Contacts app keeps crashing on Samsung Galaxy Note 5 after being updated to Android Nougat [Troubleshooting Guide]
This problem is actually characterized by the error message “Unfortunately, Contacts has stopped.” It’s not a common problem but it has been happening not just to Samsung Galaxy #Note5 units but also to other Galaxy devices or across Android platform for that matter. Basically, the error message is just a result of the Contacts app crashing due to factors that we are yet to know. In this case, however, we’re dealing with an issue that reportedly started after the recent Android Nougat update.
If you own this phone, recently updated it and are currently bugged by an error that suggests an app crashed without apparent reason, then read on as this troubleshooting guide may be able to help you get rid of it or fix the problem for good.
But before we jump right into our troubleshooting, try to visit our troubleshooting page if you happen to have a problem that’s not the same as the one we’re trying to fix here. We have already addressed hundreds of problems since the phone was released and odds are that there are already existing solutions to your problems. Find ones that are similar with yours and use the solutions and/or troubleshooting guides we suggested. If they don’t work for you, then contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire.
Troubleshooting Galaxy Note 5 “Unfortunately, Contacts has stopped” error
The course of our troubleshooting is to do the procedure that works first based on reports or cases we’ve tackled in the past. We have to take into consideration that the error message started to show up shortly after the Note 5 got updated to Nougat but before we jump into our troubleshooting, here’s one of the complaints from our readers that best describes this error:
Problem: Hi guys. My Galaxy Note 5 has recently been updated to Nougat and while I’ve been waiting for this update since it was announced last year, I’m disappointed because after the update whenever I dial a number, it says “Unfortunately, Contacts has stopped.” Not quite sure what I have to do to fix this that’s why I’m asking for your help if you know how to fix this. Thanks a lot!
Troubleshooting: Now, let’s try to see if we can make your phone work perfectly again minus the error message without compromising your files and data. Follow the steps below to see if they work…
Step 1: Delete the system caches so they’ll be replaced with new ones
The problem started after an update so there’s a chance old system caches got corrupted and since they’re not automatically replaced when a new firmware is installed, Nougat might still be using them even if some of them are already incompatible. It might be the reason why one of the built-in apps, in this case Contacts, is crashing. Here’s what you need to do to rule out this possibility:
- Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
- Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
- Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
- Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
- The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
- Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘wipe cache partition’ and press the Power key to select it.
- When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
- The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.
Once the phone has successfully rebooted, try to trigger the error to know if it still shows up and if so, then continue your troubleshooting, otherwise, problem solved!
Step 2: Reset the Contacts app by clearing its cache and data
In the first step, we cleared the system caches so that Nougat will create new caches that are completely compatible with it, however, the problem wasn’t fixed so now, we have to try to clear the cache and data of the Contacts app itself. This will reset the app but don’t worry, none of your contacts will be deleted as they’re handled by the service Contacts Storage.
- From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Find and tap Settings.
- Under the ‘APPLICATIONS’ section, find and touch Application manager.
- Swipe to the left or to the right to display the appropriate screen but to display all apps, choose the ‘ALL’ screen.
- Find and tap Contacts.
- Touch Clear cache to delete its cached files.
- Touch Clear data and then OK to delete downloaded messages, login information, settings, etc.
After this, try to trigger the error once again and if it still shows up, then it’s time to dig into the problem a little deeper.
Step 3: Find out if one or some of the third-party apps has something to do with the problem
There are times when third-party apps cause built-in apps to crash and we have to rule this possibility out before going to our ultimate troubleshooting procedure that will most likely fix this problem. You just need to restart your phone up in safe mode to know if third-party apps and services have something to do with the error message and this is how you do it:
- Turn off the phone completely.
- Press and hold the Power key.
- Once ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key and immediately press and hold the Volume Down button.
- The phone will restart but keep the Vol Down button pressed.
- Once the phone has finished restarting, ‘Safe mode’ will be display in the lower-left corner of the screen.
- You may now release the Volume Down button.
While in safe mode, try to trigger the error and if it still shows up, then move on to the next procedure.
However, if the problem is fixed, then it’s confirmed that the cause of the problem could be a third-party app. You just have to find such app and uninstall it to fix this problem.
Step 4: Reset your Galaxy Note 5 as system files and data can also get corrupted during major update
Android Nougat is the most anticipated update for high-end devices but it’s also during this time that unexplained problems may occur and since you’ve already tried the previous steps to no avail, it’s time you tried resetting your phone. This will bring your Note 5 back to its original configuration or settings but will leave Nougat running on it. You may also need to backup your personal files and data as they will be deleted during the reset process.
- Turn off your Samsung Galaxy Note 5 completely.
- Press and hold the Volume Up and the Home buttons first, and then press and hold the Power key.
- Keep the three buttons pressed and when ‘Samsung Galaxy Note5’ shows, release the Power key but continue holding the other two.
- Once the Android logo shows, release both the Volume Up and Home buttons.
- The notice ‘Installing system update’ will show on the screen for 30 to 60 seconds before the Android system recovery screen is shown with its options.
- Use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ and press the Power key to select it.
- When the process is complete, use the Volume Down key to highlight the option ‘Reboot system now’ and hit the Power key to restart the phone.
- The reboot may take a little longer to complete but don’t worry and wait for the device to become active.
I hope that this troubleshooting guide somehow helped you fix the problem and get rid of the error message.
Connect with us
We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. We support every Android device available and we are serious in what we do. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook and Google+ page or follow us on Twitter.