If you’re also facing the “process system isn’t responding” error on your Android device, it’s probably infuriating you right now. However, it’s a common problem on many older Android devices, and there are various ways to fix it.
Even though your Android phone is probably won’t say "process system isn't responding" in 2021, you can't tell the same for all Android devices, especially the entry-level devices with low memory and basic hardware. If by any means you woke up to the "process system isn't responding” error on your Android device, the solutions in this article will help you out.
We've arranged this article in different parts, so you can navigate to what part concerns you, according to your Android device:
Table of Contents:
Why does my Android device say "process system isn't responding"?
Part 1: 7 ways to fix “process system isn’t responding” on Android phones
- Force your phone to restart
- Free up your phone storage and RAM
- Enter Safe Mode to uninstall suspicious apps
- Update your apps from the Play Store
- Install System Updates
- Wipe the cache partition of your phone
Part 2: How to fix process system isn't responding on Chromebook
Part 3: How to fix process system isn't responding in Honda Odyssey
Part 4: How to fix process system isn't responding on Oculus Quest
Why does my Android device say “process system isn’t responding”?
There are various reasons you may experience this problem on any of your Android devices. Despite that, many users reported the problem showed up after upgrading their Android software, installing apps from an unknown source, tampering with the system files (via rooting), and more.
Below are some reasons you might experience “process system isn’t responding” on your device.
- Insufficient phone storage.
- Software glitches & bugs.
- Installing malicious apps outside the Play Store.
- Altered or missing system files/apps.
- Rooting and more.
Part 1: 7 ways to fix “process system isn’t responding” on Android phones
1. Force your phone to restart
First things first: we recommend you restart your device whenever the problem occurs. Doing so will wipe all ongoing system processes, refresh the memory, and probably fix the issue.
There are various ways to restart your device:
- Press and hold the Power button for 10 seconds or more.
- Alternatively, you can do it manually: long-press the Power Button, then select Restart (or Reboot) from the options.
- And, if your phone's battery is removable, you can remove it, then reinsert and reboot it instead.
2. Free up your phone storage and RAM
One of the more prominent reasons Android users face the "process system isn't responding" issue is because of low storage. Your apps and the Android OS need some free storage space to store and maintain temporary files. If your phone storage is filled to the brim, your phone will misbehave.
If that's the case, a simpler approach to solve the problem is to free up your phone's internal memory. Just delete unnecessary files, large photos, videos, unused apps, and other redundant files on your phone. Or better still, you can move extensive files to an SD card if your device supports it.
But first, you need to check what's eating into your storage before clearing things out. Follow these steps to do that.
- Fire up the Settings app on your device.
- Scroll down a bit and hit Storage!
- Open Internal Storage to see your storage usage overview.
- If the Available storage is less than 500MB, that’s a sign you need to do some cleaning in there. Of course, we recommend up to 1GB of free internal memory on your device, to ensure it's always running at its best.
3. Enter Safe Mode to uninstall suspicions apps
Equally important, you should try uninstalling creepy apps on your phone if the "process system isn't responding" keeps reappearing after cleaning up your storage. If an app you installed recently is conflicting with the system, you’re likely going to experience such a problem.
Nevertheless, you need to confirm if the problem was caused by an app or not. That's where Safe Mode comes in. This mode lets you boot up your device without loading all third-party apps. Consequently, you may use Safe Mode to diagnose and fix various software issues, including the one currently disturbing your device.
Follow these steps to boot into Safe Mode:
- Long-press the Power button.
- Tap and hold Restart/Reboot in the power menu until you see a “Reboot to Safe Mode” pop-up message.
- Finally, tap OK to reboot your device.
Note: the steps might be different on your device. However, you can always do a Google search for how to boot your device into Safe Mode. E.g., “How to boot TECNO CAMON CX into Safe Mode”
Immediately after your device enters Safe Mode, navigate the phone as usual for a few minutes. If the problem doesn't occur, that means you've found the culprit. Now, you need to start uninstalling the creepy apps on your phone until the problem is solved. Start from the ones you installed recently.
4. Update your apps from the Play Store
If the problem persists after uninstalling suspicious apps on your phone, you should try updating your apps. In fact, many Android users claimed the problem was no more after updating their apps. So, you should do the same:
- Launch the Play Store
- Tap your Profile icon at the upper-right corner.
- Hit My apps & games, then wait for a few moments to fetch available updates.
- Tap Update all to update all you’re apps. Otherwise, you can update them manually from there.
5. Install System Updates
As well as updating your apps, it's essential to keep your phone software up-to-date to fix process system isn't responding error.
System Updates are not only for new features, they help keep your phone free from bugs, address critical issues, and protect you from hijackers. If you’re not sure you have the latest System Updates, follow these steps to check:
- Launch the Settings app
- Scroll to System and tap it.
- Select System Update.
- Tap Check for updates.
If an update is available, you’ll find it there. Simply download and install it as soon as possible. It may take a while before your device reboot while installing the updates. Just chill around.
However, if you still get the error after updating your device, try other solutions below.
6. Wipe the cache partition of your phone
Another method to fix “process system isn’t responding” on Android devices is to wipe the cache partition. This partition contains some temporary files created by the system to enhance performance. On the flip side, they can be problematic when corrupted or too much. Hence, clearing it may solve the problem you’re currently facing.
To do that, you need to boot into the Android Recovery Mode first:
- Power off your device and wait for a few moments.
- Next, press and of the combination of Power + Volume up button.
- Release the Power button when the Android logo is shown.
- Now, you’ll see a fallen Android Robot on the screen. Press the Power + Volume up buttons again to get into recovery mode proper.
- Use the Volume down button to highlight “Wipe cache partition”, then select it with the Power button.
- Confirm the action, and finally, reboot your device after that
Note: if you’re unable to boot into Recovery Mode, do a Google search for how to boot your device into recovery mode. For instance, “How to boot Infinix Hot 2 into recovery mode”.
Part 2: How to fix process system isn’t responding on Chromebook
If your Chromebook says “process system isn’t responding” trying most of the fixes mention in Part 1 should be able to fix it.
But first, restart your Chromebook. Press and hold the Power button for about 30 seconds to shut down the computer. After that, power it on normally
If that didn’t do the trick, try the methods below to fix the process system isn’t responding on Chromebook:
- Free up your Chromebook storage and RAM
- Update your apps
- Install all pending system updates
Part 3: How to fix process system isn’t responding in Honda Odyssey
Many users of the Honda Odyssey vehicle also reported this same issue. If this happened to you as well, there are two things you can try restart the vehicle or report the problem to the manufacturer.
Follow these steps to fix the Honda Odyssey process system isn’t responding.
- Power off the vehicle and leave it for 15-20 minutes.
- After that, start the vehicle normally. The problem should be fixed by now.
- If not, you can report the problem to Honda, and hopefully, they'll help you fix it.
Part 4: How to fix process system isn’t responding on Oculus Quest
Like others, the Oculus Quest device isn’t left out in this problem. And if your Oculus Quest Device says “process system isn’t responding” or “Oculus app runtime isn’t responding”, there’s a way to fix it.
Many users who experienced this problem said it stopped showing after the device runs down. So, the solution is simple.
- Turn on Oculus Quest and leave it for a few hours or days to let the battery run down.
- Next, recharge the battery fully.
- And finally, turn on your Oculus Quest device. Hopefully, it doesn't show the problem anymore.
On the whole, your Android device saying process system isn't responding can be frustrating. Nonetheless, following the guides in this article should see you through the problem. If non of the solutions worked for you, kindly seek help from an expert. And if you started experiencing this problem after rooting your device, the safest way out is to flash your phone with its custom ROM.
