One of the biggest perks of having an open-source ecosystem like Android is the ability to welcome abode a plethora of apps onto your device. Whether it’s from the Play Store or a third-party site, you may easily install/sideload apps spread across varied domains in just a few clicks. However, there could be an instance or two wherein the app might not be working along the expected lines on your Android device.
From crashing on launch to being extremely slow to function, or being unable to carry out its tasks in the background [such as when trying to sync with the servers or notification delays] you might come across quite a few issues in your day-to-day usage of these apps. Fortunately, there exist quite a few nifty methods that should help you rectify this issue. So without further ado, let’s check them out.
How to Fix App not working on Android
It is recommended that you try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and then see which one spells out success. So with that in mind, let’s get started.
FIX 1: Restart Device
In most instances, a restart is all that is needed to rectify the underlying issue. So proceed ahead and reboot your device once and then check if it works out in your favor.
FIX 2: Force Stop
You might also get bugged by this issue if the app’s background process is not functioning along the expected lines. In such cases, you should consider stopping and then restarting the app. Here’s how it could be done:
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Select the desired app.
- Then tap on Force Stop > OK in the confirmation prompt that appears.
- Now wait for a few seconds, then relaunch the app and check the results.
FIX 3: Delete App Cache
If a lot of temporary data gets accrued over the due course of time, then not only will it slow down the app, but it could also have an adverse impact on the overall functioning of the app. Therefore, it is recommended that you delete these cached data, as explained below:
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Select the desired app.
- Then go to its Storage and Cache section and tap on Delete Cache.
- Now launch the app and check if it is working on your Android device.
FIX 4: Update App
You should always be on the latest build of the app. Not only are we talking from the security point of view, but the latest version also has all the bugs and issues ironed out. So head over to the Play Store or the desired third-party site of your choice [if you have done a sideload] and update the app right away.
FIX 5: Remove Battery Restrictions
If you have put any battery restrictions in place, then it might prevent the app from carrying out its normal functionalities, not just in the background but even in the foreground. Therefore, make sure to remove those roadblocks, at least for the app in question, if not across the OS. Here’s how it could be done:
- Go to Settings > Apps > All Apps > Select the desired app.
- Then head over to its App Battery Usage section.
- Now tap on Allow background usage and select Unrestricted.
- Check if it fixes the app crashing issue on your Android device.
FIX 6: Reset App Preferences
There have been a few instances wherein tweaking the settings of an app ends up having an adverse impact on the overall functioning of another app. So you should consider reverting all the app preferences to their default state. Doing so will reset the rules related to disabled and default apps as well as remove all the restrictions put in place (it will not wipe any app data though). All in all, it will give you the stock settings to work upon which in turn might rectify the issue as well.
- Head over to the Settings > System menu on your device.
- Then go to Reset Options and tap on Reset App Preferences.
- After that, tap on the Reset Apps button in the confirmation dialog box.
- Now launch the app and check if it is working on your Android device.
FIX 7: Unpause App Activity
- Head over to Settings > Apps > All Apps > select the desired app.
- Then disable the toggle next to Pause App Activity if unused.
- Check if it fixes the app not working issue on your Android device.
FIX 8: Delete App Data
If the app’s data has got corrupted or outdated, then issues such as the one that we are currently dealing with are along the expected lines. Therefore, you should consider deleting the app data and letting it repopulate with a fresh version of the same from scratch. Here’s how it could be done:
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Select the desired app.
- Then go to its Storage and Cache section and tap on Delete Data > OK.
- Now relaunch the app, set it up, and check if it fixes the underlying bug.
FIX 9: Reinstall App
In case the app’s configuration settings have been corrupted, then it’s along the obvious lines that the app might face a few roadblocks in its normal functioning. Therefore, your best bet is to uninstall the app and then reinstall it, thereby setting it up from scratch in the process. Follow along with the steps:
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Select the desired app.
- Then tap on Uninstall followed by OK in the confirmation prompt.
- Now download it from the Play Store/third-party site of your choice.
FIX 10: Downgrade App
In some cases, the developer might end up rolling a buggy update to its app. Therefore, you should consider downgrading to its earlier stable build until the developer rolls out a patch. Here’s how it could be done:
- Head over to Settings > Apps > See All Apps > Select the desired app.
- Then tap on Uninstall followed by OK in the confirmation prompt.
- Now download an older version of the app from a third-party website.
- Then launch it, set it up, and check if it fixes the Android app not working issue.
FIX 11: Reset Device
While this is quite an aggressive approach to opt for, but if none of the aforementioned methods spelled out success, then as a last resort, you may opt for doing a factory reset. However, before starting, please take a backup of all the data on your device. Once done, you may then proceed with the below steps:
- First off, head over to Settings > System > Reset Options.
- After that, go to the Erase All Data (factory reset) section.
- Finally, tap on the Erase All Data button and wait for the process to complete.
- Once done, set up your device from scratch. The underlying issue will be fixed.
That’s it. These were the various methods that should help you fix the app’s crashing/not working issue on your Android device. Still, have any doubts? The comments section is all yours, make your voices heard there and we’ll chalk out the best fix for you.
