Fix an Android app that isn't working

To restart your Android phone or tablet, press your device's power button for about 30 seconds, until your device restarts.

Rebooting your device gives it a fresh start. Sometimes, that's all you need to fix an issue.

System updates can bring improvements that may fix your issue.

To check for and install system updates:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Scroll down and tap About phone or About tablet.
3. Tap System updates.
4. Tap Check for update.
   • If a system update is available, tap Install. You might need to restart your device to complete the update.
   • If a system update isn't available, the screen will say, "Your system is up to date."

App updates can bring improvements that may fix your issue.

To see and get updates for your apps:

1. Open the Play Store app .
2. At the top left, tap Menu .
3. Tap My apps & games.
4. Apps with available updates are labeled "Update."
   • If an update is available, tap the app > Update.
   • If multiple updates are available, tap Update all.

In general, you don't need to close apps. Android automatically manages the memory that apps use.

But to completely shut down an app, including any background services that it may be using:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Apps.
3. Pick the app from the list.
4. Tap Force stop.

If you continue to have the same problems with the app after you've force stopped, you may need to contact the app's developer.

Clearing cached data can free up needed space by removing temporary files from your device. This is a short-term solution and, over time, cached data will build up again and will need to be cleared.

To clear the cache for the app:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Apps or Application manager (depending on your device, this may be different).
3. On the list, tap the app.
4. Tap Storage.
5. Tap Clear cache.

If you continue to have the same problems with the app after you've cleared the cache, you may need to contact the app's developer.

Clearing all of an app's data can resolve some issues.

Caution: Any data saved in this app will be erased.

To clear all if an app's data:

1. Open your device's Settings app .
2. Tap Apps or Application manager (depending on your device, this may be different).
3. On the list, tap the app.
4. Tap Storage.
5. Tap Clear data.

If you continue to have the same problems with the app after you've cleared its data, you may need to contact the app's developer.

If you downloaded the app from the Google Play Store, you can try contacting the developer for further assistance.

If you continue to have issues, you can uninstall the app.

Caution: Any data saved in this app will be erased.

To uninstall an app:

1. Touch & hold the app you want to uninstall.
2. Drag the app to Uninstall at the top of the screen. If you don’t see Uninstall, then the app is likely a system app that can't be uninstalled.
3. If you want to use the app again, you can try reinstalling the app.