How to Fix "Can't Open File: WebGL Isn't Supported" in Figma

WebGL is the browser feature that lets a web page use your graphics card. Figma renders the whole canvas with it, so without WebGL the file can't open at all. WebGL 1.0 is the minimum. Shader effects need WebGPU, so a browser that runs Figma fine can still fail to show shaders.

The error appears before the file loads, so the file itself is almost never the cause. The same file will open on another computer or in another browser where WebGL works. That makes the fix a browser job: get WebGL working, and every Figma file opens again.

1. Hardware acceleration is off

This is the usual cause. Browsers fall back to software rendering when acceleration is off, and that often means no WebGL. In Chrome the switch is Settings > System > Use graphics acceleration when available. Turn it on and relaunch.

If Chrome still reports WebGL as disabled, Figma's help center lists one optional extra: open chrome://flags, find Override software rendering list, set it to Enabled and relaunch. Only do this if the normal setting didn't work, and turn it back off if Chrome becomes unstable.

2. Edge is blocking it

Microsoft Edge's Strict tracking prevention can stop Figma from loading properly. Turn it off for figma.com and reload the tab.

3. The browser is too old or not supported

Figma supports the stable releases of Chrome 120+, Firefox 128 ESR+, Safari 17.4+ and Edge 121+. On Firefox, update to 128 ESR or later and check that hardware acceleration is on in its performance settings. On Safari, update macOS if Safari itself is below 17.4.

4. An extension is interfering

Figma's troubleshooting checklist mentions Chrome extensions that block WebGL. Open Figma in a private or guest window with extensions off. If the file opens there, turn extensions back on one at a time to find the culprit.

5. Graphics acceleration is locked on a work computer

On a company-managed laptop, the browser's acceleration setting may be greyed out and marked as managed by your organisation. You can't change it yourself in that case. Ask IT to allow graphics acceleration, or to let you install the Figma desktop app.

Figma's help center points to two test pages. get.webgl.org shows whether your browser supports WebGL and has it turned on. webglreport.com goes further and shows which WebGL versions are available. Run the test in the same browser, and the same profile, that you use for Figma. If the test fails, no Figma setting will fix it: the change has to happen in the browser.

• Chrome is version 120 or later, on the stable channel.
• Settings > System > Use graphics acceleration when available is on, and Chrome has been relaunched.
• get.webgl.org passes in the same Chrome profile.
• The file opens in a guest window with no extensions.
• status.figma.com shows no incident.

A grey or blank canvas with no message can have other causes: a Figma outage, a desktop app cache problem, or a file that has run out of memory. Start with Figma not working: every fix in order. If you use the desktop app, clearing the Figma cache fixes most blank white screens, and if one heavy file freezes while others open, see how to make Figma less laggy.