Fix: Android 12 apps keep crashing

Android 12 is here for Pixel devices and many OEMs are a bit behind with updates since they want to put their own imprint while keeping the system stable. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be the case for some users. Some users report that apps keep crashing on Android 12. Of course, if you are on the beta release, this is nothing strange. However, if you got stable firmware running on top of Android 12 but the issues are prominent, check the steps we provided below.

Table of contents:

1. Reboot your device
2. Clear cache from apps
3. Boot into Safe mode and check for improvements
4. Update the firmware
5. Reset the device to factory settings

Why does my Android phone keep crashing?

This is quite a rare happening but when it does happen, it’s usually due to incompatibility of the apps with the new Android version.

You should try and reboot your device, reset the affected apps or, eventually, reset your device to factory settings to resolve the problem almost certainly.

Solution 1 – Reboot your device

The first thing to do is to reboot your device once. Switching from older to newer Android versions is usually seamless but sometimes the factory reset is recommended. But, resetting your device to factory settings and restoring everything can be quite a chore.

So, reboot your device and check for improvements. If the issue persists, move to the additional steps below.

Solution 2 – Clear cache from apps

If you can pinpoint apps that are crashing, maybe we are not looking at a system-wide problem. First of all, clear cache and data from all apps that are crashing after a system update was applied.

If that doesn’t help, reinstall said apps from the Play Store or sideload a newer version from APK Mirror. If pre-installed Google apps are causing issues, reset them to factory settings and check again.

Follow these steps to clear cache and data from apps on Android 12:

1. Open Settings.
2. Choose Apps.
3. Tap All apps (App manager or Manage apps).
4. Open the app you want to clear cache and data from.
5. Tap Storage.
6. Clear cache first and then data.

You can also uninstall updates from some system apps (Google Services) like Google Play Services, Google Play Store, Android WebView, and Google Services Framework. To do that, navigate to Settings > Apps > All apps > Google Play Services > 3-dots menu > Uninstall updates. These services will auto-update and the problem should be gone.

For Google Services Framework, you’ll need to add System processes to the list of installed apps.

Solution 3 – Boot into Safe mode and check for improvements

Some OEMs recently removed the Recovery option to wipe the cache partition but Safe mode is there to stay. It’s the essential troubleshooting step and it helps to identify the problem rather than solve it. In this case, it will help you find out whether the apps crashing on the Android 12 issue can be singled out or if it’s a system-wide issue.

Once you reboot your device in Safe mode, there are two scenarios. If the issue persists, we highly recommend moving to step 5 and resetting your device to factory settings. On the other hand, if everything works as intended, make sure to update your firmware.

Here’s how to enter Safe mode on Android:

1. Press and hold the Power button until the Power menu appears.
2. Tap and hold on to the Power Off icon until you see the Safe Mode prompt.
3. Tap again to restart your device into Safe Mode.
4. If the apps keep crashing, continue with the steps below. If not, uninstall all recently-installed third-party apps.
5. To exit Safe Mode, just reboot your device again.

Solution 4 – Update the firmware

As mentioned in the previous step, update giveth and update taketh away so, the best way to resolve rushed Android 12 update is with timely patches. And, since we are looking at a major issue, OEM will probably provide the fix as soon as possible.

So, navigate to Settings and check for updates. Users are usually prompted when there’s an update available, but it won’t cost you to check out for updates manually.

Follow these steps to update your device:

1. Open Settings.
2. Choose System.
3. Open Software update.
4. Check for updates.

Solution 5 – Reset the device to factory settings

Finally, the last solution we can recommend is the safest bet that apps or the system won’t keep crashing on Android 12 anymore. And that’s the factory reset. This is usually advised as there are changes in the system architecture and certain apps and services might misbehave.

So, back up your data from the internal storage and system settings to Google Drive or OEM’s cloud and reset the device.

If you are not sure how to do it, follow the steps below:

1. Back up your data from the internal storage (photos can be saved to Google Photos, and other media can be saved to an external storage or a PC).
2. Navigate to Settings > System > Reset. The exact path might differ based on your device.
3. Select Factory data reset (Erase All).
4. Follow the instructions to reset your device to factory values.
5. When restoring your device, avoid restoring apps. Restore everything else (Settings, Contacts, etc.). Restore apps later from Play Store.

That’s a wrap-up. Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share your experience with this issue in the comments section below.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in February 2020 and written to cover issues on Android 10. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy and adapt it for Android 12. This isn’t to say that these solutions are not applicable to Android 10, Android 11, or previous iterations.