Why does my Samsung Galaxy device keep crashing/freezing and how can I fix it?

Last updated: 10 January, 2014

If your device keep crashing regardless of which app(s) you use then proceed to the last section on performing a factory reset. If your device only seems to crash when you're using a certain app please follow the below sections first: you may not need to perform a factory reset.

There are several potential causes for an app crashing frequently on your Samsung Galaxy device and there are steps below to troubleshoot them. Before taking any further steps, though, please update your device's software as this may solve the problem. (Note that the following steps may differ slightly for your Galaxy device):

1. From the Home screen touch Apps.

2. Touch Settings (you may need to swipe left or right to locate it first).

3. Touch About device.

4. Touch Software update.

5. Touch Update.

If an app(s) continues to crash frequently after the software update (or if no software update was available) please see below.

It could be a bad app

Some third-party apps are better made than others. It's worth checking the reviews for a problematic app in the Google Play or Samsung Apps stores to see if the frequent crashes are common for other users, especially those with the same Samsung Galaxy device as yours. If this is the case consider contacting the app's developer to ask about bug fixes for your device. Samsung cannot improve the stability of third-party apps so it is down to the developer to improve their app.

It could be a memory glitch

If you haven't restarted your device in more than a day or so please do so now. The app may keep crashing due to a memory glitch in your device and turning your device on and off may well solve that problem. If it doesn't:

3. Touch the application that keeps crashing.

4. Touch Clear Data and Clear Cache.

It be due to a lack of memory 

The unstable app may not have enough memory on your device to function well. Try uninstalling any unused or very infrequently used apps and/or deleting some media files to free up internal memory.

It could be due to a corrupt external SD card

Corrupted memory cards can sometimes cause problems on devices. Try using the device without the SD card inserted (assuming your device has an external SD card) to see if the app's performance improves. If the card is causing problems, try formatting the card through in Settings > Storage menu. Make sure to back up any important files on the card before formatting it.

Your device may require a factory reset

If the source of the problem on the device cannot be identified, it may be necessary to perform a factory data reset to resolve the issue. You can reset the settings on your device by going to Settings > Privacy > Factory data reset (or Settings > Backup and reset> Factory data reset in Ice Cream Sandwich and other later versions of Android). Please note you will lose all applications and saved data, including your Google account settings, so ensure that you back up your device prior to performing the reset.If you are still experiencing frequent app crashes after heeding the above your device may have a hardware fault that requires engineer attention.

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