Office Apps Not Opening

How to Fix Office App Crashing Instantly on iPad After Update

John Wilson Oct 18, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user's Office application closes immediately upon launch or gets stuck on the loading screen on an iPad following a software update.

How to Fix Office App Crashing Instantly on iPad After Update

Product: Office App
Device & OS: iOS 12.0, 12.1, iPadOS 16.7.10
Scenario: Launching the app after a recent weekend software update.
Observed behavior: The application crashes instantly when tapping the icon, or becomes unresponsive while loading documents.

Before you start

Ensure your iPad is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network and has sufficient battery life before attempting any system updates or app reinstallations.

Solution 1Recommended

Restart Your iPad and Relaunch the App

A simple device restart is often the quickest way to clear temporary memory glitches causing the app to crash instantly.

Since the fix for this specific update issue has gone live, refreshing your device's system memory by restarting it is the primary recommended step.

Power off the iPad

Press and hold either the volume button and the top button (for iPads without a Home button) or the top button alone (for iPads with a Home button) until the power off slider appears.

Drag the slider

Drag the slider to turn off your iPad and wait about 30 seconds for the device to fully shut down.

Turn the device back on

Press and hold the top button until you see the Apple logo.

Test the application

Tap the app icon on your home screen to verify if the instant crash issue has been resolved.

Quick Fix: Most users find that a simple restart applies the necessary background patches to resolve the immediate crashing behavior.

Solution 2

Update to a Newer iOS / iPadOS Version

Resolves known compatibility bugs present in older operating systems, specifically iOS 12.0 and 12.1.

Solution 3

Uninstall and Reinstall the Application

Removes corrupted installation files that may be preventing the app from opening or causing it to hang on the document loading screen.

Experience Stable Document Editing

Use WPS Office for iPad for a Crash-Free Experience

If your current Office app keeps crashing or getting stuck, switch to WPS Office. It provides a highly stable, lightweight, and fully compatible environment for all your document needs on iOS and iPadOS.

1. Visit the App Store: Open the App Store on your iPad and search for 'WPS Office'.
2. Install the App: Tap the 'Get' button to download and install the free application onto your device.
3. Sign In: Launch WPS Office and sign in to access your cloud documents and personalized settings.
4. Open Your Documents: Seamlessly open and edit your existing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files without worrying about compatibility or crashes.

Highly optimized for iPadOS to prevent random crashes and loading freezes.Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.Lightweight design ensures incredibly fast loading times even for heavy documents.Seamless integration with cloud storage services to keep your files safe.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my app get stuck on the 'loading documents' screen on iPadOS 16?

This is often caused by a corrupted app cache or a temporary memory conflict after a system update. Force-closing the app and restarting your iPad usually clears the memory and allows the documents to load properly.

Will deleting and reinstalling the app remove my saved documents?

If your documents are only saved locally within the app's sandbox storage, deleting the app may remove those files. Always ensure your documents are saved to the 'Files' app, iCloud Drive, or another cloud service before reinstalling.

How do I force close an unresponsive app on my iPad?

Swipe up from the bottom edge of your iPad screen and pause in the middle to open the App Switcher. Swipe left or right to find the unresponsive app, then swipe up on its preview card to force close it.

Office App Problems