You open an app, the screen flickers, and you are back on the home screen. Or worse, you get the message “App keeps stopping” every few seconds. When apps keep crashing on Android, it is frustrating, but it is rarely a sign that your phone is broken.
Crashes usually come from a corrupted cache, an outdated app, a buggy system component or a phone that is low on storage. Here are ten fixes, starting with the quickest.
1. Force stop the app and reopen it
This clears whatever stuck state the app was in.
- Go to Settings > Apps and find the app (you may need to tap See all apps).
- Tap Force stop and confirm.
- Open the app again.
A faster way on most phones is to press and hold the app icon, tap App info, and force stop from there.
2. Restart your phone
A restart clears memory and closes background processes that might be clashing with the app. Hold the power button (or power and volume up on some phones) and tap Restart. It is simple, but it fixes a surprising number of crashes.
3. Update the app
Developers fix crash bugs all the time. Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, go to Manage apps & device, and tap Update all. If the crash started right after an update, check the app’s Play Store reviews. If lots of people report the same thing, a fix is usually on the way.
4. Update Android System WebView and Chrome
This one solves mass crashes, where many apps start failing at once. Lots of apps use a system component called Android System WebView to display web content. When it has a bug, everything that relies on it can crash. Search for Android System WebView and Google Chrome in the Play Store and update both.
5. Clear the app’s cache
A corrupted cache file is a very common cause of crashes.
- Go to Settings > Apps and select the app.
- Tap Storage & cache (or Storage).
- Tap Clear cache.
This does not delete your account or personal data. Open the app and see if it behaves.
6. Clear the app’s data
If clearing the cache did not help, clearing data resets the app to how it was when first installed. On the same screen, tap Clear storage or Clear data.
Be aware that this signs you out and removes anything stored only inside the app, such as offline downloads or unsynced game progress. Chat apps like WhatsApp need a backup before you do this, or you will lose your chat history.
7. Free up storage space
When storage is nearly full, apps cannot write the temporary files they need and may crash on launch. Check Settings > Storage. If you have less than about 10 percent free, it is time to clear some space. Our guide on how to free up storage on Android has ten safe ways to do it.
8. Uninstall and reinstall the app
A fresh install replaces any damaged files. Press and hold the app icon, tap Uninstall, then reinstall it from the Play Store. As with clearing data, back up anything important first. Some apps that came with your phone cannot be uninstalled, but you can choose Uninstall updates from the app’s settings menu and then update again.
9. Update Google Play services and Android
Many apps depend on Google Play services. Go to Settings > Apps > Google Play services and tap App details to update it in the Play Store if an update is available. Then check for a system update in Settings > System > Software update (on Samsung, Settings > Software update).
10. Check for a conflicting app in Safe Mode
If several apps crash and none of the fixes above helped, a third-party app could be interfering. Restart in Safe Mode: press and hold the power button, then press and hold Power off until you see the Safe mode option. In Safe Mode, only preinstalled apps run. If the crashing stops, uninstall recently added apps one at a time until you find the culprit. Restart normally to leave Safe Mode.
Aggressive “cleaner”, “booster” and battery-saver apps are frequent troublemakers. Most phones do not need them.
Last resort: factory reset
If your phone is crashing constantly across many apps and nothing else helps, a factory reset gives you a clean slate. It erases everything, so back up your Android phone completely first. Google’s Android help site explains the reset process for stock Android.
Quick recap
When apps keep crashing on Android, force stop the app, restart the phone, and update both the app and Android System WebView. Then clear the app’s cache, clear its data if needed, and make sure you have free storage. Reinstalling, Safe Mode and a factory reset are there if the simple fixes fall short.
