Android Apps Keep Crashing? How to Find and Fix the Cause
When apps keep crashing on Android, restart the phone, update the app, then force stop it and clear its cache. If several apps crash at once, update Android System WebView and Google Chrome from the Play Store and make sure at least 10% of your storage is free. If only one app crashes and nothing helps, archive and restore it (Android 15 and up) before you uninstall it, because archiving keeps your data.
Also in this topic: Android Guides hub.
Jump to: one app or many? · first five fixes · cache vs. storage · WebView and Chrome · archive instead of uninstall · apps you haven't opened in months · safe mode · when it's the app's fault · FAQ
Quick answer: An app crash is when an app closes by itself or shows a "keeps stopping" message. Most crashes come from a buggy app update, damaged cached files, low storage, or a shared system component like Android System WebView. Work from the cheapest fix to the most drastic: restart, update, force stop, clear cache, then clear storage, and only then reinstall or reset.
Is It One App or Lots of Apps?
Figure out how many apps are crashing first, because the fix is different. One crashing app usually means a problem with that app or its data. Lots of apps crashing at the same time points to something they share: Android System WebView, Google Play services, low storage, or a system update.
| What you see | Most likely cause | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| One app closes right after you open it | Bad update or damaged app data | Update, force stop, clear cache |
| Gmail, banking, shopping, and other apps all crash on the same day | Android System WebView or Chrome | Update WebView and Chrome |
| Apps crash and the phone feels slow, with a "storage full" warning | Less than about 10% free storage | Free up space |
| Crashes started right after you installed something new | A downloaded app interfering with others | Test in safe mode |
| An app you haven't used in months won't work properly | Android reset its permissions | Re-grant permissions |
| "Google keeps stopping" on a Galaxy | The Google app's data | Clear the Google app's storage (see the FAQ) |
| The phone itself restarts, not just the app | System or hardware problem | See our guide to an Android phone that keeps restarting |
The First Five Fixes (in This Order)
Google's official app troubleshooting page says to restart the phone after each step, so you know which one fixed it. These five take about ten minutes together and don't delete anything.
1. Restart or force restart the phone
A restart clears stuck processes. If the screen is frozen, Google says that on most phones you can hold the Power button for about 30 seconds until the phone restarts. On a Samsung Galaxy, the force restart is Power and Volume down held together for about 7 seconds.
2. Update the app
Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, tap Manage apps & device, and update the app under "Updates available." A crash bug in one version is often fixed in the next one. If you got the app from the Galaxy Store or another store, Samsung says to check for updates there.
3. Install system updates
On a Pixel, go to Settings > System > Software update. On a Galaxy, go to Settings > Software update. Samsung also says many apps rely on the Google Play system update, which you'll find on a Galaxy under Settings > About phone > Software information > Google Play system update. On other phones, search Settings for "Google Play system update."
4. Force stop the app
Touch and hold the app icon, tap App info, then tap Force stop and confirm. This shuts down every part of the app, including background pieces that a normal swipe-away can leave running. Open it again and see if it still crashes.
5. Check the connection, VPN, and parental controls
Apps that load content from the internet can crash on a weak or flaky connection, so try switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data. T-Mobile's app troubleshooting page adds two US-specific checks most guides skip: disconnect any VPN, and make sure FamilyMode, Content Blocking, or Family Allowances on your T-Mobile account aren't blocking the app. If you're on another carrier, check its parental controls too.
Clear Cache First, Storage Second
Clearing the cache deletes only temporary files and is always safe to try. Clearing storage (called "Clear data" on some phones) resets the app as if you just installed it. Google's storage help page puts it plainly: Clear storage "permanently deletes all app data," so you'll be signed out and lose anything saved only on the phone.
- Pixel: Settings > Apps > See all apps > [app] > Storage & cache > Clear cache.
- Galaxy: Settings > Apps > [app] > Storage > Clear cache. Tap Clear data only if clearing the cache didn't help.
Before you clear storage on a chat, notes, or authenticator app, check that its data is backed up. Our guide to backing up an Android phone shows what Google's backup does and doesn't include.
Low storage makes everything crash more
Google's Pixel crash help page says a phone "can have issues when less than 10% of storage is available." T-Mobile recommends keeping at least 15% free. On a 128 GB phone, that means roughly 13 to 19 GB of free space. Check it in Settings > Storage (on a Galaxy, Settings > Device care > Storage), and use our guide to freeing up storage on Android if you're short.
When Lots of Apps Crash: Update WebView and Chrome
Android System WebView is a built-in Android component that lets apps show web pages inside the app. Gmail, shopping apps, banking apps, and countless others use it, so a bad WebView update can break many apps at once.
This has happened before. On March 22, 2021, Gmail, Amazon, and many other Android apps started crashing for a lot of people at the same time. Google traced it to a WebView update, stopped that update, and released WebView version 89.0.4389.105. The fix was to update both Android System WebView and Google Chrome. According to The Verge, the problems lasted about seven hours on Google's Gmail status dashboard.
To update both now, open the Play Store, search for Android System WebView, tap Update if you see it, then do the same for Google Chrome. Both Play listings showed an update dated October 23, 2026, when we checked on October 25, 2026. WebView has more than 10 billion downloads, which shows how many phones depend on it.
Don't uninstall WebView updates as a fix. During the 2021 outage, some people (and Samsung's US support account, per The Verge) suggested removing WebView updates. Google's own post said it does "not recommend manually uninstalling updates to WebView," because it "may result in loss of data from some apps." Many guides still repeat the old advice. Update instead.
Reinstall Without Losing Data: Archive the App
If one app still crashes after you've cleared its cache, try archiving and restoring it before you uninstall it. Archiving is a feature on Android 15 and up that removes an app's software, permissions, and temporary files but keeps its icon and your data, according to Google Play's archiving help page. Restoring it downloads a fresh copy of the app.
- Open Settings > Apps and tap the app.
- Tap Archive. The icon on your home screen turns faded, with a cloud icon on it.
- Tap the faded icon to download the app again. You can also restore it from App info or the app's Play Store page.
This swaps out the app's files without wiping your settings or sign-in, which is the main downside of uninstalling. Two limits: the app has to still be available in the store, and if the crash is caused by the app's saved data, you'll still need to clear its storage. Most "fix crashing apps" guides go straight to uninstalling, which erases app data.
Preinstalled apps: uninstall updates instead
You can't uninstall many apps that came with the phone. For those, Samsung's US crash guide says to open App info, tap More options (three dots), and tap Uninstall updates, which rolls the app back to its factory version. That's useful when a built-in app started crashing right after an update, but follow Google's warning above and leave WebView alone.
Apps You Haven't Opened in Months
If you haven't used an app for a few months, Android may put it into hibernation. Android's developer documentation says that for apps built for Android 12 and up, running on Android 12 or newer, this resets the app's permissions, removes its cached files, and stops its background jobs and push notifications. When you open it again, Android doesn't give the permissions back automatically.
That can make an old app fail the moment it needs your camera, location, or files. Samsung's crash guide lists this as a cause too. Fix it in Settings > Apps > [app] > Permissions. To stop it happening again, turn off Pause app activity if unused on the app's App info page (Android 13 and up). The same setting explains apps that go quiet, which our guide to Android notifications not working covers in more detail.
Use Safe Mode to Find a Problem App
Safe mode starts the phone with every downloaded app turned off. Google's safe mode page says that if crashing, freezing, or slowness goes away in safe mode, an app you installed is likely the cause.
- Press and hold the Power button (on a Galaxy you can also swipe down with two fingers and tap the Power icon).
- Touch and hold Power off, then tap Safe mode.
- Use the phone normally. Built-in apps still work.
- If the problem is gone, restart normally and remove recently installed apps one at a time, restarting after each, until it stops.
Two things to know. Google says safe mode can remove some home screen widgets, so take a screenshot of your home screen first. On a Pixel, safe mode turns on airplane mode automatically, so apps that need the internet will look broken until you turn it off.
How to Tell It's the App's Fault, Not Your Phone
If the app still crashes after a cache clear, an archive and restore, and a check in safe mode, the problem is probably in the app itself. Google holds developers to clear limits here. Its Android vitals documentation says Google Play treats an app as having a bad crash problem when more than 1.09% of its daily users hit a crash overall, or more than 8% on a single phone model. Apps over those limits may be shown to fewer people in Play, and Play may show a warning on the app's store listing.
That per-phone-model limit matters: an app can work fine for most people and crash constantly on one model. Open the app's Play Store page and look for a warning, then sort reviews by "Most recent" and check whether people with your phone are reporting the same crash. If they are, there's not much more you can do on your end. Use the "App support" section on the Play listing to email the developer, and include your phone model, Android version, and the app version from App info.
Other fixes from Google's list
- Resync the date and time. Google suggests turning off automatic date and time, setting a wrong time, then turning automatic back on.
- Remove the SD card. T-Mobile lists taking out the SD card among the first steps for any app problem.
- Run Samsung's optimizer. On a Galaxy, Settings > Device care > Optimize now closes background apps and scans for "unstable or malicious apps," according to Samsung.
Factory reset is the last step
Only reset the phone if apps crash even in safe mode and nothing above helped. Back up first, since a reset erases everything. Samsung also points out that if a crash is caused by an app bug that's fixed in a later update, a reset won't permanently fix it.
Bottom Line
Start small: restart, update, force stop, and clear the cache. If many apps fail at once, update WebView and Chrome and free up space. Before you uninstall a stubborn app, archive and restore it so you keep your data, and use safe mode to catch an app that's breaking others. If it still crashes and other owners of your phone model report the same thing, it's the developer's bug, so report it and wait for an update. If the Play Store itself won't install updates, see our guide to the Play Store not downloading apps.
How we put this together: this guide is based on Google's Android, Pixel, and Google Play help pages, Android's developer documentation, and Samsung and T-Mobile support pages, all checked on October 25, 2026. Play Store details for WebView and Chrome were checked the same day. Menu names can vary slightly by phone and software version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my apps keep crashing all of a sudden?
A sudden wave of crashes across many apps is usually caused by a shared component update, most often Android System WebView, or by storage running out. Update WebView and Chrome in the Play Store and check that at least 10% of your storage is free.
Will clearing cache delete my data?
No. Clearing the cache only deletes temporary files, and you stay signed in. Clearing storage (or "Clear data") is the step that erases the app's data and signs you out.
How do I fix "Google keeps stopping" on a Samsung phone?
Samsung's support page says to clear the Google app's data: go to Settings > Apps > Google > Storage and clear it. If the error comes back, force stop the Google app from the same App info page, and update the Google app in the Play Store.
Can a virus make apps crash?
It can, but it's far less common than a bad update or low storage. Run Google Play Protect from the Play Store, and on a Galaxy also run Device care's optimizer, which scans for malicious apps. Remove any app you don't remember installing.
