Cricut is Slow: 7 Reasons Why and How to Fix Them


Cricut Design Space is the application that allows you to create endless designs using a Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker Machine.  With the endless possibilities can come a bit of the hassle.  There are four versions of Cricut Design Space Currently available:

  1. Web-Based Cricut Design Space
  2. Cricut Design Space for Desktop Application for Windows & Mac OS Computers
  3. Cricut Design Space Android Application
  4. Cricut Design Space iOS Application

If you are interested in learning more about using Cricut Design Space read this recent article How to Use Cricut Design Space without a Computer.

The reason Cricut Design Space is slow or lagging can be slightly different depending on which version of Cricut Design Space you are using. Read more to learn more about the reasons Cricut Design Space may be lagging.

7 Reasons Cricut Design Space is slow or lagging and how to fix them:

  1. Device Doesn’t meet minimum system specifications
  2. Too Many Design Elements in Cricut Design Space
  3. A lot of Intricate Cuts in your Design
  4. Slow Internet Connection
  5. Wrong Internet Browser
  6. Too Many Browser Windows Open at the Same Time
  7. Too Many Programs Open at the Same Time
  Cricut Design Space Web App Cricut Design Space for Mac & Windows Cricut Design Space Android App Cricut Design Space iOS App
Device doesn’t meet minimum Specification X X X X
Slow Internet Connection X   X X
Wrong Internet Browser X      
Too Many Browser Windows Open at the Same Time X   X X
Too Many Design Elements in Cricut Design Space X X X X
Too Many Programs Open at the Same Time X X X X
Intricate Cuts in Cricut Design Space X X X X

Minimum Specifications for Using Cricut Design Space

The first thing you want to check is that the device you are using meets the minimum specifications for Cricut Design Space.  One of the easiest fixes is if your tablet or mobile device has an operating system that is out of that. Updates on tablets and other mobile devices are typically free and only require an internet connection to complete.

If the operating system on your Windows computer is out of date you will need to pay to update your operating system. The cost to update a Windows operating system ranges from $150 – $200.

If you own a Mac computer, depending on which version of the Mac OS you are running you can update to the most recent version of the Mac OS for free.

  Windows Mac iOS Android
Operating System Windows 8 or Later macOS 10.13 or later iOS 11 or later Android 6.0 or later
Internet Speed 3Mbps Download 2Mbps Upload 3Mbps Download 2Mbps Upload 3Mbps Download 2Mbps Upload 3Mbps Download 2Mbps Upload
Offline Memory Requirements Vary Memory Requirements Vary Memory Requirements Vary Offline not Available on
RAM 4GB 4GB N/A N/A
Hard Drive 2GB Free Space 2GB of Free Space N/A N/A

Minimum device requirement for the cricut may change. To view the most recent system requirements for Cricut Design Space, visit the official Cricut Website. !!!!LINK !!!!

Too many Design Elements on the Canvas

You may want to create a project that requires several copies of the same design element.  For example, you need to cut 30 hearts for valentine’s day project.  Adding 30 hearts to a canvas in Cricut Design Space can cause it to lag.  You will be able to work faster by adding fewer hearts to the canvas and making multiple copies of the project.

There are two ways to accomplish this task.

The first method works for projects if all of your hearts are exactly the same. You can cut multiple copies of the same project. For example, you can make a canvas with just one heart, but then have Cricut cut the project 30 times. The image below shows how you can adjust the number of project copies by adjusting the text in red.

The second method works for projects where each heart is unique. Each heart is exactly the same, but you want to personalize each heart with the recipient’s name. In this case I would make a canvas with about 10 hearts, then save each canvas as a different project.  In total you would have 3 Projects of 10 hearts. This would help to reduce the lag in Cricut Design Space.

The Image Below shows how a project with 30 unique hearts can be divided into 3 separate projects with 10 hearts to reduce lag in Cricut Design Space.

A lot of Intricate Cuts in your Design

One of the great things about Cricut Design Space is that it allows you to import custom designs.  Some designs are better suited for cutting machines than others. If you import a very detailed image to Cricut design space, you may experience lag.

To fix this problem you have two options:

  • In Cricut Design Space, you can reduce the complexity of your images. When you upload an image into Cricut Design Space, you have the option of loading a simple image, moderately complex image or complex image.  If you uploaded an image as moderately complex or complex the cuts may be very intricate. You can try reuploading the image as a simple image to see if you are able to obtain the expected result.

The image below shows how to change the complexity of an uploaded image. This can help to reduce the lag in Cricut Design Space.

How to change the complexity of a Cut of an uploaded image in Cricut Design Space.
Change Image Complexity in Cricut Design Space

  • Alternatively, you can use a program like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape to simplify your image. If you are knowledgeable of these programs, you can remove some nodes from the image to simplify the cut and achieve the desired result.

Slow Internet Connection

The minimum internet speed for Cricut Design Space is 3Mbps for downloads and 2Mbps for uploads. You can perform a speed test from your computer to determine if your internet connection meets these requirements. One website that you can visit to perform a speed test is speedtest.net

My results exceed the requirements for Cricut Design Space. If your internet speed is below 3Mbps for downloads and 2Mbps uploads, this can be the cause of lag in Cricut design space.

Check your Internet Browser

You’ve performed the speed test, and the internet seems ok. The problem could be that you are using an incompatible Internet browser.  Internet Explorer is NOT compatible with Cricut Design Space.

Streaming videos and image downloads reduce the bandwidth available for Cricut Design Space

Too many programs open at the Same Time

If you have too many other programs operating on your computer or device at the same time, this could lead to Cricut Design Space running very slowly.  Similar to the issue with too many windows open, having too many programs reduces the amount of RAM and processing available for Cricut Design Space to use. 

If Cricut Design Space is running slowly, try closing all other programs or applications running on your device.

The image below shows the utilization on my computer as you can see, I have a lot of internet windows causing a high memory utilization. This can cause Cricut Design Space to lag significantly.

Mimi D.

Mimi D is the creator of Dream Plan Smile. An NYC native, she is a wife and mom with a passion for crafting. She holds a Bachelor's in Engineering and a Master's in Project Management. In her current role as a working wife and mom, she is getting a crash course in budgeting, planning, & organization.

Recent Posts