (including Reseting during the startup of GarageBand) - also with the same results.

I have not yet tried a complete wipe and restore of the iOS since I still use my iPhone as a phone! 🙂 And I need it for personal and business reasons. If I do a wipe/restore, it would have to be done overnight.

But ... since I have found no other problem with iOS 7.1 on the iPhone 4, I have not done this wipe / restore step yet. And given the better install verification starting with iOS 6 and up, I'm guessing this will not fix the issue either (but that's just a guess). GarageBand is also a new install for my iPhone 4 so I'm not actually missing anything (I will just continue to use my iPad).

Of course, if I detect any other problem with the iOS install, then I will do a restore ... but for now, this is the only problem I've found. I am betting that GarageBand has an issue (maybe specific to iOS 7.1). This would not be new ... a very similar problem existed in the past:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2809530

Unfortunately, the workaround / fix mentioned back then, does not work now. 😟

What I plan on testing next is to transfer a GB project (via iTunes) to the iPhone to see if it just needs to have a local project saved.

If I find something that works, I will post it.

And thanks again for your responses!

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Answer 5

léonie

Level 10

194,761 points

Apr 5, 2014 4:16 AM in response to IonDrive

After it closes, there's also a brief (less than a sec) reddish bar that appears at the top of the home screen (related to GarageBand I assume).

If I click the home button prior to the app crashing (within that first 15 sec), the home screen shows this reddish colored bar at the top with the sub-title of "GarageBand" (the sub-title line being just below the time and cellular info line at the top).

This does not look like a crash at all - with a crash you would get an error message and the reason for the crash.

It looks like wrong preferences, that cannot be reset, i.e. the "Run in Background" preference.

See this Help page:

http://help.apple.com/garageband/iphone/2.0/index.html#chsb34ba051

Continue playing after you close GarageBand

Tap the Settings button on the right side of the control bar, then tap Song.

Tap Run in Background.

Tap Run in Background.

To improve performance when running GarageBand in the background with other music apps, turn on “Use with Music Apps.”

When Run in Background is turned on, GarageBand continues playing after you close (it by tapping the Home button, or by double-tapping the Home button and opening another app from the multitasking bar). If recording is active when you close GarageBand, you can continue recording. A red bar at the top of the display indicates that GarageBand is still playing and recording in the background.

the big problem - if you cannot get into GarageBand to reset this preference, and the settings in the "Settings.app" do not fix it, only resetting the iPhone to factory settings would be able to fix this.

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Answer 6

musigui

Level 1

19 points

Jun 3, 2014 4:45 PM in response to IonDrive

Hi,

I'm getting the same thing on iPhone 4 just updated to IOS 7.1.1 from IOS 5 previously. Used to have version 1.x of GB installed. On my iPad 2 similarly updated it launches fine, while iPhone 4 has same symptoms - kicked back to home screen after 20 secs of grey GB screen, brief flash of the red menu bar.

Have tried reinstalling, reseting, rebooting, etc. all to no avail - GB still won't launch properly. I tried the work around mentioned above, and can now get into GB but it is a pain. From cold I can now get GB to start with:

1) Launch GB

2) Before kicked back, press home button to get to home screen.

3) Double-click home button to get to mutli-task view and select GB.

4) Wait about 10-20 secs after switching to GB and then GB will be working.

The first time I think I had to actually stop GB once I'd got into the multi-task view and start again. It doesn't fix it launching from cold the next time, I have to do the above every time. Saving a song on the phone doesn't fix it either. It seems that entering via multi-tasking is the only way to get into GB and have it work...

mg

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Answer 7

Dec 11, 2014 8:16 PM in response to musigui

I have the same problem in my Iphone 4. Anyone could make it work?

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Answer 8

Dec 13, 2014 11:52 AM in response to IonDrive

i have iPhone 4 and ios 7.1 and i have garageband too. Do this:

open GarageBand, wait for like 5-8 seconds and then press the home button. Wait 'till the red bar on top of the screen appears. After it appears, press the home button twice. Open garageband from multitask screen and wait for like 10-20 seconds and it should works.

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Answer 9

Dec 13, 2014 1:22 PM in response to Mmdfajriansyah

It worked. Sometimes it failed but at least twice I could open the app! Thanks!

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Answer 10

Jan 4, 2015 6:53 PM in response to guilhermemorato

I cannot get it to work on my iPhone 4. I've deleted it then installed from the app store on the phone and I get a message stating that the current version requires iOS8, but would I like to download the last compatible version.

I've tried that - but still the same blank screen and crash after 20 seconds or so. None of the tricks listed above have worked.

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