Android Apps Not Responding Or Phone Freezing: 9 Fixes (2026)

Your Android phone is frozen, or one app will not respond no matter how many times you tap it.

This is common, and in most cases it comes down to a bad app state, low storage, or a pending update.

The fixes below go from fastest to most drastic, and most people are done within 15 minutes.

Quick answer: which fix to try first

Symptom	Try first	Data lost?
Whole screen frozen	Force restart (hold the power button)	No
One app freezes or closes	Force stop, then clear cache	No
Everything is slow and laggy	Free up storage, then update	No
Started after installing an app	Safe mode, then uninstall it	No
Apps close right at launch	Update the app and Android System WebView	No
Nothing else worked	Factory reset	Yes, everything on the phone

Google’s own freeze guide says to restart after each step so you can tell which one worked.

Why does an Android phone freeze?

The usual causes are an app stuck in a bad state, storage that is almost full, or software that is out of date.

Google notes that problems tend to start when less than 10% of storage is free.

Following a fixed order matters, because the early steps are free and the last one erases the phone.

• 1. RestartFree, 1 minute
• 2. Force stopFree, 1 minute
• 3. Clear cacheFree, 2 minutes
• 4. StorageFree, 5 minutes
• 5. UpdatesFree, 10 minutes
• 6. Safe modeFree, 10 minutes
• 7. ResetErases data

1. Restart the phone, or force a restart if it is frozen

If the screen responds, hold the power button and tap Restart.

If the phone is completely frozen, Google says to hold the power button for about a minute until it restarts.

On a Samsung Galaxy, holding Volume down and the Side key together opens the power menu.

Key positions differ by model, so check your manual if nothing happens.

2. Force stop the app that is not responding

1. Open Settings and tap Apps.
2. Tap See all apps and pick the problem app.
3. Tap Force stop and confirm.
4. Reopen the app.

Menu names vary slightly between manufacturers, so use the Settings search box if you cannot find the screen.

3. Clear the app’s cache before its data

Clearing the cache deletes only temporary files, so it is safe.

1. Go to Settings > Apps > the app > Storage.
2. Tap Clear cache and reopen the app.
3. Only if it still fails, tap Clear data.

Warning: Clear data permanently deletes the app’s local data, including saved logins and offline files.

Google advises trying to delete data inside the app first when you can.

4. How much free storage does your phone need?

Keep well over 10% of storage free, since Google flags anything below that as a trouble point.

1. Open Settings > Storage and tap a category to see what is using space.
2. On Android 14 or later, open Free up space and select files to move to Trash.
3. Uninstall apps you no longer use.
4. On a Galaxy phone, the same check lives under Settings > Device Care > Storage.

Google also says you usually do not need to close background apps to save memory.

5. Update Android and the problem app

Outdated software is a frequent cause of crashes after a system or app change.

What to update	Pixel and most Android phones	Samsung Galaxy
System software	Settings > System > Software update	Settings > Software update
Single app	Google Play Store > your profile icon > Manage apps & device	Same, through the Play Store
Storage check	Settings > Storage	Settings > Device Care > Storage
Factory reset	Settings, then the reset option (name varies)	Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset

6. Update Android System WebView when many apps crash at once

Android System WebView is the component many apps use to show web content inside the app.

A WebView bug crashed apps such as Gmail for many people in March 2021, and updating WebView in the Play Store fixed it.

Search for Android System WebView in the Play Store and tap Update if the button appears.

If you see only Open or Disable, there is no pending update on your phone.

7. Use safe mode to find a bad app

Safe mode turns off downloaded apps temporarily, so if the freezing stops there, a third-party app is the cause.

Phone	Enter safe mode	Exit safe mode
Pixel 6 and later	Hold Power and Volume Up, then hold Power off or Restart and tap OK	Hold Power and Volume Up, then tap Restart
Pixel 5a and earlier	Hold Power, then hold the power-off option and confirm	Hold Power for about 30 seconds until it restarts
Samsung Galaxy	Hold Volume down and Side, then hold Power off	Hold the same keys and tap Restart

While in safe mode, uninstall the apps you added most recently, one at a time, and restart normally to test.

On a Pixel, safe mode also switches on airplane mode, so turn it off if you need Wi-Fi.

8. Reinstall the app that keeps failing

Uninstall the app, restart the phone, then install it fresh from the Play Store.

If one app still crashes while others run fine, check its Play Store page for a recent update or reports from other users.

9. Factory reset as the last resort

Google warns that a factory reset removes all data from the phone, though your Google Account data can be restored afterward.

1. Back up photos, messages, and app data first.
2. On a Galaxy phone, go to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset.
3. On other phones, find the reset option in Settings; the name varies by maker.
4. Follow the prompts and let the phone finish without interruption.

10. When to contact support

If a freshly reset phone still freezes, the problem is probably hardware, so contact your carrier or manufacturer.

Keep your purchase date handy to check warranty coverage.

Related guides

• Android phone overheating fixes, since heat can also cause lag and freezes.
• Android phone stuck in safe mode, if you cannot exit it.
• Google Pixel apps crashing fixes.
• Galaxy S25 Plus stuck in safe mode.

Official sources: Google: fix a phone that freezes, Google: free up storage, and Samsung: fix crashing apps.