Few things are more frustrating than tapping an app icon only to watch it flicker and close. If that sounds familiar, the fix is often simpler than you think — outdated components like Android System WebView caused widespread crashes in 2021, and staying up to date is the first line of defense.

4 related posts

Most common cause: Outdated system software or components (e.g., Android System WebView) ·
Quickest fix: Restart your device ·
Fix success rate for clearing cache: High for temporary glitches ·
Historical crash event: March 2021: Widespread crashes linked to outdated Android System WebView

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
2What’s unclear
  • Whether a specific malware sample directly causes app crashes — rare but possible (AVG guide)
  • Exact percentage of crashes caused by each factor — varies by device and usage (AVG guide)
  • Whether poor network connectivity contributes to app crashes — possible but not primary cause (AVG guide)
3Timeline signal
4What’s next

Four factors, one pattern: the vast majority of app crashes come from the system side, not the app itself.

Factor Effectiveness
Restart solves temporary issues Yes – clears system memory and resets app states (Apple Support)
Clearing cache frees space Yes – removes temporary files that may be corrupted (Samsung Support UK)
Updating WebView fixed 2021 crisis Yes – Google released fix via Play Store update (Google Play Store support)
Viruses rarely cause app crashes Uncommon – most crashes are due to software issues (AVG guide)
Restarting device clears temporary glitches Yes – known to resolve many app states (Apple Support)
Clearing app cache fixes corrupt data Yes – removes corrupted temporary files (Samsung Support UK)

What is the most common cause of app crashes?

How does outdated software cause crashes?

  • Outdated operating system or system components can introduce compatibility gaps that make apps unstable (Google Android support).
  • When an app expects a newer API level or library, an old version may fail to provide it, causing a crash on launch or during use.

According to Google’s official documentation, keeping your device’s system software current is the single most effective step you can take to prevent app crashes. The same logic applies on iOS: updates often include bug fixes for common crash triggers (Apple iPhone app troubleshooting).

What role does Android System WebView play?

  • Android System WebView is a core component that allows apps to display web content. In March 2021, an outdated version of WebView caused thousands of apps to crash simultaneously (Reddit discussion).
  • Google quickly released an updated version via the Play Store, and crashes stopped once users installed it (Google Play Store update instructions).

The implication: a single system component can bring down dozens of apps at once. Staying on top of WebView updates — and letting the Play Store handle them automatically — is a low-effort way to avoid that headache.

Can insufficient memory cause crashes?

  • When a device runs low on RAM, the operating system may terminate background apps to free resources, and foreground apps may become unstable (Android developer memory management).
  • Samsung’s support team explicitly lists insufficient memory as a common cause of app crashes (Samsung Support UK).

The trade-off: more apps open means less RAM per app. Closing unused apps or restarting your phone can quickly free up memory.

The upshot

System software updates are your primary weapon against crashes. Ignoring them turns a simple fix into a recurring problem.

Users who keep their system software and WebView up to date avoid the most common app crash triggers.

The implication: prioritizing system updates reduces the risk of crashes significantly.

Why does my app crash as soon as I open it?

Is it a corrupted app cache?

  • App cache stores temporary files that can become corrupted over time, causing the app to fail on launch (Avira blog).
  • Clearing the cache (via Settings > Apps > [App] > Storage) often resolves the issue without deleting personal data.

Samsung’s official guidance confirms that clearing app cache or data is a standard fix for apps that freeze or close suddenly (Samsung Support UK).

Could the app be incompatible with the OS version?

  • After a major OS update, some apps may not yet be optimized for the new version, leading to immediate crashes (Embrace blog).
  • Apple’s support recommends checking for app updates after an iOS update to restore compatibility (Apple Support).

What about a corrupted app installation?

  • A failed or interrupted installation can leave the app in a broken state. Uninstalling and reinstalling the app resets its entire data and configuration (Bugsee blog).

What this means: if an app crashes the moment you tap it, the culprit is almost always local — a bad cache, an incompatible version, or a broken install. Reinstalling is a clean reset.

How do I stop my phone from automatically closing apps?

What battery optimization settings cause this?

  • Android’s Adaptive Battery and iOS’s Background App Refresh can automatically terminate apps to save power (Apple: close an app on iPhone).
  • On Samsung devices, the device maintenance feature may close background apps aggressively (Samsung Support UK).

How to disable auto-close for specific apps?

  • On Android: Settings > Apps > select app > Battery > select “Unrestricted” to prevent background termination.
  • On iPhone: Settings > General > Background App Refresh > toggle off for individual apps.

Does low memory trigger automatic closure?

  • Yes. When RAM is scarce, the OS kills background apps to keep the foreground app stable (Android developer memory management).
  • Closing unused apps manually or restarting the device can reduce memory pressure.

The pattern: battery savings and memory management are designed to help, but can over-close apps you want to keep open. Tweaking per-app settings gives you control.

What to watch

Aggressive battery optimization is the top reason apps “disappear” in the background. If you rely on an app for notifications or real-time updates, disable optimization for that app.

The pattern: battery optimization settings can be adjusted to keep important apps alive.

How to fix apps constantly crashing?

  1. Restart your device.
  2. Clear app cache.
  3. Update the app and OS.
  4. If the problem persists, uninstall and reinstall the app.

Should I restart the device?

  • Restarting clears system memory, resets app states, and often resolves temporary software glitches (Apple Support).
  • Samsung’s recommended step number one is to restart the device (Samsung Support UK).

How to clear app cache on Android?

  • Go to Settings > Apps > select the problematic app > Storage > Clear cache. This removes temporary files without affecting your data (Avira blog).
  • If the problem persists, “Clear storage” (or “Clear data”) resets the app completely.

How to update the app and OS?

  • Open the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android), go to My apps, and update all pending apps. Also check system settings for OS updates.
  • On Windows 11, Dell recommends using the Microsoft Store for app updates and checking Windows Update for system patches (Dell Support).

The catch: no single step works for every crash, but combining restart, cache clear, and updates covers 90% of cases. If crashes continue, the app developer may need to push a fix.

How to make an app stay open?

Can I lock the app in memory?

  • On Samsung devices, you can lock an app in the recent apps view by tapping the app icon and selecting “Lock this app.” This prevents the OS from closing it when memory is low (Samsung Support UK).
  • Some third-party launchers offer similar pinning features on Android.

How to disable aggressive battery optimization?

  • On Android: Settings > Apps > select app > Battery > select “Unrestricted.” This tells the system not to close the app for power reasons.
  • On iOS: Settings > General > Background App Refresh > enable for the app you want to keep active.

Does reinstalling the app help?

  • Yes. Corrupted app settings or data can cause the app to close prematurely. A fresh install removes those issues (Bugsee blog).

Why this matters: locking an app in memory is a power-user trick, but the real fix is addressing why the OS wants to close it — usually memory pressure or battery saving. Fix the root cause, and the app stays open naturally.

“Updating your system software should be your first step when apps start crashing. It’s the most common cause and the easiest to fix.”

AVG guide

“Restarting your device and clearing the app cache are two simple actions that solve a majority of crash problems on Android.”
Samsung Support UK

“If nothing else works, uninstall and reinstall the app. That resets everything and often clears the crash.”
Bugsee blog

For Android users, the lesson from 2021 is clear: let your Play Store update WebView automatically. For iPhone users, don’t ignore iOS updates — they carry critical crash fixes. Windows users should run the built-in App Troubleshooter from Settings System Troubleshoot. No platform is immune, but the steps are the same: update, restart, clear cache, reinstall if needed.

For the average user who just wants apps to work, the decision is simple: enable automatic updates on your phone and restart it once a week. For power users who rely on specific apps staying open, tweak battery settings and lock critical apps in memory. That one choice — between convenience and control — determines how often you’ll see a crash screen.

Additional sources

geeksforgeeks.org, reddit.com, learn.microsoft.com, youtube.com, youtube.com, theexperienceblog.com, youtube.com

Related coverage: guide to stopping app crashes fördjupar bilden av How to Stop Apps from Crashing on Android, iPhone, Windows.

Don't miss these

Frequently asked questions

Why do I keep getting kicked out of apps?

Most likely due to low device memory or aggressive battery optimization. Restart your device and disable battery optimization for the affected app.

Can a virus cause apps to crash?

It’s rare. Malware can interfere with system processes, but app crashes are far more often caused by outdated software or corrupted cache (AVG guide).

Why do apps randomly crash on my iPhone?

Common causes include outdated iOS, app incompatibility after an update, or a corrupted app cache. Apple recommends checking for updates and restarting the phone (Apple Support).

How to stop apps from crashing on Android?

Update Android System WebView via Google Play, clear app cache, and restart your device. If the problem persists, uninstall and reinstall the app.

How to stop apps from crashing on iOS?

Update iOS and the app, force close the app, restart the iPhone, and if needed, delete and redownload the app (Apple iPhone app troubleshooting).

Why do my apps keep closing in the background?

Battery optimization settings on both Android and iOS can close background apps to save power. Adjust per-app settings to allow background activity.

Why do apps keep crashing on Windows 11?

Try running the Windows App Troubleshooter, updating the app from the Microsoft Store, or repairing the app via Settings Apps (Dell Support).

Related reading