Picture this: you need to run ads on your favourite social media, and you tap on the specific ad manager, hoping to create an adset quickly and push the ad. But, oops! The app keep crashing. Perhaps, it’s some error, so you open it again: same response: app has stopped working. Well, maybe the third time is the charm, so you tap to open the app again, same thing.
Village people, you do this one o!
For Android users, only a few things are more frustrating than apps that keep crashing or freezing. Whether it’s your favorite game, a critical productivity tool, or just an app for passing the time, freezing apps can bring your momentum to a frustrating halt. Fortunately, there are several effective methods for resolving freezing and crashing apps on Android devices.
The first step is understanding why apps freeze in the first place.
Why do apps crash or freeze?
One of the most common culprits is low memory or storage space on your device. When your phone is running low on memory or storage, apps may struggle to perform their necessary operations, leading to crashes or freezes. Poorly coded or outdated apps can also be prone to freezing due to bugs or incompatibilities.
Another potential cause is having too many apps running in the background, hogging precious system resources. Even apps you’re not actively using can continue running processes that drain memory and battery life. Finally, things like weak internet connections or features that require heavy internet usage can also lead to freezes and crashes.
If you find yourself plagued by freezing Android apps, here are some go-to fixes to try:
Force Stop the app
The simplest solution is to force stop the misbehaving app. This terminates the app completely, clearing it from your device’s active memory. To do this, go to Settings > Apps, select the app in question, and choose “Force Stop.”
Alternative, you could tap and hold the app icon in your app drawer till a pop up shows. Tap app info, then scroll down the page and choose “force stop.”
Then try relaunching the app.
Restart your device
A lot of the time, we keep our phones running for days without turning it off. I mean, why turning your phone off in the first place, right?
Wrong!
You should restart your phone once in a while, maybe a few days interval. Restarting your Android phone can be like pushing the reset button, terminating all running processes and clearing out memory usage. A quick restart may be all that’s needed to get problematic apps running smoothly again.
Clear app data and cache
Over time, apps can accumulate cached data that eventually causes conflicts or takes up too much space. Clearing this data can resolve performance issues. In Settings > Apps, select the app, then choose “Storage” and clear the data and cache. Note this may erase any local settings or login details for that app.
Free up storage space
If you’re running perilously low on storage space, this can absolutely cause app freezes and crashes. Take a look at what’s taking up space on your device in Settings > Storage, and clear out any unnecessary apps, photos, videos or files. Transferring media to cloud storage can also free up space.
Read also: How to set up Windows 11 Without a Microsoft Account
Update apps and OS
Many people are guilty of using apps without checking for updates and updating the app. I’ll make myself a judge and tell you this: it is a bad practice. You should always update your app as soon as there’s update available.
Developers frequently issue updates to patch bugs and improve app performance. Always make sure you’re running the latest versions of your apps as well as the latest Android OS updates for your device.
Check app permissions
Occasionally, an app may freeze because it’s been denied critical permissions it needs to run properly. Review app permissions in Settings > Apps and grant any reasonable permission requests.
Reinstall the app
This might seem a bit extreme, but some situations might require you deleting and reinstalling the app. If an app is fundamentally glitchy or corrupted, sometimes the best solution is to reinstall it completely from the Play Store. This can clear out any problematic data and ensure you have the new version installed
Review running apps and services
Too many apps and services running in the background can seriously impair your phone’s performance. Review what’s running by going to Settings > Apps and determine if any unnecessary apps or services need to be force stopped. Disable any app permissions for running in the background if possible.
Factory reset
Now, if all other methods do not work, this is the last resort. A factory reset will restore your phone’s software to its pure, clean state before you ever used it. This nuclear option will erase all apps, data, settings and accounts though, so be sure to back up anything important first. The reset option is in Settings > System > Reset Options.
While crashing and freezing apps are never fun, Android offers a wealth of options for identifying and resolving performance issues. With some basic troubleshooting and maintenance, you can keep that app chaos under control and your phone running smoothly. If problems persist, more advanced solutions like Android optimization tools may be needed.