Gmail keeps crashing and freezing on Android (FIX)

Gmail is easily the most used mail client on Android. Mostly because it comes with the OS and the fact that once-great Inbox is no more. Many people dislike it, as the app is not as intuitive as some other clients. To add insult to injury, it seems that Gmail keeps crashing and freezing for some Android users.

Table of contents:

1. Clear cache and data from the Gmail app
2. Disable and re-enable the app
3. Sign out of your Google Account and sign in again
4. Disable Dark mode
5. Update the app

Why does my Gmail app keep freezing?

There are various reasons why the Gmail app might keep crashing repeatedly on Android. The most common reasons are the corruption of locally stored cache and a variety of bugs. One of the common reasons is the Dark theme.

To fix this, make sure to follow the steps we listed below.

Solution 1 – Clear cache and data from the Gmail app

The first step you should take to address the issue at hand is to clear the cache and data from the Gmail app. Pilled-up locally-stored data might cause this issue. Especially if the app is unstable to start with due to a bug.

Follow these instructions to clear cache and data from Gmail for Android:

1. Navigate to Settings > Apps > All apps > Gmail again.
2. Select Storage.
3. Clear the cache first and then clear the data.
4. Reboot your device.

Solution 2 – Disable and re-enable the app

If the Gmail app keeps crashing or freezing, you can try to reinstall the app or, if it’s a system app, disable it and re-enable it again. Most users who run into issues with Gmail for Android fixed the problem this way.

Here’s how to reinstall or disable/re-enable Gmail for Android and prevent further crashes:

1. Navigate to Settings > Apps > All apps > Gmail.
2. Tap Uninstall or Uninstall updates.
3. Now, open the Play Store and locate Gmail.
4. Install Gmail and reboot your device.

Solution 3 – Sign out of your Google Account and sign in again

This solution might look like a long shot but it seemingly works for some. What you need to do is sign out of your Android account and then sign in again. This, in combination with previous troubleshooting steps, should address the problem.

Follow these instructions to sign out and then sign back into your Google Account on Android:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Accounts & sync.
3. Select Google.
4. Tap on the menu at the bottom and remove the account.
5. Reboot your device, add the account, and check for improvements with Gmail notifications.

Solution 4 – Disable Dark mode

One frequent and well-documented reason for this occurrence is the dark mode of Gmail on Android. Namely, after Android 10 was introduced, Google made sure to provide a dark theme for the majority of its apps for Android. When the long-awaited dark theme for Gmail was introduced, many users reported crashes.

Now, Google removed the dark theme temporarily and added it again after it was fixed, but we can’t say with certainty whether this feature is stable on all those Android devices. It is currently exclusively available on Android 10.

So, we recommend disabling the dark theme and looking for improvements:

1. Open Gmail.
2. Tap on the hamburger menu and then open Settings.
3. Choose General settings.
4. Tap on Theme and select Light.
5. Reboot your device and check for improvements.

Solution 5 – Update the app

Finally, this is more of a reminder and a continuation of the previous step. Always make sure to keep your apps up to date. You can open Play Store > Hamburger menu > My apps & games. Once there, make sure to update all pending apps.

And, on that note, we can conclude this article. Thank you for reading and we certainly hope the here-provided steps helped you resolve the issue. If your Gmail still keeps on crashing, make sure to tell us in the comments section below.

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in April 2021. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.