Apart from being somewhat sluggish occasionally, the planner works fine for me. Firefox on macbook OS X Yosemite v. 10.10.5.

Am pleased to have found kindred spirits here. It's awful. I have a solution, to save my blood pressure - a pencil and a sheet of paper. So much quicker....

I gave up on the Mac. It refuses to install so I fired up an old Windows laptop and it installed first time (and no, I wasn't trying to install a PC version on the Mac!).

it worked reasonably well on the PC although very slow. I did have to save often though or face the risk of losing my work. It does have a number of glitches too; like allowing cabinets to be placed in doorways or blocking windows and having to wait several minutes before you can relocate or rotate an item. Despite the shortcomings I am able to come up with a reasonable design and work out a budget.

I do wish I could get it to install on the Mac though!

For anyone who has given up on the Ikea kitchen planner, now is the time to try again. Ikea finally managed to fix the thing. There are still some bugs, but they're minor (the small Lack shelf in white "disappears" on the planner). But otherwise the planner now works nearly flawlessly on my Macbook using Chrome. The only thing that still slows it down is moving walls after having populated a plan. The newish "turn" icon is really helpful, as it allows items to be turned and moved despite walls and other items being in the way. It also makes it easy to place chairs under tables etc.

Ikea also added bathroom/laundry-office- and dining-room products. I drew up my powder room next to my new laundry room in no time with no lagging and no glitches. Here is an annotated screenshot (sorry it's not a kitchen plan):

Wow! Finally!!! Glad it's working.

Maybe on your equipment and particular configuration of browsers, et al, pippabean but I have just spent several of hours of my life I am never going to get back today trying in vain to populate one little kitchen. What a total pain in the a$$. I loved the old IKEA down-loadable-onto-your-own-computer software. It is almost a handicap to have worked with that program though because this navigates sooooooo differently. Not terribly impressive for such a giant, deep-pocketed corporation.

Nice powder room/laundry room though. Enjoy!

I have used it extensively for three months of kitchen planning, and there are particular things it doesn't do well. I cannot quite recall what it is now, but there a modification you can't make unless you either do/don't have a counter in the planner. That kind of thing.

The biggest practical issue I am running into is that the system hangs frequently, so you have to wait for it to unfreeze itself, or for the box you are moving to go "green." Rotating objects can be very annoying. Notably, this does not happen inside the Ikea store. Maybe it's my internet service.

There is a login issue I have, and I am not sure it is common. But I'll mention the work-around I found:

Sometimes, when attempting to login to my account, the system will tell me that my login ID and password are not located in the system. There is no apparent way to convince it otherwise. However, if you email yourself a link to one of your plans during your first or a subsequent successful log in, and you follow the link you emailed yourself to the ikea planner page, this will work -- even if the front page has just told you your account does not exist.

You will most likely be directed to an image of the plan, but from that point you can navigate to anything in your account - the system may, or may not, throw up a login screen when you attempt to move to a new screen. But this time, even if you couldn't get your credentials to work before, your credentials will be recognized.

Supposedly the links you can send via email expire after 5 days, but I have yet to have one expire. Still, it might be a good idea to keep sending yourself emails. Turns out, it's a good "back door."

One thing I will say, is that I found it very difficult to use at first, but once you learn it's proclivities, it is very handy to use. I've come to really enjoy messing around with it.

From a marketing standpoint, the thing is genius. With a free widget, even a flawed one, I can play around with ideas anonymously in my own home; then, if I like what I create, I'll also be familiar with the Ikea product and how it might work for me. The planner tells me in "print" mode, for an attractive price for materials. If I want to see how another cabinet line works for me, I have to take myself to a KD and begin a whole consultation process. If I'm not used to doing that kind of thing, maybe I'm shy about it; or maybe I'm just a millennial and I prefer the internet to meetings. Clever marketing.

Well,

Read up there the speed is now improved..... Just do not want to imagine what it was like before. Got a beasty quad core box with 75Mbits Internet link and this IKEA program manage to keep my 4 CPUs at 100%. How can it be possible????

Decided to browse in Chrome while trying to design my IKEA kitchen in Firefox as it would only works in this browser. So, trying to figure out if some comments out there could shed light to this mystery (well Misery). OOPS just had my wall cabinet turned green so I can try rotating it..... Sorry, was gone for 7 minutes but got this one OK... Just about 17 more cabinets to go. Let's see a 3D view.... Gee 6 minutes to render. Back in plan view.... 2 minutes of hard work (I actually can hear my CPU fan increasing speed as it's getting busier) and bang, "This extension is no longer responding, please try again later!" But my CPUs % are still up to the roof for another 3 minutes then my kitchen is reapearing in Firefox. Need to add an opening, so easier in 2D. Click, drag, add.... CPU fan goes nuts again and again! A last try adding a range fan.... Well clicking add just put the item in the very end corner of the room and it would not move as there are chairs in the way.... Really need to check these chairs in 3D view as the might have really high back.... Will see that later!

Let's stop for tonight. Thanks GOD I'm retired but beeing a professionnal Engineer with solid computinjg and design background (Autocad expert and teacher). It's just unbelievable to see such a simple application behaving so poorly with so much processing power at hand.

I did use the previous standalone version almost 10 years ago and it was quite good considering the time!

Hope they would fix this as it's a real pitty!

A year after this thread began: I am at the beginning of planning (and thus eventually PAYING FOR) an Ikea kitchen - I don't know if being in Australia makes any difference - but the au ikea website says that:

The IKEA Home Planner is only compatible with the following browsers:

- Safari 5.0.3+ (6533.19.4)

- Firefox 5 and higher, not Firefox 9

- Chrome and Opera browsers, beta version

Hello twenty-first century!! So I called the local store, the guy expresses surprise (to which I respond, surely I am not the first Mac user who'd like to buy and Ikea kitchen!!) He suggests I come into the store on a weekday ("not as busy") to use their computers/planners, but I can't book. I live 1 1/2 hours form my nearest store. Anyway, I obediently download an ancient Firefox 6 but cannot even create a profile (important for saving!) And the planner doesn't work at all. Eventually I get the thing going on Safari but all of the units place OUTSIDE the room. Despite it all, I am going to persist: plan the kitchen old-school with paper and pencil, go in (even tho nearest store 1 1/2 hours away) and try my luck with finding an available staff member, who can help me put it all together in-store on one of their computers. Feels like a precarious way to spend ten grand though.

caroline_verity6 - Try Chrome. I'm in the US, I work on a Macbook and use the latest version of the Chrome browser and I have no major issues with the planner. Good luck!

I still that can't use the P.O.S. on my mac or on my Windows virtual machine. Several months ago I gave up on it and decided to spend $100 on Home Designer Interiors. Works fine, although you have to check the Ikea catalog or web site to make sure you use only the correct sizes. Also it won't generate a product list and pricing, so I'm doing that manually. At least I no longer want to shoot myself in the head from the frustration of trying to make Ikea's planner work.

When my order is finally ready to go, I guess I'll have to visit Ikea and get a salesperson to put it in the planner for me to double check my parts list.

I cannot get the planner to work on any browser on my MacBook running El Capitan. If anyone else has had success, please let me know. Great way to NOT be able to plan and buy an ikea kitchen.

In August when we bought our Ikea kitchen, IIRC the Ikea helper person said the planner works best on her Mac using Firefox.

It may work with earlier Mac operating systems but it doesn't work with El Capitan using any browser. It can't even be installed properly. If anyone has used it with El Capitan please let me know.

Thanks.

I gave up completely with it. Drew mine out on a piece of paper and bought the units online, ready assembled (although that doesn't take much time) and really good quality. Once I'd factored in the cost of the Ikea additional bits (on paper and using a calculator of course......) it was barely any more expensive to get the one I got. They're missing a trick.

Yes I was really frustrated last night with this program. I tried our two PC laptops each with Firefox and IE and it was awful. Was on there for 2 hours and was a complete waste of time. I then tried our friend who is staying with us' Mac Book in safari and Chrome, and the Mac Book wasn't supported to even use this software. I went to work and was able to use my normal desktop computer and start knocking it out in minutes. So try every option that you can. Work computers may make the most sense since they are typically upgraded at work more than at home. Good luck.

I use a Mac Book Air with Chrome browser, I have no major problems other than that the planner lags terribly when I'm changing walls, interior structures and such, but I have no such problems while working with cabs and furniture. I recommend to give it time to complete its tasks, before continuing and most importantly, save your work often.

What operating system is your Mac Book Air?

I love creating plans in the Ikea Planner. Do you all think there's a need for a service that can quickly do this for folks? I think I'd enjoy helping people get around this obstacle so they don't have to struggle and then find a way to a store computer on a weekday morning just to plug in their plans from scratch.

Anyone having problems when printing plans where there are no images (elevations)? I've tried on multiple different browsers and having the same issue.

Regarding your question benjesbride. There's definitely a need for independent IKEA planners. I've had a business for quite sometime now specializing in IKEA Kitchen planning. I also do the installations. IKEA has their own planning but it's a four hour appointment where they measure, plan the kitchen on site with the planner, fill out order forms, upload pictures and put together a installation estimate. This is a lot to do within four hours and if you want to make any revisions after the appointment, you have to do it yourself, or pay another $200 for an appointment. It's a lot of pressure to put on a client and taking four hours out of their day when they could use an independent planner that after measuring and consulting (typically 1-2 hours), will work remotely through email and phone to complete the plans. IKEA's four hour appointments are fine when it's a small very straightforward kitchen, but when the size is larger and the space is more complicated, the four hour appointment is not the way to go. I free lanced for a bit for IKEA and it was a nightmare sometimes with the appointments trying to fit in the four hour window and when I went out of my way to stay longer, IKEA reprimanded for it. Anyhow, hope this helps.

ibonnie I have a MacBook Pro and have to use the planner on a daily basis. I have El Capitan and I've had the best luck with FireFox 46.0.1.

Thank. That's my version of FF, and I just get into a loop every time I try and install it. It keeps prompting me to download and install again when I try to open the planner. I haven't tried recently - maybe I'll try again.

Ibonnie -I just recently updated my Macbook Air to El Capitan. I use Chrome, and for me the planner works better than ever now. I think some browser extensions can interfere with the program, try to disable them before launching the planner. Good luck!

OT: The kitchen sale is back! From next Saturday until August 14: 15% back on a gift card for every $4000 spent.

Avex Kitchen Design & Installation - I believe some maintenance / outage must have been happining on Wednesday the 15th. Is that when you saw the missing images? I also saw that result -- page numbers but no images of the rooms -- on a plan I was working on and decided it was time for happy hour or bedtime or something Not IKEA.

For those who report frustration: the best tip I have ever heard for using the IKEA planner successfully is to check the status of your last move using the rollovers on the little icons at the bottom of the screen. If the rollovers light up, the tool is ready to take your next input. If they don't light up, you may as well put your hands in your lap or go grab a fresh cup of coffee, because no amount of clicking will get the tool to speed up. I think having a clear mental model of when the tool is ready to take your next input really helps me remain calm during one of those long slow updates. :)

Wow. I am having the worst kind of trouble as well. I'll try firefox. On PC with Chrome. I want my life back. Also - I can't see the images for printing sometimes as well, so I have to click "open image in a new tab" and print separately, or save to pdf and patch together later. Maddening! !

Lowe's planner and this free Chrome extension planner I've used are way faster - but don't have the cabinets/furniture options I'd like.

I could not get the Ikea planner to stop going through the install loop on Chrome. It worked the very first time, but after I shut down the program and tried to go back to it, it just kept looping. It works perfectly with Internet Explorer. I'm on a Windows 10 PC. I never use IE for anything other than the Ikea Planner.

17 months later and the planner still having the same problems. Was using a Mac running Yosemite and Firefox, but tired of glitches (every time I clicked on something it would move on its own halfway across the kitchen!!), so I tried my son's PC running Windows 7 and Firefox. Getting script error messages EVERY TIME I move something on both systems. But after an hour or two I managed to get my design rearranged on the PC. BUT NOW IT WON'T SAVE OR PRINT!!!! All that work down the drain. I'm so pissed.

The Ikea Kitchen Planner is a sad frustrating joke, it does not work and it will not allow you to sign in on different devices , it keeps thinking I am in Australia!! Its so frustrating , slow , sometimes it works but will not save but most of all it will not work 90% of the time and there is no way to contact Ikea to tell them how bad it is

trevejenkyn - try ditching the version you have and reloading, making sure you're reloading from the right country. ;)

I've used the US version in the US, the Canadian version in Canada, and the UK version in the UK, and they've all worked fine.

If you still have issues, you can contact IKEA - contact info on their websites.

As I said previously, if you have access to an IKEA (aka local) then go there and do it. I'm not sure why, but it works like a dream on their computers. 20 minutes and you're done.

Does Ikea Kitchen Planner Actually Work????

the answer basically is NO! NYET! NEIN! NEJ!

what an awful POS software solution obviously designed circa 1960 that is foisted on IKEA customers wanting to spend $ with them.

My efforts... ? old (4yo) HP laptop with Win 7 + FF and Chrome. Nope won't work!
Near New MAC (one of the kid's machines) with Safari and Chrome.. Nope won't work!
Brand new DELL work laptop (very powerful) with Win7, IE, FF and Chrome. Nope won't work!
Wife's 1 yo Toshiba laptop with Win 10, EDGE, IE and FF.... no go there ! and finally
my hand built brand new supadupa desktop.. loads of grunt, fast SSD, Intel I7 chip etc with Win 10, EDGE, IE, FF, VIVALDI, Chrome and 'BRAVE' browsers.
All of them can log on to the Kitchen planner area and then...? NOTHING!
And complaints to the local IKEA?.. nope cannot help, has to be your machine. C'mon ......

So it looks like time off work for both of us (we work at least 6 days a week) and hopefully we can get a kitchen designed.
A pox on their software though....

il_smith Sorry you're having so much trouble getting it to work. I actually specialize in IKEA design/planning and I always use the planner software. Not sure why it's not working for you. It definitely has a lot of quirks, but I've been able to figure out tricks to be able to use the planner efficiently over the years. If you still can't get it to work, I do offer online design services. You would just need to email me your measurements, etc. You can go to my Houzz profile and to my website for pricing and more info.

It is a frustrating tool to use. A great idea, but it makes me mad sometimes. A lot of time has been wasted just waiting for it to work or to move an object, even saving has let me down. I've contemplated giving up on it altogether.

Trying to use Ikea Planner on MacBook Pro I can't even create a profile to begin. I used this software in a previous house few years ago without too much trouble. I downloaded plugin followed directions but I can't even get into it. I get error messages saying my user name is taken of which I have tried many different attempts, and sometimes the error message is "oops something went wrong".... any ideas why?

Are you using chrome? Maybe if not, you could try it or a different browser.

If it was reliable I could overlook the clunky user interface. Unfortunately it likes to corrupt layouts. Once that happens it slows down and likes to crash. The only solution is to start over or from a previously saved version that wasn't yet corrupt. This corruption can happen on any browser on any operating system.

How often it happens is unclear. But there are numerous reports all across the internet of people reporting this problem. I personally experienced it with both Mac and Windows and a variety of browsers on each platform.

I gave up and went back to planning on paper and will be buying cabinets from Barker instead. If it had worked, I probably would have stuck with Ikea.

The IKEA 3D kitchen planner is really bad. Its junk. Very buggy and crashes ALL THE TIME. Its a shame because thier cabinet line is actually pretty nice.

It's making me mad, but I've been having a blast overall, with it the last couple weeks making the kitchen/dining area. The only problem I'm having now is figuring out how to use the cabinets for above the fridge to make banquette seating. I can't move them to the floor no matter what I do in the 3D view-it just moves them to a wall.

Missi,

This is how you do it:

Select the fridge cab

Now click the icon that shows the cab with the round arrow beneath. The fridge cab's appearance will change to semi-transparent. (This allows you to turn the cab, move it through walls or into other cabs and to the floor among other things).

While in bird's eye view, you can move the cabinet to the floor clicking on the arrow and pull it down. Be sure you hold it in place until the cab outline turns green. Only then release it. That will make it stay in the desired position.

If you want to place the cab into the middle of the room, it might be easier to do this in 3 steps. (Be sure to click the cab/arrow icon each time you start a step)!

1. Move the cab to the floor while against a wall.

2. Switch to bird's eye view and move it to the position you want it.

3. Turn it to face into the desired direction.

Works every time for me.

Good luck!

Thomas, every time Ikea switches to a new catalog in August, it takes them MONTHS to update their products in the planner. While they're doing this the planner works terribly. Atrociously actually!

For about a month now, it's been working beautifully for me.

Try it. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

I got it! Thanks pippabean!

I can design kitchens for you!

2020 and still having stupid issues with ikea working!?!? For Everything I try to choose it says there are no items of this kind!!! So frustrating when I know they have it!!!!! I can’t even halfway design my office after getting all the room measurements, etc out the way. Was so excited to start installing cabinets but can’t even get a desk top, can’t get book shelves! Come on now, no bookshelves and this is ikea!?!? So frustrating

yup me too. I thought it was just me! Did a bit of googling and found this whole thread. Half the items are not available (no items of this kind - really - so you have NO high kitchen cabinets??? ). Now I've tried to save what little I have managed to do and the bastard has hung on me. As you say, 2020 and IKEA can't make a decent kitchen planner. Just get rid of it and stop wasting our time for god's sake! Us users only realise we are on a hiding to nothing after we've spent 2 hours on it...

I'll add to the collection of complaints, we just bought a new house and I thought I'd be keen and get a jump on the new kitchen planning. Heard about the Ikea Kitchen Planner on YouTube and thought it would be easy-peasy. Nope. Things wouldn't rotate, certain items automatically jumped to a weird location and could not be moved, for other things the image wouldn't even show up, trying to pan left or right took FOREVER, I gave up, not worth the frustration.

I thought it was just my old Mac. Whew.

l have the same problem maybe not as bad but still bad l get 3/4 or even to the last unit then my plan disappears leaving a white screen can't say how many times this has happened as l only have 10 fingers l don't know if you used the old planner before they updated ( about 2 months ago ) but it was far easier to use who ever designed this one needs lynching

I used it to get a general idea of how my space would work and as a starting point for consulting with a KD. Many tweaks later I had a final layout but, it was a similar to what I had worked up on the planner. We took down a wall (header went in yesterday!) and the planner gave a visual of how it would look, if it would be disruptive, and was it a feasible option.

I also used it when I did my upstairs bathroom reno. We added a bathroom with a 5' knee wall and I was able to see the fit and placement of the fixtures. The planner had a slant wall option that really helped visualize the space.

Ikea has a new Kitchen Planner software. It's pretty helpful for the basics, but it doesn't have the inventory of kitchen elements you need, like Ikea's benches or rugs or tables. It only has the basics. It helped my family and I determine the general layout and concepts of what we liked and didn't.