System glitching, app crashing, and app force closing are some of the most ridiculously painful issues you may encounter while using your Android phone. And while there's usually no apparent reason your apps may crash suddenly, there's usually a way out. And in this article, we'll guide you through how to fix force-close apps on Android.
Why my apps are forced to close? There's always no apparent reason your apps may be forced to close or act strange on Android. But several reasons that may cause it are software compatibility, app bugs and coding errors, low storage, corrupted cached data, or weak hardware.
How to Fix Force Close Apps on Android
There are several ways to keep your apps from crashing on Android, depending on what caused the problem. Start by trying the fixes below.
1. Force Close the App Manually.
Yeah, force-closing the app yourself is a fast way to keep it from crashing indefinitely. Sometimes, workloads on your phone or bugs from the app side may cause it to close suddenly, but that shouldn't be a big deal. Such an app could pick up again and start working well after restarting it.
So, just force close the app and try again. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings apps
- Tap Apps & Notifications
- Click on “See all apps” to view your apps
- Locate the affected app and tap it.
- Finally, tap the “Force Stop” button to shut down the app.
Simply launch the app manually now to see if it works well.
2. Give Your Phone a Fresh Start.
If force closing the specific app didn't work for you, the next trick on how to fix force close apps on Android is to restart your phone—like, give your phone a fresh start.
Restarting your device is a sure way to fix occasional system bugs, as it helps refresh the system, closes all running processes, clears temporary files, and does magical things with the system. It's a life-saver in frustrating scenarios like this, so it's what trying.
You can restart most Android phones simply by long pressing the power button for about 10 seconds. You may also do it the normal way if that didn’t work for you.
3. Update the App
Keeping your apps updated is one of the fundamental ways to avoid occasional bugs and hiccups. App manufacturers usually push out updates to address issues, fix bugs, introduce new features, and improve existing ones. And now that your app is crashing, the latest update may resolve the issue.
Kindly visit the Play Store to check if there's an available update for the specific app you're facing an issue with. Here's how:
- Launch the Google Play Store app on your phone.
- Tap your profile image in the top right.
- Select Manage apps.
- Wait for a few seconds to check for app updates, then update the affected app if it’s on the list.
Besides updating the affected apps, checking for system updates and updating some core apps like Android WebView, essential Google apps like Google Play System, etc., can also help fix the issue. Do update them when available.
4. Erase the App’s Cache Data (And Storage Data)
If your Android apps, or a specific app, are still not working accurately after restarting your phone, it's time to take a bolder step. Not really technical, though.
Start by clearing the app’s cached data to free up the temporary and clogged files you may not need anymore, then follow by resetting the app if that didn't help.
Here’s how:
- Locate the affected app on your home screen or app drawer.
- Long press it and tap App info
- From there, click Storage & cache
- Tap Clear cache
Now, try to force stop and relaunch the app to see if it now works perfectly. If not, we recommend you reset the app by clearing its stored data. Doing so will erase every data stored by the app, so be sure to do a backup if necessary. Follow these steps to reset the app:
- Locate the affected app on your home screen or app drawer.
- Long press it and tap App info
- From there, click Storage & cache
- Tap Clear data (or Clear storage) and confirm your action.
That's it, your app should work nicely now if corrupted files provoked the crashing issue.
5. Reinstall the App
If the issue prevails, another trick on how to fix force close apps on Android is to reinstall the affected app. Usually, there might be a compatibility issue with the current version you're using, or your current software version or architecture conflicts with the app itself. Fortunately, reinstalling the app from the Play Store could help.
Just search for the specific app on the Play Store, uninstall it, and reinstall it manually.
6. Free Up Your Phone Storage
Low storage space may also cause your apps to keep stopping on Android. Many Android users, including me, have experienced this several times, and it’s not strange to any operating system, not just Android.
Your phone needs ample unoccupied storage space to function well, both on the system software and app level. If you’re receiving the “Storage space getting low” warning on your phone already, just know that it's the perfect time to free up some space. We recommend at least 1GB – 1.5GB of free space for optimal system performance.
Start by uninstalling apps you’re not using, deleting extensive files and videos you've watched, and everything you don't need. Or better still, get an external SD card for your media files if your phone supports it.
7. Maybe Try a Clean Start?
If everything else doesn’t work, it might be the perfect, undesirable time to swallow the hard pill – to factory reset your phone. Resetting your phone is always the last resort when things go wrong on your phone. And hopefully, it helps in this case.
However, resetting your phone will wipe all your data. Ensure you backup your data properly before taking this bold step. By the way, it might be a friendly move to patiently wait for a while to see if an update will fix the issue before resetting your phone. But if you insist, follow these steps to factory reset your phone.
- Launch the Settings app on your phone.
- Scroll down and select
- Tap Reset options
- Select Factory reset (Erase all data)
- Follow the on-screen instruction to finish resetting the phone.
The process will take a while. Be patient throughout, and do not restart your phone. Once the process is completed. Restore your data and try using the affected apps again to see if they work well now.
How Do I Stop Apps From Force Closing?
We have highlighted several ways to stop apps from force closing on your phone above. To reiterate, here are a few things you can do:
- Force Stop the app manually
- Restart your phone
- Clear the cache and storage data of the affected app.
- Update the app and your system software
- Reinstall the app
- Free up your phone storage
- Factory reset your phone.
How Do I Clean My Cache on My Android System?
Clearing the cached data for specific apps on your Android device is super easy. Simply follow the steps below to get it done.
- Open the Settings app on your phone
- Tap Apps & Notifications
- Click on “See all apps” to view your apps
- Locate the affected app and tap it.
- Click on Storage and cache
- And finally, tap Clear cache.
That’s it. Repeat the same step for every app you want to clear its cached data on your phone. Meanwhile, several Android apps like Phone Master, SD Maid, Junk Cleaner, etc., can help you clean the cached data of multiple apps at once. Try that if you need to clear multiple app caches.
Final Thoughts
Apps crashing on you shouldn’t scare you or make you through your phone into the sink. Instead, apply these simple tricks on how to fix force close apps on Android to get rid of the stinking issue on your phone.
