Is Scratch down today?

Scratch won''t load in the browser

If the editor just spins on the loading screen, start with the basics: clear your browser cache, try a different browser (Chrome and Firefox work best), and make sure JavaScript is enabled. Scratch relies heavily on browser rendering, so outdated browsers cause most of these freezes.

Projects fail to save

This usually happens when the session quietly expires or the connection drops mid-save. Sign out and back in, then try saving again. If you see a "save failed" message repeatedly, copy your project link before refreshing — it might still be cached. Use File → Save to your computer as a backup before anything else.

Sprite or backdrop won''t upload

The platform accepts PNG, JPG, SVG, and GIF only. Files over 10 MB regularly get rejected without a clear error. Resize images before uploading — anything above 1920px wide is overkill for a Scratch stage anyway.

Sound doesn''t play in the project

- Check that your browser hasn''t blocked audio autoplay (look for an icon in the address bar)

- Make sure the project is actually running — press the green flag first

- If recording from the mic, grant microphone permission when the browser asks

- On school or work networks, audio ports are sometimes blocked by the firewall

Can''t log into your account

If the login page just reloads without an error, your cookies are likely the problem. Clear site data for scratch.mit.edu specifically, not just general cache. If you forgot your password, the reset email sometimes lands in spam — check there first. Accounts under 13 need a parent email to reset access.

Shared project not visible to others

After clicking Share, the project goes through a brief moderation queue. It usually appears publicly within a few minutes, but can take longer during peak hours. If it''s been over an hour, check the project page while logged out — if you can see it, everyone else can too.

Editor freezes mid-session

Large projects with hundreds of sprites and sounds push browser memory hard. If the tab becomes unresponsive, avoid working in fullscreen mode and close other heavy tabs. Reducing the number of clones running simultaneously (keep it under 300) fixes most performance crashes.