Why does Dropbox keeps crashing on my Samsung Galaxy J3? Here’s how you fix it…
Dropbox is a cloud service and the app you install on your phone with the same name is just a client; you can manage your files through the app but those files aren’t stored locally. Some of our readers who own the Samsung Galaxy J3 have been complaining about the error “Unfortunately, Dropbox has stopped” which according to them shows up whenever they open the app. Others reported that such problem occurred shortly after an update and I assume they’re talking about a firmware update.
Applications related problems are often very easy to fix especially if you’re dealing with a third-party app; you just have to uninstall the app and the problem is gone. However, there are cases wherein those problems occur because of a more serious problem that’s why it’s imperative that when you troubleshoot, you have to be thorough to know what the problem really is. Once you know what the issue with your phone is, you can formulate a solution that may fix the problem for good. If you’re one of the owners of this phone and currently experiencing similar issue, read this post as it may help you.
For owners who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our Galaxy J3 troubleshooting guide for we have already addressed many of the problems reported by our readers. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you still need further assistance, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.
Troubleshooting Galaxy J3 with “Dropbox has stopped” error
Before we move on to our troubleshooting, I will list down some of the possibilities why this problem is happening to your phone whenever you open Dropbox…
- A firmware update may have caused some compatibility issues
- Dropbox may just need to be updated
- It might be a problem with the app itself
- It may be just a sign of a serious firmware problem
Now, about this problem, here’s the most practical yet safe (for your files and phone) to do.
Step 1: Find out if Dropbox needs to be updated
App related issues that occurred after a firmware updated are often fixed by simply updating apps in question. In this case, we just have to find out if there’s an update for Dropbox and update it to rule out this possibility.
- From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Tap Play Store.
- Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu key, tap Settings, and then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
- Tap Dropbox and then tap Update to update it.
While you’re on this screen, it’s best that you also update all apps that need to be updated just to make sure none of those apps is causing the problem.
- From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Tap Play Store.
- Tap the Menu key and then tap My Apps. To keep your apps automatically updated, tap the Menu key, tap Settings, and then tap Auto-update apps to select the check box.
- Tap Update [xx] to update all applications with updates available.
After this and Dropbox still crashes, move on to the next step.
Step 2: Reset Dropbox by clearing its cache and data
The problem might be with the app itself. In fact, most of app related problems we’ve encountered before were due to apps that were crashing. So, in this procedure, I want you to reset Dropbox by clearing its cache and data. If it got updated in step 1, the update will remain but your settings and files associated with the app will be deleted including files you’ve downloaded. The files you saved in your Dropbox account however, will remain untouched as they’re saved in the cloud.
- From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Applications.
- Tap Application manager.
- Tap Dropbox.
- Tap Storage.
- Tap Clear cache.
- Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
If the problem persists after this, then it’s time to remove the app and reinstall it.
Step 3: Uninstall Dropbox and reinstall it
To make sure you have a fresh copy of Dropbox app on your phone, it’s best that you uninstall and reinstall it. I understand you’ve updated the app but what we’re trying to accomplish here is get rid of possible corrupt app files that’s why we need to uninstall it to delete all its components and reinstall it:
- From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
- Tap Settings > Apps.
- Find and tap Dropbox.
- Tap the desired application.
- Tap Uninstall.
- Tap Uninstall again to confirm.
And this is how you download and re-install Dropbox:
- From the Home screen, navigate: Apps > Play Store.
- Tap the Google Play search bar (at the top) then enter ‘dropbox’ and select it from the list.
- Now tap Install.
- To continue, review the required app permissions then tap Accept.
Step 4: Reset all settings as it might be due to some misconfiguration
Assuming that the app still crashes after uninstalling and reinstalling it, it’s time to look at this problem from a different angle as it might be a problem with the firmware. The most logical thing you can do at this point is reset all settings of your phone to bring it back to its factory default settings without deleting your files, apps, contacts, etc. It’s an effective troubleshooting procedure so there’s a big chance you can fix this problem with this method:
- From a Home screen, touch and swipe up or down to display all apps.
- From a Home screen, navigate: Settings > Backup and reset.
- Tap Reset settings.
- Tap Reset settings, to confirm.
- If applicable, enter the PIN, password or pattern.
- Tap Reset settings.
Open Dropbox after this and if it still crashes, it’s time to do the ultimate fix.
Step 5: Backup files and data and reset your phone
It’s the extra mile you take if the problem continues to bug you even after you reinstalled the app and reset all settings of your device. For an app problem like this, a reset is more than enough to fix it but make sure you make a backup of your important files and data as they will be deleted. Also, make sure you take note of your Google ID and password or disable Factory Reset Protection prior to the reset so that you won’t be locked out.
- Turn off the device.
- Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Home key, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the device logo screen displays, release only the Power key
- When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
- Press the Volume down key several times key to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
- Press Power button to select.
- Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
- Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
- When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
- Press the Power key to restart the device.
What we did so far is rule out every possibility and I hope that you could fix the problem with your phone with one of the steps above. Good luck!
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