App is crashing or not working on Samsung phone or tablet

If you are having issues with any apps freezing or crashing, even after updates, there are a few things you can try to resolve your problem. Clearing the app cache, checking if the app is compatible with your device, rebooting your device, optimizing your device, uninstalling and reinstalling the app, and even checking for additional updates are all things that may help.

App is crashing or not working on Samsung phone or tablet

Checkpoint

Troubleshoot the app on your Galaxy phone or tablet

Check for app updates.

If the app is installed and is not working or crashing, check for an update to the app using the Play Store or Galaxy Store. If you downloaded the app from a third party store, be sure to check there.

If you are using the Play Store or Galaxy Store to download an app, you can check its availability before downloading. If your device will not allow the download or if the app does not appear in either app store, then the app is not compatible.

For example, apps written for an older version of Android may not work on recent devices.

Once you've confirmed the app is up-to-date, open it to see if the issue has been fixed.

Check the app's permissions.

If you haven't used an app in a while, you may need to make sure it has the permissions it needs to operate. Permissions are automatically removed if an app hasn't been used.

Navigate to and open Settings, and then tap Apps. Tap the desired app, and then tap Permissions. Under Allowed or Not allowed, you can select your permission preferences. For example, you can select Allow only while using the app, Ask every time, or Don't allow. Keep in mind that some apps may have additional options to choose from.

Reset the app.

Sometimes an error with an app's data can cause issues, and clearing it out will give the app a fresh start.

Open Settings, and then swipe to and tap Apps. Depending on the app that's causing your problems, you may need to tap Filter and sort, and then tap Show system apps. Select the app, tap Storage, and then tap Clear data. Tap Delete when prompted.

Now try the app again to see if it is working properly.

Note

Deleting your app's data will erase any data stored by the app and may log you out of the app. Backup any important information before clearing data.

Update the Google Play system.

Many apps rely on the Google Play system software to operate.

Open Settings.
Tap About phone or About tablet.
Tap Software information.
Tap Google Play system update.

Follow the prompts to install any available update.

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Optimize your phone or tablet with Device care

Navigate to Device care.

On your phone or tablet, navigate to and open Settings. Swipe to and tap Device care.

Optimize the phone or tablet

Tap Optimize now. This feature will improve your overall performance by closing running apps, scanning for abnormal power usage, wasted storage space, and unstable or malicious apps. If you don't have the option to optimize, the device is already in an optimal condition.

Repeat the action that was causing the issue to see if the problem still occurs.

Reboot the device.

If you did not have the option to optimize, or the app is still having an issue, a reboot may help.

Swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers, and then tap the Power icon. Tap Restart, and then tap Restart again.

Repeat the action that was causing the issue to see if the problem still occurs.

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Uninstall and reinstall apps

Uninstall the app.

From your Home screen, swipe up to open the App drawer. Find the app you want to remove, and then touch and hold the app's icon until a popup menu appears. Tap Uninstall, and then tap OK to confirm.

Some preinstalled apps cannot be uninstalled. Tap App info, tap More options, and then tap Uninstall updates. Or, tap Disable if you do not plan on using the app.

Reinstall the app.

Galaxy Store apps

Open the Galaxy Store, and then tap Menu (the three horizontal lines) in the upper right corner. Tap My apps; from the Apps tab, find the missing app and tap the Download icon.

Play Store apps

Open the Play Store, and tap your profile picture. Tap My apps & games, and then tap Library. Find the app you want, and then tap Install.

Test the app.

Try using the app normally and see if the issue has been resolved.

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Boot the device into Safe mode

Learn about Safe mode.

Certain downloaded apps can make your phone or tablet freeze, crash, or lag. Some apps can even affect camera functionality, cause audio issues, and affect network connectivity.

Using Safe mode disables all downloaded apps and loads only the original software that came with your phone or tablet, allowing you to determine if the issue is caused by an app or with the device itself.

If the issues do not appear while in Safe mode, the problem is caused by a downloaded app, and it should be uninstalled.

Important

If you have a security feature set up on the phone or tablet, you'll be required to enter your credentials once the phone or tablet reboots.

Reboot the phone or tablet in Safe mode.

First, open the Power menu:

On devices with a regular Power button, press and hold the Power button until the Power menu is displayed.
On devices without a dedicated Power button, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to open the Quick settings panel. Tap the Power icon at the top of the screen.

Touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode icon is displayed. Tap Safe mode to start your device in Safe mode. If you've entered Safe mode successfully, you'll see “Safe mode” displayed at the bottom of the screen.

Check if the phone or tablet is still having the same problem.

Use the phone or tablet normally to see if the issue has been resolved. If the phone or tablet is operating normally, a recently installed app was most likely causing the issue.

If the issue is gone in Safe mode: One of your recently downloaded apps was likely the cause of the problem. Proceed to Step 4.
If the issue still exists: Downloaded apps may not be the cause of the problem. You may need to reset the phone or tablet to its factory setting.

Uninstall apps.

One by one, uninstall any apps you downloaded just before your phone or tablet began having the issue.

After uninstalling each app, exit safe mode and check for normal operation.

After you uninstall the app that caused the issue, you can reinstall the other safe apps you just deleted.

Exit Safe mode.

First, open the Power menu:

On devices with a regular Power button, press and hold the Power button until the Power menu is displayed.
On devices without a dedicated Power button, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to open the Quick settings panel. Tap the Power icon at the top of the screen.

Tap Power off to turn off the device. Wait until the phone or tablet completely turns off, and then press the Power button again to turn it on. Check if the issue has been resolved.

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Perform a factory data reset on your phone or tablet

Warning

You may need your Samsung account password or Lock screen password when resetting your phone or tablet. All your data will be erased. However, before resetting your device, you can use Smart Switch or a cloud account to back up your data onto an SD card or USB drive. If you have encrypted your SD card, it must be decrypted before resetting your device.

Prepare your phone or tablet for reset.

Make sure to back up your phone or tablet. All data and settings will be erased.
Write down the username and password for the account that you used to back up your data.
We recommend having your phone or tablet plugged into the wall charger during the reset process because it may take up to an hour.
If you have encrypted the SD Card inserted in to your phone or tablet, make sure to decrypt it before the reset. Navigate to Settings, search for and select SD, and then tap Decrypt SD card.

Perform the reset.

Navigate to Settings. Search for and select Factory data reset. Tap Factory data reset again, and then tap Reset. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the reset. You may need to enter your Samsung account password or Lock screen password. The phone or tablet will reboot.

Set up the device.

When the phone or tablet reboots, it will have its original factory settings. Now you will need to go through the initial setup to finish setting up the phone or tablet. The phone may require you to enter your Samsung or Google account information to complete the setup.

Test the device.

Before installing any apps, make sure that your phone or tablet is functioning normally.

If you are still encountering any issues, please visit a Samsung walk-in service center or you can schedule a repair service online.

Note

If you are still experiencing network service issues with calling, SMS or MMS messages, network signals, mobile data, or hotspots after resetting the device, you may need to contact your carrier.