Smartphone technology is growing by leaps and bounds each year, along with user expectations. Users want applications to be fast, intuitive and start-up within four seconds, according to a survey by Dimensional Research. Apps can be fun, exciting, and useful, but what happens when they start crashing on the Android platform? This can be a common issue, but knowing why apps crash and what you can do to fix them can help improve your user experience.
1. Infrequent Updates
When Android updates its operating system, apps that have infrequent updates may begin to crash or act irregularly. In most cases, the older app cannot function on the update’s newer software and this causes the crash. You can most likely run these apps on older operating systems, but in some cases, the app requires an update before it can function properly.
2. Not Enough Memory
If you have multiple apps running on your Android phone, chances are you experience frequent crashes because of limited memory. Some apps also tend to eat up a lot of memory as they run, which may cause crashes in apps that are running in the background. Social media apps and some browsers tend to eat up a lot of data and memory, so you may want to close your background apps before you attempt to run them.
3. Poor or Limited Testing
The Android platform has given rise to dozens of different products that run on its system: phones, tablets, lightweight laptops, and tablet computers, and gaming devices. With all these different devices, app developers may not have the time or budget to thoroughly test their apps, or they do not take other device operations into account. As a result, the app starts to crash each time it is opened or acts erratically during use.
4. Operator Impatience
Some apps require a longer startup time than others, and if they are interfered with during this process, they may crash or freeze. For example, double-tapping on an application icon that is trying to open may cause it to operate unexpectedly or cause damage to your Android device. Apps that tend to use more data may open slower, so it is wise to practice patience and protect your phone’s operating system.
5. Poor Wi-Fi Signal
If you are running your phone on Wi-Fi for any reason and begin to experience app crashes, this may be because of a poor or inconsistent signal. Some apps, like Facebook and Twitter, can be especially problematic in this situation. If you are away from your home’s Wi-Fi and cannot operate your larger apps, consider switching to data until you are done using them.
Some devices, such as tablets, can only run apps when a Wi-Fi signal is present. You may want to note which ones require data or a strong signal to run properly.
6. A System Update Is Needed
Apps sometimes crash when you try to operate them on an older system or fail to update your phone. These updates are usually necessary and can improve communication between the app and the operating system. You may want to check your installed apps and learn how to get crash logs from android device settings so you run the proper update.
If you believe your phone needs an update, you can verify this within the phone’s settings itself. Check for a tab called “software updates” and follow the instructions the system gives you. While most phones update automatically, checking for missed updates may improve app performance.
It can be frustrating when apps crash or do not function properly. Knowing why this happens and what you can do to fix it may provide you with an improved Android experience, no matter what type of device you use.
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