Machine Troubleshooting - Cricut Joy series machines

Cause: A blinking red status light on the machine indicates an error with the machine. 

What to do: There are a few different reasons this could happen. Observe at what point the error light state occurs, then follow the appropriate steps below.

When powering on the machine

If the indicator light is flashing or blinking red when you first power the machine on, contact Member Care for assistance.

When updating firmware

If the indicator light is flashing or blinking red when you are attempting to update your machine's firmware, contact Member Care for assistance.

When loading a mat or Smart materials

If the indicator light begins to flash red when you try to load a cutting mat or Smart materials, follow the steps below:

1. Does this occur with multiple projects?
   • Ensure nothing is obstructing the movement of the carriage. If material or mat is stuck in the machine, power the machine off, then remove the mat/material by hand using firm, steady force.  
   • If the issue is isolated to one project, an error may have occurred when saving that corrupted the project, and the project will need to be re-created.
   • If the issue occurs with multiple projects, proceed to step 2.
2. You may need to clear the roller bar from debris. Power the machine off and close Design Space. Clear out any debris that may have gathered. Then, relaunch Design Space and power the machine back on and try the project again.
3. If this does not help, contact Member Care for further assistance. 

When cutting a project

This can happen if the mat, material, or blade is causing an unexpected interaction. 

1. Does this happen with every material?
   • If it does, it could indicate issues with the machine, mat, or blade housing/cutting tool.
2. Power the machine off and close Design Space. Then, relaunch Design Space and power the machine back on and try the project again.
3. Try a new Cricut machine mat to see if that makes a difference.
   • If there is no difference, try a different blade+housing /cutting tool.
4. If the issue persists, contact Member Care for assistance.

Cause: A solid red status light on the machine usually indicates that a firmware update is needed. 

What to do: Complete a firmware update in Design Space. Refer to this help article for instructions.

Cause: The machine is in firmware recovery mode because a firmware update did not complete successfully. 

What to do: Relaunch Design Space and reattempt firmware update. Refer to this article for instructions. 

Cause: Possible issue with the machine's Bluetooth (BLE) module. 

What to do: Power cycle the machine by unplugging the power cord, waiting 30-60 seconds, then plug the power cord back into the machine. 

If the indicator light continues to flash blue* after power cycling the machine, contact Member Care for assistance. 

*The machine's indicator light is normally white.

Cause: Usually this is because the power cord is not fully seated in the machine's power port.

What to do: Make sure the power cord connector is fully inserted into the power port on the Cricut Joy 2 machine: Use firm pressure when connecting power cord to the machine; you may feel an initial stopping point, but it will insert a little more if you continue to push.

Cause: A slightly crooked load can lead to the mat catching inside the machine or bending. If one side of the mat feeds under the roller wheels before the other side does, this can cause a crooked mat load. If the mat is loaded at an angle this can also cause issues.

Slightly crooked load

What to do: Ensure the mat is properly aligned when loading (examples below). 

A slightly crooked load can cause the mat to warp and bend. A warped or bent mat will always have problems when loading into the machine. If only one corner of the mat is bent, attempt to bend it back into place. If the whole mat is warped, use a new mat.

Bent corner

Warped mat

How to load the mat:

1. Align mat against BOTH of the left guides on the machine: the guide on the door of the machine as well as the guide near the roller bar.
2. Make sure the mat is between both guides on the door.
3. Firmly push mat into the rollers at either side of the bar. This will help to get a straighter load.

Avoid crooked mat loads: 

Cause: Material is not pressed firmly onto the mat, or the mat has lost its stickiness. 

What to do: Use a brayer or scraper to press the material firmly onto the mat. Mats lose their stickiness with use and will need to be replaced, eventually. If the mat no longer feels sticky enough to hold the material in place, use a new mat.

Cause: This issue can happen with Cricut Joy series machines if something is interfering with the machine sensors.

What to do: The machine's sensors may need to be cleaned. Visit this help article for troubleshooting steps. 

Cause: This can occur if multiple apps/programs or Bluetooth-connected accessories are competing for or with device resources. 

What to do: 

1. Make sure your computer or mobile device is within 10-15 feet of the cutting machine, with no obstructions between the device and cutting machine. 
2.  Close any high-demand applications or services running on the computer or mobile device, i.e., active teleconference calls (such as Zoom), streaming applications, AI applications, system backups, etc. 
3. Make sure other Bluetooth operations are not in use on the computer or mobile device, such as music streaming, Bluetooth-connected headphones playing music, Bluetooth-connected headphones on a call or teleconference.
4. If the issue persists after completing these steps, contact Member Care for assistance.

Cause: Your machine could be tearing through your material, or not cutting all the way through the material for a few different reasons that may be related to cut pressure. 

What to do: If your machine is tearing through your material, or if it doesn't cut all the way through, visit this help article for troubleshooting steps.

Cause: Several variables may contribute to a failure to read Print Then Cut sensor marks, from printer setup, to ink saturation, to the material being used. 

What to do: If you receive a Print Then Cut error message stating that the machine cannot read the cut sensor marks, visit this help article for troubleshooting steps.