What to try when an Android app keeps crashing
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Key facts
- Though Google is implementing a stricter security process for sideloading, you can still install apps outside the Play Store
- The Google Play Store is home to millions of apps, and it's also where developers push updates that introduce new features and squash bugs
- So, if an app has been acting strangely, heading to the Play Store is one of the first troubleshooting steps worth trying
- On newer versions of Android, you will first have to enable developer mode by navigating to Settings > About Phone and tapping on Build Number seven times
Summary
The Google Play Store is home to millions of apps, and it's also where developers push updates that introduce new features and squash bugs. To do so, tap on your profile picture in the top-right corner, select Manage apps and device, and under the Updates available section, check to see if there's a newer version of the troublesome app waiting to be installed. If there are no pending updates for you to install, you can dig a bit deeper into the app's settings. While you're in the App info settings, tap on Storage & cache and select the Clear cache option. If clearing the app's cache and force stopping it didn't do the trick, you can attempt to fully uninstall it and download it from the Play Store again. The downside to this approach is that you'll wipe any data the app has stored locally.