5 Ways to Troubleshoot Apps that Are Not Working on Your Phone

In the modern day of smartphones, speed is everything when it comes to using the apps on your device. With 85% of the average person’s time spent on apps when using a smartphone, running into glitches and general issues is frustrating. That’s why learning how to troubleshoot problems with apps on your phone is so crucial. Learn the most common causes for app glitches, along with how to solve them, so that you can get back to business. 

Common Causes for Apps Glitching 

First and foremost, it’s important to look at some of the most common reasons for why apps may glitch on a device. One or more of the below reasons could be the cause, so use your best judgement based on the signs you are seeing: 

1. Overloaded RAM

When data is being stored in the short term, your phone’s random access memory (RAM) is what does the storing. Any data related to applications on your device that require frequent access will utilize RAM, but if your RAM storage is not substantial then performance may be affected. 

2. Outdated Operating System

All operating systems need updates on a consistent basis to remove bugs, address issues, and streamline performance. Operating systems work hand-in-hand with applications, meaning an outdated operating system can impact application performance. 

3. Poor Wi-Fi or Data Connection

While it may seem like a relatively simply issue, sometimes not having the best Internet connection is the most likely cause for why an app may not be working. Check to see if your device accidentally connected to slow Wi-Fi or if you are in an area with limited connection. 

4. Problems with the App

Finally, in some cases, the application itself may be to blame. Whether it is outdated and in need of an update or the developers have simply failed to address some bugs, the reason for the bad performance could be due to the design of the software within the application. 

5 Ways to Troubleshoot a Faulty App

Finding yourself faced with a problem such as the YouTube app not working on iPhone or your favorite game crashing every time you launch the app is frustrating. To solve the issue, try the following five strategies:

1. Hard restart the application

No matter how well built an application may be, it can still run into the occasional problem when loading up. The first step to troubleshooting a faulty app should be performing a hard restart on it. Swipe up so you see all your open windows, and then swipe up again to completed close the application. 

2. Check to see if there is an update

All apps can potentially get a bug, so check to see if there has been an update released for the application that is glitching. As a best practice, turning auto-update on for your device can be a great way to stay on top of updates that may come out in the future which you may otherwise miss. 

3. Restart your device

In case the problem with the app is actually your phone, try to restart your cellphone to see if anything happens. If turning the phone off and on doesn’t work, consider doing a soft reset that doesn’t impact the data which is on the device. 

4. Delete and redownload the app

Regardless of the specific reason for why the app you are trying to load is having an issue, sometimes the best situation is to simply delete it and redownload it. While this won’t always work, it’s essentially the equivalent of an ultra-hard restart for the application. 

5. Offload the app

Finally, you can attempt to offload the application as a somewhat last resort. Offloading an app refers to the process of deleting the app to clear local storage while preserving the data and information that was on the app at the time of deletion. This process can be done by going into your settings and accessing iPhone storage. 

Improve the performance of your device

While no application will work perfectly 100% of the time, it’s not unreasonable to expect a well-developed app to have very little downtime. Regardless of the cause for why the application in question is not working on your device, try to troubleshoot using each of the above five strategies. In a worst-case scenario where no apps are working on your device, it may be necessary to take your device in to be fixed professionally.