App Keeps Stopping on Android? 13 Fixes That Actually Work

TL;DR: When an Android app keeps stopping, the fastest fixes are to force stop the app and reopen it, clear its cache, or restart your phone. If those don’t work, check your storage space, update the app, and make sure Google Play Services is up to date. For stubborn cases, uninstall and reinstall the app. Factory reset is a last resort and rarely needed.

Why Does My Android App Keep Stopping?

Before you start troubleshooting, it helps to know what’s actually going wrong. Android shows the App keeps stopping error when something interrupts the app’s normal process, and that something can be any one of several things.

The most common causes are:

Knowing the likely cause can help you jump to the right fix. If you’re not sure, work through the list from top to bottom — the fixes are ordered from least to most involved.

How to Fix an App That Keeps Stopping on Android

1. Force Stop the App

This is always the first thing to try. Force stopping kills the app’s background processes entirely and gives it a clean start when you reopen it.

1. Go to Settings > Apps (or Application Manager on some devices)
2. Find and tap the app that keeps stopping
3. Tap Force Stop
4. Reopen the app and check if the problem continues

2. Restart Your Device

Simple but genuinely effective. A restart clears temporary system files, flushes RAM, and resolves minor software conflicts that can cause apps to misbehave.

1. Hold your power button
2. Tap Restart
3. Let your phone fully reboot before opening the app again

3. Check Your Internet Connection

Some apps — streaming services, social media, browsers — crash or stop entirely when they lose their connection mid-process.

• Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data to see if the problem follows you
• If Wi-Fi is the issue, forget the network and reconnect:
  • Settings > Wi-Fi > long-press your network > Forget > reconnect
• If mobile data is the issue, toggle Airplane Mode on and off to reset your connection

4. Clear the App’s Cache and Data

Over time, apps store temporary files that can become corrupted and cause crashes. Clearing the cache is safe and won’t delete your account or settings. Clearing data is a bigger step — it resets the app to a fresh install state, so you’ll need to log back in.

1. Go to Settings > Apps
2. Select the problematic app
3. Tap Storage
4. Tap Clear Cache first, then retest the app
5. If it still crashes, go back and tap Clear Data

Note: Clear Data removes locally stored app data — saved preferences, offline files, and login sessions. Your account data stored on the app’s servers will still be there after you log back in.

5. Check App Permissions

This one gets overlooked often. If an app needs access to your camera, microphone, location, or contacts and that permission has been denied or revoked, it can stop working without warning.

1. Go to Settings > Apps
2. Select the app
3. Tap Permissions
4. Look for anything set to Denied and toggle it to Allow
5. Retest the app

6. Free Up Storage Space

Android needs a buffer of free storage to run apps properly. When device storage drops too low, apps struggle to write temporary files and will often crash.

Rule of thumb: Keep at least 1–2 GB free at all times.

Go to Settings > Storage to see what’s taking up space, then:

• Delete unused apps
• Clear your Downloads folder
• Offload photos and videos to Google Photos, a PC, or external storage

7. Update the App

The developer may have already fixed the crash-causing bug and pushed an update.

1. Open the Google Play Store
2. Tap your profile icon (top right)
3. Go to Manage Apps & Device
4. Tap Updates Available
5. Update the problematic app and relaunch it

8. Uninstall and Reinstall the App

If clearing the cache and updating didn’t help, a full reinstall often does. This removes any corrupted installation files and gives you a completely fresh copy of the app.

1. Press and hold the app icon
2. Tap Uninstall and confirm
3. Open the Google Play Store
4. Search for the app and reinstall it

Note: Local app data will be cleared, but anything saved to your account on the app’s servers — progress, history, preferences — will still be there after you log back in.

9. Update Your Android Software

Running an outdated version of Android can cause compatibility issues with newer apps.

1. Go to Settings > Software Update (On some devices: Settings > System > System Update)
2. Tap Download and Install if an update is available
3. Restart your phone after the update completes

10. Update Google Play Services

This is the fix most guides skip, but it’s one of the most effective. Google Play Services runs in the background of nearly every Android app and handles authentication, notifications, location, and more. When it’s outdated or buggy, apps can crash with no obvious cause.

1. Open the Google Play Store
2. Search for Google Play Services
3. Tap Update if one is available

You can also check your current version:

Settings > Apps > Google Play Services > App Info

If an update isn’t showing, your device may be on auto-update. In that case, simply check that you’re running the latest version by comparing it against the Play Store listing.

11. Wipe the System Cache Partition

This clears the system-level cache — separate from individual app caches — and can fix crashes that survive everything above. It does not delete your personal data.

The exact steps vary by device. For most Android phones:

1. Power off your phone completely

2. Boot into Recovery Mode by holding the correct button combination for your device:

   Manufacturer	Recovery Mode Shortcut
   Samsung	Power + Volume Up + Bixby
   Google Pixel	Power + Volume Down
   OnePlus	Power + Volume Down
   Motorola	Power + Volume Down

3. Use volume buttons to navigate to Wipe Cache Partition

4. Press the power button to select it

5. Reboot your device

Tip: Search [your phone model] wipe cache partition if you’re unsure of the exact button combination.

12. Boot Into Safe Mode to Isolate the Problem

Safe Mode starts Android with only the default system apps running and disables all third-party apps. If the crashing app works fine in Safe Mode, another installed app is likely interfering with it.

To enter Safe Mode:

1. Press and hold the power button
2. Long-press the Power Off option on screen
3. Tap OK when prompted to reboot into Safe Mode

Your phone will restart with Safe Mode shown in the bottom-left corner of the screen.

To exit Safe Mode: Simply restart your phone normally.

If the app runs fine in Safe Mode, start by uninstalling any apps you installed around the time the crashes began.

13. Factory Reset Your Android Phone (Last Resort)

If nothing else has worked, a factory reset will almost certainly fix the problem, but it erases everything on your device. Do not skip the backup step.

Before you reset:

• Back up photos and videos to Google Photos or a PC
• Note any apps you’ll need to reinstall
• Make sure your Google account is saved so you can restore contacts

To factory reset:

1. Go to Settings > General Management (On some devices: Settings > System > Reset Options)
2. Tap Factory Data Reset
3. Read the warning, scroll down, and tap Reset
4. Enter your PIN if prompted and confirm

After the reset, set your phone up fresh and reinstall only the apps you need.

How to Stop Apps From Crashing Before It Happens

Most app crashes are preventable. A few habits that help:

• Keep apps and Android updated so you’re always on stable, patched versions
• Clear cache regularly on apps you use heavily — once a month is enough
• Keep 1–2 GB of storage free at all times
• Avoid sideloading apps from outside the Play Store — unofficial APKs skip Google’s safety checks and are a common source of instability
• Restart your phone at least once a week to clear memory and background processes

Tested On

The steps in this guide were verified on the following:

Menu names and navigation paths may vary slightly depending on your manufacturer and Android version, but the core options will be in the same general locations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my app keep stopping after an update?

A newly pushed update can introduce bugs, especially in the first day or two after release. Clear the app’s cache and data first. If that doesn’t help, uninstall and reinstall the app. Developers usually push a patch fix quickly once widespread crashes are reported — so checking the Play Store reviews to confirm others are seeing it too is a good first move.

Why do multiple apps keep stopping at once?

When several apps crash at the same time, the problem is usually at the system level: low storage, an outdated version of Android, or a corrupted Google Play Services installation. Start by freeing up storage and updating both Android and Google Play Services before anything else.

Will clearing app data delete my progress or account information?

Clearing data resets the app locally, so anything stored only on your device will be gone. However, if the app saves your progress or account data to its servers (most do), you’ll get everything back after logging in again. When in doubt, clear cache only first and see if that fixes the issue.

Why does only one specific app keep stopping, but everything else works fine?

This usually points to something specific to that app: a corrupted install, a bug in the current version, or a permissions conflict. Clear its cache and data, check its permissions, and if needed, uninstall and reinstall it. Check the app’s Play Store reviews too — if others are reporting the same crash, it’s a bug on the developer’s end and a fix is likely already in progress.