Why do apps keep crashing on my phone

Isn’t it frustrating when you can’t browse your favorite apps because they freeze or close abruptly the moment you open them?

A common reason would be that the app’s code is buggy or you are running an app incompatible with your device. Your issue can be solved simply by restarting the app. However, the reason behind the problem can be completely different and may require other fixes.

So, lets get into the solutions right away!

Why Are the Causes for Android Keeps Crashing

There isn’t exactly a single reason to pinpoint why your android apps are crashing. However, here are some of the most common and potential reasons behind the app crashing issue.

• Using an app that’s incompatible with older Android versions
• Outdated and buggy app
• Too many applications running at once
• Running the app on insufficient storage space or RAM
• Connected to a poor internet connection
• Problem in the cache partition
• Virus and malware
• Overheating issues

How to Fix Android Apps Crashing

You can start with a simple fix like force closing apps and checking the app’s compatibility with your device or OS version.

However, your issue could be much more complex and require multiple fixes. Therefore, you can try out several solutions we have compiled for you until your problem gets fixed.

Check Network Connection

Some apps require a strong network connection for them to work seamlessly. If you are connected to a weak network connection, those apps can freeze or shut down abruptly. 

Therefore, you should connect to a strong network connection to prevent apps from closing unexpectedly.

Force Close and Re-open the App

If you open an app and it crashes unexpectedly, you can force close it from the settings.

For this, 

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on Apps / Application Manager depending on your android settings.
3. Select the app you want to force close.
4. Tap on Force stop.
   
5. Click on OK.

Additionally, you should close all the apps you are not actively using but running in the background.

After closing the app, re-open it and see if it works now.

Check the App Compatibility

In some instances, the app is compatible with specific devices or Android versions only. You can find out the app’s compatibility by searching it in the play store and going through the About this app section.

If the app is incompatible with your Android OS version, you should update it to a higher version. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down to the System section and tap on About phone.
3. Tap on System updates.
4. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to update your phone.

Note: Your phone can have different settings for reaching System Updates. However, the above steps are similar for every android phone.

Avoid Opening Multiple Applications

Opening apps that demand intensive CPU resources or RAM can cause them to freeze or crash.  On the other hand, this can even lead to overheating issues, resulting in apps closing abruptly.

Also, you could be running too many applications at once, which causes the apps to freeze or close unexpectedly. Therefore, you should avoid opening too many applications at once.

Hence, open only the essential apps or, even better, one app at a time to reduce the stress on your device’s CPU and RAM.

Update the App

If you are still using an outdated version of the app, the app can keep crashing repeatedly. The app developers are constantly working to find and fix the app’s bugs and release them in the play store. Hence you should check for app updates and use it instead of an older version.

Here’s how you can update your apps.

1. Open the Google Play Store app. 
2. On the top right corner of the screen, tap on your profile icon.
3. Now, tap the Manage apps & devices option.
4. Under the Manage tab, tap on Updates available.
5. Update the app that is crashing.

Reinstall the App

If updating the app doesn’t work for you, you can try reinstalling the app. To reinstall, you have to uninstall the app and again download & install it. Here’s how you can reinstall the app.

1. Open the Google Play Store app.
2. On the top right corner, tap your profile icon.
3. Tap the Manage apps & devices.
4. Look for the app you want to uninstall and tap on it.
5. Tap on the Uninstall button.
   
6. Search for the app again.
7. Tap on Install.
8. Check if the app works as expected now.

Free Up Some Storage Space

It is possible that you do not have enough space to run the app, causing the app to crash repeatedly. So, to fix this issue, you need to free up some storage space on your device so that the app runs smoothly.

However, you can check the available storage on your device first and check if it is almost full. If that’s not the case, you can skip this method and move to other fixes.

Otherwise, delete unnecessary files and uninstall the apps you no longer use. You can easily free up the storage by starting with large files like videos and apps that are huge. 

Moreover, if you have an external SD card, you can move those files and even the apps to the external storage.

Scan your device

If only one or two of your apps get frozen or close suddenly, then the app’s code is not well-written and contains some bugs. However, if multiple apps crash repeatedly, your phone is likely infected with malware or viruses. Malware can cause the apps to crash or even prevent them from opening.

Hence, you need to get rid of them to solve your app issue. You can scan your phone with an in-built antivirus app or download a reliable antivirus app from the play store. Then, you can remove any virus if detected. After getting rid of the virus, try opening the app again and see if the problem has been fixed. 

Clear All App Data and Cache

App cache can accumulate over time and slow your phone. Clearing it can potentially solve your issues. You can easily do it with the steps mentioned below:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll to the Applications section and tap on the Application Manager.
3. Tap on the problematic app.
4. Tap on Clear cache and Clear data.
    
5. Restart the device if necessary.

Using the Wipe Cache Partition method

If clearing cache and data for an app didn’t work, there could be a problem with your device’s cache partition. Clearing the cache partition cleans any residual files that didn’t get removed after uninstalling an app.

Moreover, it also removes the temporary files that are no longer needed from the previous version of your device OS.

To wipe cache partition,

1. Power off your device.
2. Press the volume up and power buttons simultaneously and release them until an android logo appears on the screen.
3. Use the volume buttons, select the “Wipe cache partition” option, and press the power button to confirm it.
   
4. Wait until the process is finished.

Reset the Phone

If none of the above methods worked for you, resetting the device is the last resort to fixing your issue. Resetting the phone will restore your device to factory settings. Furthermore, all your apps and their data will get erased. 

To reset your Android device,

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap on the General Management option.
3. Now, tap on Reset.
4. Then, choose the Factory data reset option.
   
5. Wait until the process is finished. Then, reinstall the previous apps and see if they work properly now.

Note: This method will reset all your data along with your settings. So, we recommend backing up all your phone contents before proceeding on to this method.

Why does apps keep closing on my phone?

How do I make apps stop crashing?