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Games and Apps Crashing/Not Working on Android 12: How to Fix

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the issue of games and apps crashing/not working in Android 12. The latest iteration of the OS has bought in quite a few noteworthy features and user interface tweaks to the fore. Out of this, it’s the Material You theme design that took away most of the limelight. This functionality picks up the major color from the wallpaper and themes all the device’s elements accordingly. However, some third-party apps and games did have a hard time adapting to this change.

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Whenever the user changed a wallpaper, all the app’s activities and background processes had to undergo a force restart. And this configuration change caused that particular app to crash or freeze all of a sudden. Furthermore, the users who used an automatic wallpaper changer app had to face this issue at regular intervals. What is even more surprising is the fact that this bug first came to light in September last year and is still present to this date.

apps crashing android 12

At that point in time, the OS was still in the beta stage and hence a few bugs and issues were along the expected lines. But months have passed since then and the issue is yet to be addressed is quite concerning in itself. Apart from that Material You bug, there could be a plethora of other reasons as to why an app or game might face frequent crashes, freezes, and lags. And for such issues which aren’t server-side, this guide shall come in handy. In this tutorial, we will make you aware of various methods to fix the games and apps crashing/not working in Android 12. Follow along.

How to Fix Games and Apps Crashing/Not Working on Android 12

apps crashing android 12

Do note that there’s no universal fix as such. You will have to try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and see which one works best in your favor. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

FIX 1: Force Stop App

First and foremost, you should force stop and then manually restart the app. Doing so will refresh all its underlying processes and it will give it a fresh instance to work upon. And this in turn might rectify the underlying issue as well. So refer to the below steps to try it out:

  1. To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select the required app from the list.apps crashing android 12
  3. Now tap on Force Stop followed by OK in the confirmation dialog box.
  4. Check if it fixes the games and apps crashing/not working issue on your Android 12 device.

FIX 2: Delete App Cache

Next up, consider deleting the app’s temporary data as well. If a lot of these cache files get accumulated over the due course of time, then it might conflict with the app’s proper functioning and could also slow down its usability. Therefore, let’s put these files in the bin right away and then check out the results.

  1. To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select the desired app from the list.
    apps crashing android 12
  3. After that, go to the Storage section and tap on Clear Cache.
  4. Now verify if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue in Android 12.

FIX 3: Update App to the Latest Version

Using an old or outdated version could spell out trouble for the entire workability of the app. Moreover, the developers regularly release updates that rectify underlying bugs, bring in performance stability, and enhance its security. Therefore, it is recommended to be on the latest build of the app.

  1. So head over to the Play Store and search for that app.
    apps crashing android 12
  2. If an update is available, then download and install it right away.
  3. Check if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue in Android 12.

FIX 4: Remove Battery Restrictions

If you have put any battery restrictive measures in place, then the games and apps might have a tough time working in this restrictive environment. Therefore, you should consider removing all these roadblocks and then check out the results. Here’s how it could be done:

  1. First off, head over to the Settings > Battery section.
  2. Then go to Battery Saver and disable it, if it is enabled.
  3. After that, go to Apps > All Apps and select the desired app from the list.
    apps crashing android 12
  4. Then go to its Battery section and select either Optimized or Unrestricted.
  5. Check if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue on your Android 12 device.

FIX 5: Reset App Preferences

In some cases, creating and implementing rules for an app might have an adverse impact on other apps installed on your device. So you should consider reverting all the app preferences to their default state. Doing so will reset the rules related to disabled and default apps as well as all the restrictions put in place (it will not wipe any app data) and will give you the stock settings to work upon. So let’s put this fix to the test and check out the results.

  1. Head over to the Settings > System menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Reset Options and tap on Reset App Preferences.
    apps crashing android 12
  3. After that, tap on the Reset Apps button in the confirmation dialog box.
  4. Check if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue on your Android 12 device.

FIX 6: Delete App Data

If the app’s data gets corrupted, then its negative consequences will be felt across the app as a whole. In such cases, you have no choice but to delete that app’s data and then let it repopulate the same from scratch. Here’s how it could be done:

  1. Head over to the Settings menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select the desired app from the list.
  3. After that, go to the Storage section and tap on Clear Data.
    apps crashing android 12
  4. Then tap OK in the confirmation dialog box that appears. Now launch the app and set it up.
  5. Verify if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue in Android 12.

FIX 7: Reinstall App

If the app’s configuration and settings file get corrupted, then simply deleting the app’s data and cache might not be enough. In such cases, you will have to completely remove the app from your device and reinstall its fresh build. Here’s how it could be done:

  1. To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select the desired app from the list.
  3. After that, tap on Uninstall followed by OK in the confirmation dialog box.
    apps crashing android 12
  4. Now go to the app’s official listing page on Play Store and download its latest version.
  5. Then install the app, launch it and set it up.
  6. Check if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue on Android 12.

FIX 8: Downgrade App to Earlier Version

In some instances, the developer might roll out a buggy update, which could end up breaking the app’s entire functionality. Though they are usually quick to release a subsequent patch, but that rollout could still take around 3-4 days to arrive. And this is quite a long time frame.

So it’s better to downgrade the app to the earlier table version and reman on that build until the issue has been resolved. Likewise, you should also disable the auto-update feature of that app. Otherwise, Play Store will update the app back to the latest build which would end up nullifying the fix. So refer to the below instructions and implement this fix right away.

  1. To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select the desired app from the list.
  3. Now scroll to the end and tap on App Details. You will now be taken to that app’s Play Store page.
    apps crashing android 12
  4. So tap on the overflow icon situated at the top right and uncheck Enable Auto-updates.
  5. Once that is done, go back to Apps > See All Apps and select the desired app from the list.
  6. Now scroll to the end and note out its version number somewhere.
    apps crashing android 12
  7. After that, tap on Uninstall followed by OK in the confirmation dialog box.
  8. Once done, head over to a trusted third-party site and download an older version of that app (re-verify it from step 3 above).
  9. Now just install that APK file (enable Installation from Unknown Sources, if asked). That’s it.
    apps crashing android 12
  10. However, if it is a system app, then the Uninstall option will be absent. In that case tap on the overflow icon situated at the top right.
    apps crashing android 12
  11. Then select Uninstall Updates > OK in the confirmation dialog box. That system app will be downgraded to an earlier version.
  12. Anyways, once the downgrade is complete, check if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue on Android 12.

As opposed to user-installed apps, system apps don’t give you the option to manually downgrade to a specific app version. If you wish to do so, then you will have to take the help of ADB Commands. For that, you may refer to our guide on How to Downgrade System Apps via ADB Commands.

FIX 9: Re-Enable Android System WebView

The System WebView is an Android system component that lets apps display web content inside their own environment without the need to take you to a dedicated browser. However, it has been notoriously infamous for causing app crashing issues. In such cases, you should disable and then re-enable it so that its backend processes get refreshed and start off with a fresh instance from scratch. Here’s how it could be done:

  1. To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select Android System Webview.
  3. After that, tap on Disable followed by Disable App in the confirmation dialog box.
    apps crashing android 12
  4. Wait for a few seconds and then tap Enable. Now restart your device.
  5. Check if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue on Android 12.

FIX 10: Downgrade Android System WebView

A year back, Google rolled out a buggy update to the System WebView and it ended up crashing all the installed apps and games. While chances of that happening again is rare, but it cannot be negated. So if it ends up happening again in the near future,  then you should straightaway downgrade the app to the earlier build and stay on that version until Google patches it.

  1. To begin with, head over to the Settings menu on your device.
  2. Then go to Apps > See All Apps and select Android System Webview from the list.
  3. Now scroll to the end and tap on App Details. You will now be taken to that app’s Play Store page.
    apps crashing android 12
  4. So tap on the overflow icon situated at the top right and uncheck Enable Auto-updates
  5. After that, go back to Apps > See All Apps and select Android System Webview.
  6. Then tap on the overflow icon situated at the top right and select Uninstall Updates.
    apps crashing android 12
  7. Finally, tap OK in the confirmation dialog box.
  8. Verify if it fixes the apps and games not working/crashing issue on Android 12.

FIX 11: Reset Device

If none of the aforementioned methods worked out in your favor, then you have no choice but to opt for the nuclear route of factory resetting your device. Doing so will erase all the data from your device and reset the settings to their factory default state. So take a complete device backup beforehand and then proceed with the below steps to reset your device:

  1. To begin with, head over to Settings > System > Reset Options.
  2. After that, go to the Erase All Data (factory reset) section.
    apps crashing android 12
  3. Finally, tap on the Erase All Data button and wait for the process to complete.
  4. Once done, set up your device from scratch. That’s it, the underlying issue would have been fixed.

With this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the apps and games not working/crashing issue on your Android 12 device. We have listed eleven different methods for the same. Do let us know in the comments which one spelled out success for you. If you still have any queries, then do let us know in the comments section below, along with the name of that concerned app/game.


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