How to fix Whatsapp that keeps crashing on Samsung Galaxy S9 (easy steps)

When Whatsapp crashes on your Samsung Galaxy S9 or any Android smartphone for that matter, it may close immediately after opening, there are times when you can still use it for a few minutes before it closes or you may get the error message “Unfortunately, Whatsapp has stopped.”

In this post, I will walk you through in determining what causes this problem and probably provide you the solution that we’ve always been using to address similar issues. We’ve already encountered a lot of apps that crashed so we already know a thing or two that could help fix the problem.

If the problem is with a third-party app, you can fix the problem immediately by removing the app but the purpose of this post is not just to remove the app from your phone because that’s very easy to do and that’s not really the solution. What we wish to accomplish here is to fix the problem so that you can continue using Whatsapp on your Galaxy S9. So, if you’re one of the owners of this phone and are currently bugged by a similar issue, continue reading as this post may help you one way or another.

Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our Galaxy S9 troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed most of the commonly reported issues with the phone. We’ve already provided solutions to some of the problems reported by our readers so try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit.

How to fix Galaxy S9 with Whatsapp that keeps crashing

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Regardless whether Whatsapp closes upon opening or shows an error, the problem stays the same and you may be able to fix it by using one of the solutions I presented in this post.

First solution: Reboot your Galaxy S9

If this is the first time that you encounter this problem, don’t do anything complicated yet, instead reboot your phone as it might be an issue with the app or a problem with the firmware. A reboot is more than enough to fix minor glitches caused by some apps or system glitches. So, hit the power key and the restart your phone. After the reboot, open Whatsapp to know if it still crashes or not. If it does, I suggest you try doing the Forced Reboot procedure as it’s more effective than the normal reboot.

  • Press and hold the volume down button and the power key at the same time for 10 seconds or more.

The forced reboot refreshes the memory of your phone, closes all apps running in the background and reloads all core functions and services. After this, open Whatsapp to know if the problem is fixed. If it still crashes, then proceed to the next solution.

Second solution: Clear cache and data of Whatsapp

By doing this, you’re resetting Whatsapp as well as deleting all its caches and system files. All your preferences will be deleted and the app will run like the first time it did after you installed it. If the problem is limited to the app only, then this procedure is more than enough to fix it. Don’t worry, you won’t lose anything important if you did this:

  1. From a Home screen, touch and swipe up or down to display all apps.
  2. From a Home screen, navigate: Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap App Manager.
  4. Locate then tap Whatsapp.
  5. Tap Storage.
  6. Tap CLEAR CACHE.
  7. Tap Cached data.
  8. Tap CLEAR.

After this, try to open the app to see if it still crashes and if it still does, you have to do the next solution as it might be a compatibility issue.

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Third solution: Uninstall Whatsapp and then reinstall it

Another possibility that we have to rule out is that this issue might be due to compatibility between the app and the firmware. The app may need to be updated to the latest version to work well with the firmware of your Galaxy S9. But instead of updating the app, I suggest you uninstall it to remove all its associations with other apps and services and to delete all its files and data. After uninstalling the app, you have to download a fresh copy from the Play Store and  install it on your phone to make sure you have the latest version.

  1. From a Home screen, touch and swipe up or down to display all apps.
  2. From a Home screen, navigate: Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap App Manager.
  4. Locate then tap Whatsapp.
  5. Tap UNINSTALL.
  6. Review the notification then tap OK to confirm.
  7. Reboot your phone to refresh it’s memory and other connections.

To reinstall it, follow these steps:

  1. From a Home screen, touch and swipe up or down to display all apps.
  2. Tap Play Store.
  3. Type ‘whatsapp’ in the search box.
  4. Select Whatsapp then tap Install.
  5. To continue, review the required app permissions then tap Accept.

The first three solutions should be enough to fix a minor problem like this. However, if by any chance the issue continues to bug you and you badly need to use the app, then a reset would be worth it.

Fourth solution: Perform the Master Reset

A master reset is more than enough to solve app-related issues but if the issue continues after the third solution, then you have no other choice. However, make sure you backup your files and data as they will be deleted during the reset and you may not be able to retrieve them after.

After the backup, disable the Factory Reset Protection by removing your Google account from your phone so that you won’t be locked out after the reset. After doing all this, then you’re ready to do the master reset:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
  5. Press Power button to select.
  6. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  7. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  8. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  9. Press the Power key to restart the device.

I hope that this guide can help you one way or another. If you have other concerns you want to share with us, feel free to contact us anytime or leave a comment below.

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