15 common Android problems and how to fix them

A guide for troubleshooting some of the most common and frustrating error messages seen on your Android device.

problem solving for android phone

Let's face it, our phones aren't perfect. When they aren't running out of juice, they are slow, won't power on, or have problems connecting to the Internet.

These are some quick fixes for some of the most common problems Android owners face.

howtophoneproblems09.jpg

Battery drain

Numerous users have reported problems with the battery life of their devices. One of the easiest ways to prolong your smartphone's battery is to change your locations and brightness settings.

Enter the settings menu, click on Location, and select battery-saving mode. As for brightness, you should avoid using auto-brightness and instead turn your screen down somewhere below halfway, or to a level that is acceptable for your eyes.

Some phones, such as the Galaxy S5 and above, even include extra battery saving modes. For more tips, here are five ways to boost your Android's battery life right now .

howtophoneproblems10.jpg

Frozen and slow user interface

Phones typically begin to slow down as their internal storage fills up. Try deleting unused apps and photos, or moving them to the cloud or a microSD card. In addition, you should close open apps that you are no longer using, delete app cache, and limit the use of live wallpapers.

An app's cached data can be deleted by going to Settings > Apps , selecting a certain app, and choosing the Clear Cache option. Programs such as App Cache Cleaner and Clean Master , both of which are available for free from the Google Play store, can also be used to automate the process of clearing cache.

For more information, visit this article for speeding up your Android device .

howtophoneproblems11.jpg

Connectivity issues

If you have are having a problem connecting to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or your cellular network, enable Airplane mode for 30 seconds, toggle it off, and try connecting again. Sometimes simply toggling the specific connection can also solve the problem.

Still having issues? Try repairing or setting up your Bluetooth device or Wi-Fi network again.

google-now-on-tap.jpg

Google Now problems

Google Now can be a bit finicky. The best thing to remember is to be very specific with your commands. It gets easily confused if you don't. Need a little more help? Here are 20 tips for getting the most out of Google Now .

howtophoneproblems12.jpg

Stalled text messages

Ensure that you are connected to the internet either through Wi-Fi or cellular, click on the unsent message, and click Resend . If the problem continues, try restarting your device or even installing a third-party messaging app.

pokemon.jpg

​Overheating

Certain Androids, like the Droid Turbo, can get really warm. Try not to use your phone while you're charging it and don't use high CPU-sucking apps, like Pokemon Go or Facebook, for long periods of time. If it starts getting warm, give your phone a break.

If you don't do these things, and your phone still gets hot to the touch, then you may want to get it looked at by a professional. The experts I contacted said this could be a sign of a manufacture defect.

howtophoneproblems13.jpg

Syncing error

There are numerous steps you can take to address problems with syncing. First, ensure that you are connected to the internet, and that the service you are trying to sync with, such as Google or Dropbox, isn't down. Double check that your password is correct and try syncing again.

Still having problems? Remove the account from your device and add it again.

howtophoneproblems14.jpg

App crashes

Apps can crash for all sorts of reasons. Is there an update available for either the app or your phone? If so, install it. If not, force close the app by swiping it away in the multitask menu (pictured above) and then reopen it.

howtophoneproblems16.jpg

Unresponsive screen

You may want to throw your phone against the wall when it begins to malfunction, but there isn't a need to panic. Most problems are fixed with a simple restart. Although if you physically damaged your phone or dropped it in water, you may have bigger problems on your hands.

Press the power button and let the phone turn off, but wait a minute or two before powering it back on.

Have an old Android phone? Here are nine new things that you can do with it .

frozen-google-play.jpg

Google Play Store keeps crashing

The problem is probably a corrupt cache and all you need to do is clear it. Go to Settings> Applications> All Apps> Google Play Store> Storage and select Clear Cache. Restart your phone and the problem should be fixed.

app-wont-download.jpg

Apps won't download

There may be two causes for your apps not downloading. First, go back to the last page on this list and try clearing Google Play store's cache. If that doesn't work, try wiping Google Play's history. The problem is probably a corrupt cache and all you need to do is clear it. Open the Google Play store and tap on the three lines in the upper left of the screen to open the app's menu. Choose Settings and tap on Clear local search history .

img8802.jpg

Bad autocorrect suggestions

If you use the default keyboard, you can get rid of autocorrect words you would never say or misspelled words that your keyboard has learned. All you need to do is long-press the suggestion and drag the word to the trash. Here's how .

google-play-download-security.jpg

Your kids make purchases

If your kids like to play with your phone and end up buying apps or in-game items, there's a simple solution. Go to the Google Play store, click on the three lines at the upper left-hand side of the screen to open the menu and tap on Settings . Then, tick the box for fingerprint authentication and choose For all purchases through Google Play on this device . With this setup, your fingerprint will be needed to make any purchases through Google Play.

img1391.jpg

Home screen clutter

Every time you get a new app, a new icon is added to your home screen, which kinda defeats the quick access to your favorite apps that a home screen is supposed to offer. Rick Broida found a fix to that: Open the Google Play app, then tap Menu > Settings and clear the check box next to Add icon to Home screen . Rick has a few more tips for optimizing your Android , too.

contacts.jpg

Too many contacts

Hate that your phone makes every single person you've ever emailed though Gmail one of your phone contacts? Go to Settings > Account > Google . Toggle off the Contact option. Now your Gmail contacts won't sync with your phone.

More Galleries

A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

The 7 Most Common Hardware Problems on Android Phones and How to Fix Them

From overheating to an unresponsive screen, Android hardware can have problems from time to time. Here's how to solve the most common ones.

The average smartphone user cares more about reliability and not having to deal with problems than getting new features. Unfortunately, smartphones aren't perfect—certainly not Android phones—and can develop issues after a while, if not from day one.

While some brands have better quality assurance than others, all of them receive regular complaints from angry users. Here are the seven most common hardware problems you might face on your Android phone and how to solve them.

1. Overheating

Overheating is a very common problem in smartphones, and there are many things that could be causing it on your device. These include hot weather, faulty manufacturing, the use of incompatible chargers and cables, internal damage, and more.

You might be aware that overheating damages battery health and reduces its overall capacity which eventually leads to quick battery drain. In rare cases, it can even cause your phone to start swelling or injure you.

Follow these tips to avoid overheating:

  • Avoid using your phone while it's charging.
  • Avoid using your phone in very hot weather.
  • Use chargers and cables designed by the manufacturer.
  • Don't play graphics-intensive games your phone can't handle.
  • Get the battery replaced with a new one.

2. Connectivity Issues

Whether you have a budget phone or a flagship, you will face connectivity issues at some point. This means not being able to make calls, send SMS messages, open webpages, or connect your earbuds or smartwatch to your phone via Bluetooth. Let's address each problem.

If you can't make calls or send SMS texts, that means your phone is out of service. To fix this, turn on Airplane mode for a minute and turn it back off. If ineffective, go to Settings > Connections > SIM card manager and disable your SIM card, wait, and enable it back.

If your Wi-Fi isn't working, go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi and tap the settings icon beside your connected network and tap Forget . Tap the same network, type your password, and tap Connect . If the problem persists, you may need to reboot or reset your router .

If you can't connect your wireless earbuds, smartwatch, or any other Bluetooth accessory to your phone, go to Settings > Connections > Bluetooth and tap the settings icon beside a paired device and tap Unpair . Now pair the device again the same way you did earlier.

3. Quick Battery Drain

As mentioned earlier, overheating is a key reason for quick battery drain, but it's not the only one. It can also occur if you maximize screen brightness, use 5G, or have a bunch of power-hungry features such as Location and Bluetooth running all the time.

Playing graphics-intensive games can also result in the same, especially if your phone is not optimized to handle the workload. Buggy software can cause this too, so it's wise to check if there's an update available and install it to see if the manufacturer fixed the issue.

You can also follow these tips to extend battery life or get the battery replaced.

4. Unresponsive or Flickering Screen

In most cases, a simple reboot fixes almost all display-related problems such as screen unresponsiveness or flickering. Don't worry, hard rebooting doesn't erase any data; that only happens when you factory reset your device.

To do this, press and hold the power button until your phone restarts; this can sometimes be as long as 20–30 seconds, so don't be alarmed if nothing happens in the first few seconds. On Samsung phones, press and hold the volume down key and power key for a faster reboot.

You can also try other solutions to fix a flickering display . In the worst-case scenario, you might've accidentally downloaded malware that can instantly kill your device.

5. Phone Freezing or Apps Crashing

There can be many reasons why your phone is freezing or crashing apps upon launch. For instance, if the device is really old, it's obvious that its hardware is failing; by that point, you should probably just buy a new Android phone .

Apps can also crash if you've not given them the permissions necessary to operate properly; for instance, a navigation app can't work without access to your location. Your phone can also freeze due to a lack of internal storage, in which case, you should free up some storage space to make sure the OS has enough room to run smoothly.

For more help, check out these solutions to fix crashing apps .

6. Phone Is Not Charging

If your phone is not accepting a charge, it could be because the USB port is dirty, the adapter is damaged, or the cable is worn out or incompatible with your phone. So, cleaning the USB port and buying a new adapter and cable can fix the issue in most cases.

Similarly, if fast charging is not working, it could be because you're using a power bank, multiplug, or extension board instead of plugging the adapter directly into the wall socket.

Other reasons fast charging might not work are that your phone or adapter simply doesn't support it, or the feature is turned off in your phone settings. For more help, try these solutions to fix fast charging not working .

7. Swollen Battery, Broken Screen, and Other Hardware Defects

There are a bunch of other hardware defects that we won't discuss in detail because there's usually nothing you can do to fix them except visit a repair shop. For instance, the only solution to a swollen battery is replacing it with a new one; the same is the case for a broken screen, speaker, or microphone.

There are some unideal solutions to fix phone buttons not working , but in most cases, it's better to get professional help if the problem is too complicated to solve on your own.

Samsung phones enable you to run a full diagnostic test to see what's wrong with it. Doing so checks all the vital hardware and software elements and helps you ascertain the overall condition of our device.

No Smartphone Is Immune to Damage

Some hardware issues can be solved on your own, while others require professional help. If your phone is not in repairable condition, you may end up having to buy a new one.

Our recommendation? Make it a habit to maintain your phone. Smartphones require maintenance just like laptops and desktop PCs; if done right, they will naturally last longer.

  • Generative AI
  • Office Suites
  • Collaboration Software
  • Productivity Software
  • Augmented Reality
  • Emerging Technology
  • Remote Work
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Operating Systems
  • IT Leadership
  • IT Management
  • IT Operations
  • Cloud Computing
  • Computers and Peripherals
  • Data Center
  • Enterprise Applications
  • Vendors and Providers
  • Enterprise Buyer’s Guides
  • United States
  • Netherlands
  • United Kingdom
  • New Zealand
  • Newsletters
  • Foundry Careers
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Copyright Notice
  • Member Preferences
  • About AdChoices
  • E-commerce Affiliate Relationships
  • Your California Privacy Rights

Our Network

  • Network World

JR Raphael

12 fast fixes for common Android problems

Solve annoying issues and get any phone in tip-top shape with these easy-to-implement, expert-approved solutions..

android fixes by Artissa CC0 via Pixabay modified by IDG Comm

Confession time: I know embarrassingly little about car repair, and I couldn’t fix a misbehaving house appliance if my life depended on it (which, on at least a couple occasions, it almost has). Heck, I can barely hang a piece of wall art without screwing something up along the way. When it comes to Android phones, though, well — I’m practically a modern-day mechanic.

Now, hang on a sec: It isn’t nearly as impressive as it sounds. I don’t have any fancy power tools or even a pair of cool-looking coveralls with my name on ’em (not yet, anyway). I’ve mostly just been using and studying Android for a long time now — since somewhere in the mid-1800s, give or take — and when you pay close enough attention to something for a long enough period, you start to see the same basic patterns popping up time and time again.

The truth is that for as “magical” as they may occasionally appear, our sleek and shiny smartphones are ultimately just appliances. And more often than not, the issues most folks have with their phones are pretty darn consistent. That means whether you’re troubleshooting your own device or trying to come to a struggling co-worker’s rescue, the odds are good that your problem can be addressed without too much trouble.

Consider this your guide — a collection of some of the most common complaints I hear about Android phones and the simplest solutions I suggest in those scenarios. Apply the knowledge to your own ailing device or pass it on to someone else who needs it, and you, too, can experience the joy of feeling like a mobile-tech mechanic (with or without the coveralls).

Android problem No. 1: Low storage

Ah, yes — the age-old problem of finite space. When you see a phone’s storage starting to run low, just remember this catchy little adage: “Stop hoarding stuff, you unruly digital packrat.” (Okay, so maybe it wasn’t quite as catchy as I had hoped.)

In all seriousness, though, most of us really don’t need much stored locally on our smartphones these days — especially on Android, where cloud syncing is simple and automated management is easy. Start by installing the Google Photos app and setting it up to back up all photos and videos as they’re taken. That’ll let you delete the local copies (as well as have a great way to get to all your memories from any device, anytime, even if you lose or break your current Android phone), and that alone is bound to free up tons of room.

Second, install the Files by Google app . It’ll show you all the unnecessary space-takers lurking within your phone’s storage — including those now-redundant local copies of cloud-synced images along with junk files, duplicate files, and other easily eliminated things — and it’ll give you simple one-tap buttons to clear any of that crud away.

01 android fixes low storage

The Files by Google app identifies areas where you can free up space and gives you a quick ‘n’ easy way to zap unneeded items away.

Finally, if you’re using one of Google’s Pixel phones, look in the Storage section of your system settings and tap the line labeled “Smart Storage.” There, you can configure your phone to automatically remove any redundant copies of already-backed-up photos and videos anytime your storage starts to get low again.

Android problem No. 2: Subpar stamina

We could talk about Android battery life all day, but the fastest way to make an immediate difference in your phone’s longevity is to adjust your screen settings.

First, turn down the screen’s brightness (either in the Quick Settings panel that comes up when you swipe down twice from the top of your screen or in the Display section of your system settings). The display burns through more power than anything else on your device, and the lower you can comfortably use it, the longer your phone will last with each charge. If your phone is running Android 9 or higher, you can also look for an Adaptive Brightness option that’ll automatically adjust the brightness level for you based on your current environment.

Second, set your “Screen timeout” setting (also in the Display section of your system settings) to as low of a value as you can tolerate. The less time your screen stays on when you aren’t using it, the less unnecessary battery power your phone will burn through.

And third, if you’ve got Android 10 or higher, look in that same area of your system settings for the Dark Theme option. Darker colors tend to consume less power than the bright hues present in most interfaces by default, so switching to the Dark Theme either all the time or even just on a sunset-to-sunrise schedule should extend your phone’s battery a fair bit.

Android problem No. 3: Too much bloatware

Unless you’re using Google’s Pixel phones, your Android device likely came loaded with lots of junk you don’t want — ranging from superfluous manufacturer-provided services (hi, Samsung!) to carrier-added crapola (to use the highly technical term). But fear not, for most of that can at the very least be hidden out of sight, if not eliminated entirely.

The simplest way to do that is to look in the Apps section of your system settings to find the complete list of installed applications. When you see an app that you don’t want, tap its name and then look for either the Uninstall button — or, if that isn’t present, the Disable command. You may not be able to get rid of absolutely everything that way (paging Bixby…), but you’ll be able to clear out a fair amount of clutter.

Android problem No. 4: A home screen mess

From built-in search bars you don’t use to silly news streams you’d rather not see, Android phones’ home screens are often anything but optimal out of the box. But you don’t have to live with what your device-maker gives you. Android has a huge array of third-party launchers — alternate environments that completely replace your phone’s stock home screen setup and app drawer arrangement. And there’s something available for practically every preference and style of working.

04 android fixes home screen

Third-party launchers such as the Microsoft Launcher and Niagara Launcher, seen here, can clean up your home screen and make it custom-suited to your work style.

Look through my Android launcher recommendations to find what’s right for you — then check out these Android productivity tips for making the most of your spiffy new setup.

Android problem No. 5: A slow-running phone

Just like us mortals, smartphones are prone to slowing down over time as their virtual wits become worn. Unlike our mushy mammal brains, though, your phone’s response time can actually be improved.

Some of the things we just went over, in fact, should make a noticeable difference: cleaning up your storage, uninstalling unused apps (both ones that came pre-installed on your phone and ones you installed yourself but no longer use), and trying out a custom launcher for a more optimal home screen environment.

Beyond that, some of the same steps I describe in my Android data-saving guide can bring a meaningful boost to your overall device speed — things like eliminating unnecessary background activity, compressing your mobile web experience, and shifting to lightweight versions of apps. (See that article for a step-by-step breakdown in each of those areas.)

And finally, a tucked-away Android system setting may make the most perceptible impact of all. You’ll first have to activate Android’s developer settings on your phone to find it:

  • Open the About Phone section of your system settings and look for the line labeled “Build number.” (On Samsung phones, you’ll have to tap a line labeled “Software information” before you’ll see the “Build number” line.)
  • Tap that line seven times.
  • Enter your PIN, pattern, or password when prompted.

Once that’s finished, go back to your main system settings menu. On some phones, you’ll see a new Developer Options section right in that main menu; on others, such as Google’s Pixel devices, you’ll have to enter the System section and then tap “Advanced” to find it. However you get to it, tap that section and then scroll down until you see the Drawing header.

There, you’ll find three animation-related options: “Window animation scale,” “Transition animation scale,” and “Animator duration scale.” Tap each of those items and change its setting from the default “Animation scale 1x” to “Animation off.” And don’t mess with anything else in that Developer Options area while you’re there; it contains some complex stuff that isn’t meant for regular phone owners and could mess up your phone if used incorrectly.

05 android fixes animation speed

Android’s animation scale settings, hidden away in the system’s Developer Options, can make any phone feel instantly faster.

Head back to your home screen and try moving around your phone — opening your app drawer, swiping down the notification panel, going in and out of apps, and so on. Everything should feel significantly snappier than it did before.

Android problem No. 6: Too much rotation

Our phones are designed to work in both a portrait and a landscape orientation — but sometimes, the sensors get a little oversensitive and end up flipping between views more often than you’d want.

As of Android 9, there’s an easy answer: On a Pixel phone or any device whose manufacturer hasn’t meddled with Android too much, march into the Display section of your system settings, tap “Advanced,” and then flip the toggle next to “Auto-rotate screen” into the off position. From there on out, anytime you rotate your device, it won’t automatically change the screen’s orientation and will instead place a small icon in the corner of the screen. You can then tap that icon to change the rotation or ignore it to leave it as-is.

If you’re using a Samsung phone, the feature curiously isn’t in your system settings, but you can find a toggle for it in the Quick Settings area that comes up when you swipe down twice from the top of your phone. Look for the icon labeled “Auto rotate” and tap it once to disable it (which will change its title to “Portrait,” somewhat confusingly — but that’ll do the trick).

Android problem No. 7: Tiny text

Stop squinting, would ya? If the words on your phone are too damn small, head into the Accessibility section of your system settings and try out two options: “Font size,” which will increase text all throughout your phone, and “Display size,” which will increase the size of everything on your screen.

Android problem No. 8: Annoying notifications

Whether it’s an overly aggressive app or, ahem, an overly aggressive texter, stop notification nuisances at their source by pressing and holding your finger to the next unwanted alert that pops up. That’ll pull up a control panel of sorts that lets you turn off the associated type of notification entirely — or just silence it so that it still shows up but doesn’t actively demand your attention.

08 android fixes notifications

Less annoying notifications are always just a long-press and a tap away.

Android problem No. 9: The contacts conundrum

It’s 2020, for cryin’ out loud. Your contacts shouldn’t be accessible only on your phone — and you shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to “transfer” them from one device to another.

If you’re using a phone made by anyone other than Google, go into its Contacts app and make sure it’s set to sync your info with your Google account — not with the manufacturer’s own proprietary syncing service. This is especially pertinent for Samsung owners, as the company tends to sync contacts with its own self-contained service by default. That’s fine if you only want to access that info from that one phone and if you only plan to purchase phones made by Samsung in the future, but in any other scenario, that setup is not going to serve you well.

In Samsung’s Contacts app, tap the three-line menu icon in the upper-left corner, then tap “Manage contacts” followed by “Default storage location.” Then, select your Google account instead of your Samsung account in the menu that comes up.

From that point forward, your contacts will be synced with Google Contacts — which means they’ll always be available within the Google Contacts website , from any computer where you’re signed in, and they’ll be immediately available on any phone where you install the Google Contacts Android app .

Android problem No. 10: Call-ending challenges

Ever find yourself scrambling to end a call — but then your screen won’t come back on fast enough? Or maybe the screen comes on, but the command to hang up isn’t right there and ready? An Android accessibility option can make your life infinitely easier by empowering you to press your phone’s physical power button anytime you’re ready to say goodbye. No need to hunt around for the right icon or even look down at your phone at all — just one button press along the device’s edge, and the person on the other end will be gone (thank goodness!).

Just look for the “Power button ends call” option in that Accessibility section of your system settings, flip it on, and get ready to get off a call more easily than ever.

10 android fixes power button call

If you dig around enough in Android’s settings, you can find a switch that’ll make it much easier to end a call.

Android problem No. 11: A frozen phone

One of the most frustrating Android problems of all is having a phone that’s either stuck on some process and not responding or stuck in a powered-off state and refusing to turn on. But no matter how dire things may seem, there’s almost certainly always a solution.

The simplest one is a hard reboot: Depending on your device, you’ll want to press and hold either the power button by itself for 30 seconds to a minute — or press and hold the power button and volume-down button together for that same amount of time (or until you feel a vibration and see something show up on the screen). If you see a strange-looking menu that says “Start” and has a picture of an Android robot, don’t worry: Just press the power button again, and your phone should boot up normally.

If nothing happens with either of those processes, try leaving your phone plugged in for a solid few hours, just to make sure the battery isn’t depleted. Then try again.

If things still aren’t coming up — and if you aren’t seeing even the standard battery indicator graphic appear on the display when you plug the phone in — well, my friend, it’s time to make your way to our final Android issue.

Android problem No. 12: A non-charging phone

Last but not least is the problem to end all Android problems: an Android phone that simply won’t charge (and thus also won’t power up, once its battery has been run all the way down). I’ve been there. And while it’s certainly possible that you could be facing some sort of hardware-related defect, it’s also quite likely that this is something you can fix in a jiff.

So try this: Take something like a toothpick or the end of a paper clip and very carefully and very gently dig around a little in the phone’s charging port to clear out any lint or debris that’s built up in there. It sounds crazy, I know, but sometimes, enough gunk gets collected in that area that the power cable isn’t able to establish a good connection and charge the device (or charge it consistently, without the connection coming in and out and making it difficult for much charging to happen).

Once you’ve cleared out a good amount of gunk, plug the phone in again and see if something happens. If the battery was totally dead, you might have to leave it plugged in for a while before you see any results. But there’s a decent chance this will work — and then, in a matter of minutes, you’ll be back in business.

Sometimes, the simplest fix is the most satisfying one of all.

Related content

Windows 11 insider previews: what’s in the latest build, dropbox adds end-to-end encryption for team folders, android versions: a living history from 1.0 to 15, the unspoken obnoxiousness of google's gemini improvements, from our editors straight to your inbox.

JR Raphael

JR Raphael has been covering Android and ChromeOS since their earliest days. You can ingest his advice and insight in his long-standing Android Intelligence column at Computerworld and get even more tasty tech knowledge with his free Android Intelligence newsletter at The Intelligence .

More from this author

A crafty new android notification power-up, the best android app drawer enhancement you’ll ever make, show me more, google can’t seem to quit cookies, delays killing them again.

Image

Apple reportedly cuts Vision Pro production due to low demand

Image

Windows 11: A guide to the updates

Image

After 10 years of progress, does mixed reality (XR) have a future? | Ep. 147

Image

More tech layoffs as AI takes hold | Ep. 146

Image

Why the world will be wearing more technology in the future

Image

After 10 years of progress, does mixed reality (XR) have a future?

Image

More tech layoffs as AI takes hold

Image

How to fix any Android problem

Banish bugs and cure crashes

problem solving for android phone

Fixing Android

We're now so reliant on smartphones for so much of our day-to-day lives that everything can grind to a halt when something goes wrong with them - from keeping in touch with our nearest and dearest to trying to get a payment through on a banking app.

Whether you've got an important Snapchat to send or a crucial email to check for, you want to get your mobile up and running again as quickly as possible, with the minimum of fuss along the way, and that's where this guide can hopefully lend a hand.

Fortunately, today's smartphones - with their limited file system access, carefully guarded app stores and touchscreen interfaces - are a lot easier to troubleshoot than laptops, car engines or cloud services , so you don't have to be a technical expert to work out a fix.

In fact, Android comes with a set of troubleshooting tools that can be used to solve almost any problem: essentially, you're going to reset the app you're having trouble with, or reset the entire phone, and this fresh start should theoretically wipe your issues away.

However, the same can't be said if you smash your screen or drop your (non-waterproof) phone in the sink - if you've got a faulty hardware problem then you're going to have to consult the experts at the local repair shop. If you lose your smartphone, or it gets stolen, then make sure you check out our guide on how to survive when your smartphone goes missing . For everything else, this guide should help.

1. Clear out the app cache part one

1. Clear out the app cache part one

First, some detective work is required: are you having problems with one app in particular, or your Android device as a whole (with bugs, crashes or whatever)? If it's the latter, focus your attention on that app. Tap the square Overview button on your phone, then swipe left or right on the specific app to remove it from memory.

That should be enough to force the app to restarting from scratch the next time you load it - any buggy code or file that was in your Android phone's memory should be wiped away. A quick way of doing this for all your apps is to reboot the phone (the old 'turn it on and off again' technique beloved by IT support staff).

  • Best Android apps 2016: 100 you must download

2. Clear out the app cache part two

2. Clear out the app cache part two

If that doesn't work you can go in a little bit deeper with your cached data clearout. Every app stores a certain amount of data locally on your phone - it means loading times are faster and the app doesn't have to check the web as frequently. Problems with the cached data can eventually lead to bugs, however.

Open up the main Android Settings app, tap Apps, choose your problematic app from the list on screen, then tap Storage and Clear Cache. For an even more severe 'reset', choose Clear Data (which returns the app back to the way it was when you first installed it). Load up the app again to see if the issue is fixed.

3. Uninstalling apps part one

3. Uninstalling apps part one

As well as clearing data from inside an app you can uninstall it completely: these two procedures essentially do the same job of wiping out any data associated with an app, data that may have become corrupted or which may be causing an app to crash. You can then start again afresh with the app.

To uninstall an app on Android, head to its entry in the Apps screen, or tap and hold on an icon in the app drawer and drag it up to the Uninstall label at the top (note that native Android apps can't be uninstalled). A confirmation message appears on screen and after a few seconds the app is uninstalled.

4. Uninstalling apps part two

4. Uninstalling apps part two

Uninstalling apps you don't need is a great way to clear up storage space on your phone - if you're very low on space then this can lead to a variety of bugs, from apps misbehaving to random resets. So, it's a good idea to keep the number of apps you've got installed on your Android device down to a minimum.

If you do still need the app we're dealing with, reinstall it from the Google Play Store (any past purchases will be remembered, so you won't have to pay again) - if the problem is solved, great; if not, try getting in touch with the app developer directly (there should be a link on the app's listing on the Play Store).

Still got storage space problems? Move your Android phone apps to an SD card .

5. Connectivity problems part one

5. Connectivity problems part one

If you're having problems connecting to Wi-Fi or a cellular signal then you need to make sure it's actually your Android phone and not the network itself that's at fault. The easiest way to do this is to use a different device to test the network, though you may not always have another one with you.

As with apps, a quick reboot often does wonders - and the easiest way to do a quick reboot of your Bluetooth , cellular and Wi-Fi networks is to put your phone into aeroplane mode for a few seconds and then back out again. Switching your phone on and off runs through the same process but takes longer.

  • How to get super-fast Wi-Fi in every room

6. Connectivity problems part two

6. Connectivity problems part two

By reconnecting to a troublesome network, you're forcing your Android phone to make the connection again from the beginning - as with clearing cached app data, this simple act of resetting is more effective than you might think at wiping away problems you're having with your phone.

For a more thorough 'reset' of a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection, try telling the phone to forget it completely (through the relevant entry in the Settings menu) - wait a few minutes and try connecting again. It's also worth resetting the other device (which would be your router if you're struggling to get online).

7. Reboot your phone

7. Reboot your phone

Switching your phone off and on is something of a troubleshooting cliché but only because it works. It covers a lot of what we've already talked about, forcing apps and data connections, and the phone itself, to forget everything in its recent memory and start up again with a clean slate.

If your phone has completely crashed and the power button doesn't seem to be working, try holding down the power button and the volume down button at the same time to perform what's known as a hard reboot. This is the equivalent of removing the device's battery and forcing a more complete restart.

8. Check for battery hogs

8. Check for battery hogs

A lot of people experience problems with a quickly draining battery , which (unfortunately) is an inevitable part of a phone getting older. If you've bought a handset with a removable battery then you can pop in a new one, but otherwise you're just going to have to keep close to a power source at all times.

This is another problem where uninstalling apps can help: go to 'Battery' in Settings to see which apps are hogging all the juice and get rid of any you don't need. Turning off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when they're not needed and reducing the display brightness and screen timeout duration can also help.

9. Perform a factory reset

9. Perform a factory reset

This is the 'nuclear' option that wipes everything off your phone and makes it brand new again - you're then free to reinstall all your apps again or start off fresh. The factory reset option is under the 'Backup & reset' option in Settings and should be enough to solve the majority of software problems on Android.

Bear in mind though that all the data on your handset is going to be erased - saved games, photos taken on your mobile, movies downloaded from the web, app passwords, messenger conversations, emails... make sure you have all of this data backed up somewhere else (if you care about losing it).

  • The ultimate Android data recovery guide

10. Dealing with other problems

10. Dealing with other problems

If your problem isn't solved after a factory reset, then either you're using software not intended for your handset, or there's some physical damage to the device that's stopping it from running properly. A factory reset puts the phone back to the state it was in when you first unboxed it, so there shouldn't be any issues.

A lot of problems come with age, and it's usually inevitable that older handsets don't run as quickly as they get successive, newer Android updates over the air: again, keeping the number of installed apps down to a minimum can help, as well as offloading personal files (like photos) to the web or another device.

  • Best cloud storage for photos: 6 top options tested and rated

David Nield

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

Gemini AI is heading to older Android phones, and could get a new 'conversation' mode

Android 15 could have a new screen feature to keep you doomscrolling in bed

Windows 11 laptops could finally take on M3 MacBooks thanks to Qualcomm – but Microsoft needs to do its part too

Most Popular

  • 2 The obscure little PC that wanted to be a big NAS — super compact Maiyunda M1 doesn't cost that much, offers up to 40TB SSD storage, runs Windows and has 4 Gigabit Ethernet ports
  • 3 Microsoft strips Windows 11's Control Panel of another tool - is the writing on the wall?
  • 4 Meta’s massive OS announcement is more exciting than a Meta Quest 4 reveal, and VR will never be the same again
  • 5 NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Friday, April 26 (game #54)
  • 2 This Android phone for audiophiles offers a hi-res DAC, balanced output and 3.5mm jack – plus a cool cyberpunk look that puts Google and OnePlus to shame
  • 3 Samsung’s next Galaxy AI feature could revolutionize smartphone video
  • 4 VMware users warned to brace for next big upheaval as latest Broadcom changes rumble on
  • 5 Fujifilm's next budget camera may house surprisingly powerful hardware

problem solving for android phone

  • Best Mac Apps
  • Unknown Caller

Common Android 12 problems and how to fix them

Simon Chandler

Android 12 is here — or it is for many Android owners, at least. While some will have to wait a little while longer before they get their hands on it, many can now upgrade to the new operating system . Doing so will provide them with a wide range of useful and fun new features , from a revamped notification shade and  Material You to extra privacy controls and support for digital car keys. There's even a design refresh, giving Android an inviting new look involving bigger icons and bolder colors, all of which combine to make the system more engaging.

Bug: Google Messages bug leaves camera on in background, draining battery and overheating

Problem: car bluetooth can no longer see samsung phone contacts or recent call log, problem: phone (pixels) crashing after launching discord on android 12, bug: media pausing unexpectedly, issue: excessive idle battery drain, problem: starbucks app not working properly, issue: google assistant alarm routines not working, issue: difficulty answering calls on android 12.

While Android 12 may bring one of the biggest overhauls Android has seen in years, it won't be without its teething problems. Accordingly, we've compiled a list of Android 12 problems and how to fix them. These range from the easily solved to those that may require a little more effort or time (such as waiting for an update).

As operating systems are updated all the time, this will be a constantly evolving article, with new problems added at regular intervals. Likewise, Android 12's rollout on other Android devices (e.g. Samsung, OnePlus, and so on) will also likely cause new hiccups. So check back in case an issue you're experiencing isn't covered at the moment.

What You Need

A smartphone running Android 12

As operating systems are updated all the time, this will be a constantly evolving article, with new problems added at regular intervals. Likewise, Android 12's rollout on other Android devices (e.g. Samsung, OnePlus, and so on) will also likely throw up some new hiccups in turn. So check back in case an issue you're experiencing isn't covered at the moment.

According to at least one user on Reddit , a bug in Google Messages was leaving the camera on in the background, quickly draining their phone's battery and causing overheating.

In April 2022, Google confirmed that it had identified the cause of this battery-draining bug and was rolling out a fix. If you're experiencing this, ensure that you have the latest update for Google Messages, which should hopefully resolve the problem.

A number of users on the Samsung Forums have complained that after updating to Android 12, they can no longer see their phone Contacts or Recent Call Log from their car when connected via Bluetooth. This means they can't use voice calling or redial recently called numbers.

Possible solution

This could be caused by the Bluetooth version settings on your phone. A suggested solution is listed below, but first you'll need to enable Developer options on your phone .

Step 1: Go to Settings , then select Developer options .

Step 2: Select Bluetooth PBAP , then choose Bluetooth BPAP version .

  • The most common iPad problems and how to fix them
  • The most common Google Pixel 8 problems and how to fix them
  • How to find your lost phone (tips for iPhone and Android)

Step 3: Select PBAP 1.1 , then choose Apply .

Step 4: Re-select PBAP 1.2 and choose Apply .

If this solution doesn't work for you, it's worth reaching out to Samsung support for assistance.

A few users have complained that, after updating to Android 12, they can't launch Discord without their phones freezing and system UIs crashing. This certainly seems like a serious problem, particularly if you're someone who tends to use Discord frequently.

There is a simple fix, although you may need to repeat it each time you open Discord on your Pixel.

Step 1: Go to Discord.

Step 2: Select Settings , then choose Accessibility .

Step 3: Select Automatically play GIFs .

Despite the simplicity of this solution, one user who experienced this problem has also noted that they have to keep on switching off Automatically play GIFs each time they open Discord. As such, users probably won't be able to solve this issue for good until Discord launches a new update for its app or Google updates Android 12 (depending on which is the underlying source of the problem).

There’s a long thread in the Google Pixel subreddit that details how numerous users have encountered a bug where media (e.g. music) pauses randomly for no apparent reason. Such mishaps appear to be particularly common in Spotify and YouTube (as well as other media apps), so it’s likely to affect many users who have upgraded to Android 12.

There are two things you can try. First, you could try altering the battery settings of affected media apps.

Step 1: Click Settings , then select Apps .

Step 2: Choose All apps then select your media app.

Step 3: Select Battery , then choose Unrestricted .

Step 4: If this doesn't resolve things, you can also try clearing the storage and cache of any affected app by going to Settings then selecting Apps .

Step 5: Select See all apps .

Step 6: Choose Phone , then select Storage and cache (on some phones, this may just be Storage ), then choose Clear storage/cache .

Neither solution seems to have worked for most people. Because of this, your best bet remains to wait for an update for Android 12 to be made available. To check, go to Settings > System > System update . If an update is available, your phone will say so, and you’ll be able to update by tapping Download and install .

A number of users (especially of the Pixel 4a) have noticed that they’ve suffered from significant idle battery drain ever since updating to Android 12. In particular, the screen appears to use a disproportionate amount of power, with batteries running down by double-digit percentages overnight. It seems like this is an ongoing issue, with many Samsung users still reporting the problem in June 2022.

While owners of affected phones aren’t too sure of what exactly is going on here, the consensus seems to be that the always-on display — which has been redesigned for Android 12 — has become particularly hungry.

The only solution at the moment, unfortunately, is to switch off the always-on display. This should significantly reduce demands on your phone’s battery, at least while you wait for a more viable solution via an update. Here's how to do that:

Step 1: Go to Settings .

Step 2: Select Lock screen .

Step 3: Choose Always show time and info . On some phones, this may be Always on display , and you'll need to ensure it's toggled off.

Step 4: If this doesn’t make a real difference to battery drain issues, you could also try turning on Adaptive Battery:

Go to Settings and select Battery .

Step 5: Choose Adaptive preferences then select Adaptive battery .

Alternatively, if you’re experiencing excessive battery drain with Adaptive Battery active, you may want to try turning it off and seeing how that works.

Step 6: You could also try one of the following solutions:

  • Try turning on Battery Saver. Go to Settings > Battery > Battery saver > Use battery saver . Alternatively, you can choose Set a schedule to activate Battery Saver based on certain conditions, such as your routine or a percentage.
  • It may also be worth setting individual restrictions on battery usage for particular apps. Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps . Next, pick any apps that may be or are draining your battery and then go to Battery . Lastly, select Restricted (or select Optimized if you suspect that Restricted settings may be a drain on your battery). Repeat for as many apps as required. (Also, you can check which apps are using battery by going to Settings > Battery > Battery usage .)

A number of Android 12 users have reported that they can’t use the Starbucks app on their phones. They launch the app and receive a message saying, “A system error has occurred. Please try again later”. Some users have even tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app, but this still results in the same issue for anyone running Android 12.

It looks like Starbucks has now fixed the problem, so ensure you update your Starbucks app to the latest version, and this should resolve things.

A couple of posters to the Google forum have said that their Google Assistant alarm routines stopped working properly after they updated to Android 12. It seems that the update, for whatever reason(s), interferes with or interrupts the usual unfolding of the routine. For instance, if you’ve set a routine such that music plays after you hit Snooze or Stop on the alarm, you will now find that music doesn’t play, and so on.

Sadly, there appears to be no direct solution for this problem. Originally, it was thought it would be fixed by an Android 12 update that rolled out in November. However, many users reported the problem was only fixed briefly after the update, then began reoccurring. As such, if this is still a problem for you, you'll have to sit tight and wait for a future update to resolve things.

At least one user has noted that they can’t answer calls after updating to Android 12. This is because, when their phone begins ringing, it won’t register or respond to the user’s touches on the display, making answering impossible.

There’s no obvious reason why this is happening or why it’s only the Phone app that’s affected.

Possible solutions

Fortunately, other users have suggested a few potential fixes. First, you could try resetting the Phone app's user data. Here's how to do that:

Step 1: Go to Settings then select Apps .

Step 2: Choose See all apps , then select Phone .

Step 3: Choose Storage and cache and select Clear storage . You can also select Clear cache on this same screen.

Step 4: You can also try resetting app preferences. To do this, go to Settings and select System .

Step 5: Now, choose Reset options and select Reset app preferences .

If you’re a developer (or a more tech-savvy user) and have bootloader unlocked on your phone, you can also try flashing a full OTA update via ADB from Recovery mode. Explaining how to do this is beyond the scope of this article, and it’s recommended only if you’ve done it before. Otherwise, you should just wait for a normal update to be publicly available and install that.

Editors' Recommendations

  • How to find your phone number on iPhone or Android
  • The most common Skype problems and how to fix them
  • How to get Android apps on a Chromebook
  • How to use iMessage on an Android phone or tablet
  • How to download the Android 15 beta right now
  • How-To Guides

Simon Chandler

When Samsung announced its Galaxy S24 series, it also revealed a slew of new features in its Galaxy AI suite. One of these new features is Circle to Search, which lets you easily search for anything on the screen with a simple gesture.

Think of it like a mashup of Google Lens and a screenshot search. You can activate Circle to Search no matter what you're doing. Whether you're on your home screen, in a web browser, or using an app, you can always call upon Circle to Search.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus (left) and Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

You rely on your iPhone 15 for everything. That includes music, movie, and TV show streaming, banking, smart home controls, calendars, reminders, and timers — which is only scratching the surface. Apple’s iOS namesake is faster, more durable, and packed with plenty of power, but that doesn’t mean it can’t run into trouble now and then. Not to worry though: for when a smartphone presents an issue, there’s usually a way to fix it. 

A reverse image search is a handy way to figure out the origin of an image, locate similar images, or fact check an image. There are a multitude of ways to perform a reverse image search on your mobile device, whether you're using an Android phone or an iPhone.

For example, here's how to do a reverse image search via Google lens on Android:

Samsung Phone Troubleshooting: Fix Common Problems

The first step towards a working Samsung Phone is identifying the problem. Select one of our preferred guides below to diagnose and solve Samsung Phone common issues.

problem solving for android phone

Samsung Galaxy Phone Battery Draining Fast

If your Samsung Galaxy battery draining fast, this page aims to help you identify the causes and what to do to fix them.

Samsung Phone

Didn't see your problem? The iFixit Community has answers.

Browse the most common questions asked by our members to see more solutions. Still no luck? You can always ask for help!

Samsung Galaxy S9+

How to stop the annoying moisture detected at the USB charging port.

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

I dropped my phone and it hit the front screen now theres colors lines

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

Samsung Galaxy S III

I dropped my phone on the floor, the screen became black still working

Samsung Galaxy S III

Samsung Galaxy S II

Why do callers hear an echo during phone calls?

Samsung Galaxy S II

Samsung Galaxy Note II

My phone works but my screen is blank

Samsung Galaxy Note II

Water damaged phone, turns on but screen is black

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Sim card stuck without tray, how to take it out?

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge

Samsung Galaxy A12

Can't be heard without being on speaker

Samsung Galaxy A12

Os melhores aplicativos para Android, iPhone, iPad e Mac OSX, tutoriais, análises e reviews, notícias e muito mais.

The 20 most common Android problems and how to fix them!

  • Por Sophia Silva
  • 30/10/2020 às 12:11 atualizado em (30/10/2020 às 12:11)
  • 15min de leitura

Android certainly is a great mobile operating system, but like any software, it also faces some issues that make themselves particularly present after a while you’ve used it. Some of these problems are so common that they can be found on almost any Android device.

So that you don’t have to always look for individual solutions for each and every one of them, we have selected all the ones that are most commonly found on Android smartphones and the best and most efficient ways to fix them. Enjoy the tips!

1. Short battery life

The power and the technology on smartphones increase by the day, but the battery doesn’t increase much in size, which can result in shorter battery lives. However, newer phones have more efficient processing units, which results in a longer battery even if they’re smaller.

There are a few things you can try to make your battery last a bit longer, listed below:

  • Don’t use LTE (4G). 3G uses much less battery;
  • Turn off your Location, unless you actively need it;
  • Turn off your Bluetooth;
  • Restrict heavy application usage (such as some of the best Android games );
  • Avoid overheating your device;
  • Turn your brightness down;
  • Turn off your Wi-Fi, unless you’re actively using it.

If even after you do all of that, you don’t see any improvement at all on how long a battery charge lasts, you can take your phone repair shop and ask for a battery replacement. And if even that doesn’t show any results, well, it might be time for a new phone.

Short battery life

2. Connectivity issues

One of the most common Android problems is connectivity related. You know that moment when, out of nowhere, you start having problems with your connection, whether it is Wi-Fi, your mobile data, your mobile plan, or even the Bluetooth? Well, you don’t need to panic.

Most often, you don’t even need to turn it off and back on again. Your first step should be to turn on the airplane mode for a few seconds and then turn it off. After that, your problems should be fixed. However, if they aren’t, you should then proceed to turning your phone off and on again!

3. Apps acting slow on Android

Is that game or that app you liked so much suddenly loading extremely slowly, crashing during use, or anything of the sort? The problem might very well not be your device itself, but actually the version of the app that’s currently installed on your phone.

Open up the Google Play Store to see if it hasn’t gotten any new updates, since they’re usually released when new problems in the app are found. Even if there aren’t any updates, uninstalling the app, rebooting the phone, and installing it again could fix the problem.

Apps acting slow on Android common Android problems

4. The device has shut down and won’t turn back on

Sometimes, your smartphone can just go weird and turn off by itself, whether that happens for no reason at all or because your battery has completely uncharged. However, when you press the power button to turn it on, it doesn’t show any sign of life! Well, there’s no need to worry too much about it.

If your battery has gone completely empty and your phone won’t turn on even while plugged into the charger, leave the device alone for a few minutes and try again. When the battery is completely drained, it is common to take a few minutes for the phone to turn on again.

If the problem persists, or if the problem isn’t even that the battery has drained, do the following: press the power button and the volume down button at the same time. Typically, this combo lets you take a screenshot on your Android, but when it is powered off, these buttons force the device to show some boot options.

If they don’t do anything for you, you should google “ device model recovery mode “ , and follow the guide. After that, you’ll see several options and you can move through them by pressing the volume buttons, but you should just focus on the first )usually, a large, green  “Start” text.

To select this option, just press the power button, and your Android should boot up.

5. System is sluggish or crashing

Over time, some of the older Android versions tend to get slower and slower naturally. In this case, the best thing to do is to check if there’s official support for the update to a newer Android version. However, even if there isn’t, we have a few tips to help you solve what is one of the most common Android problems.

It’s a good idea to not have too many files accumulating on your SD card or your internal memory for no reason, such as photos and videos that can be stored on your PC or on a cloud storage service without any problems.

Other than that, you should always close up the apps after having used them, or they will keep using your phone’s CPU and RAM, and in turn, make it much slower.

Finally, go to the Settings on your phone and look for the  “Apps” tab. There, you will be able to uninstall everything you don’t use anymore or clear the cache of your applications, which will make your device run much faster and will avoid one of the most commonly found issues on Android phones.

System is sluggish or crashing common Android problems

6. Google Play Store is not working

Something quite common to happen to many (most?) Android users is trying to open up the Google Play Store to look for new apps or check for updates only to find out that the store simply closes by itself right after you open it up.

This is by far one of the most common Android problems that happen in basically all of its versions. Fortunately, it is really easy to fix it:

Go to the Settings app on your device and look for the  “Apps” tab. You’ll see a full list of your installed applications, among which will be one called  Google Play Services . Click on it and then choose the  Clear Cache option. Afterward, all you need to do is to reboot your device for the Google Play Store to start working normally again!

7. Google Play Store won’t download any of your apps

Since we’re talking about the Google Play Store, it is worth mentioning the problem in which the store simply refuses to download any app you choose. This is a really annoying and bothersome thing, but at least it is easy to fix.

First off, follow all the steps we’ve mentioned so far in the previous section and clear the  Google Play Services ‘ cache and data. Reboot your Android device and, if the problem persists, simply delete your download history in the Google Play Store itself.

8. The Google Play Store is missing

Don’t worry, because you haven’t deleted what possibly is the most important app on your phone by accident. In fact, this is impossible to do unless you have rooted your device and downloaded a specific app to delete the Play Store. If it has gone missing, what is likely to have happened is that you disabled the app.

To fix this problem, follow to the  “Apps” tab within your Settings and look for the  Google Play Store app. It might be hidden under another tab called  Disabled , which you can reach usually by scrolling to the side from the main  Apps tab.

When you find it, tap on it and, in the options that will show up, you will see the  “Enable” button (or  “Disable “ , if it is already enabled), if this is the problem, If you see it, just press this button and everything should go back to normal.

The Google Play Store is missing

9. RAM memory is almost full

This is really common when you have several different apps installed. The more apps you have installed (and running), the more RAM will be demanded from your device, which will in turn make it slower (unless you have an extremely high-end device). This happens even more frequently when you have a lot of apps with background features, so you don’t even notice them.

Our tip when it comes to this is to not trust apps that claim to eliminate all the apps running in the background (more well-known as Task Killers), since they will only hinder the functionality of the apps that really do need to run in the background (and they have to run in the background, using RAM, to kill other apps).

The best thing you can do to clear RAM is to double-check all your installed apps, find which ones you don’t use, and then uninstall them. You can also look for the  Memory tab on the Settings, where you’ll see which ones of your apps use the most RAM.

10. My downloads don’t finish!

One of the most common problems that Android users frequently face might seem to be minor, but it really is a nuisance. Sometimes, you’ll start a download on your device (such as when using one of the best websites to download YouTube videos or the websites to download games ), and eventually realize it’s simply stuck or failed.

This usually is an issue caused by Android’s own download manager, and you can typically fix this problem by performing yet another cache cleaning!

Go to the  Apps  tab in your  Settings and look for the  Downloads  app there. Clean its cache and its data and then reboot the device. Now, you should be able to download anything you want normally!

11. I can’t find my downloads

Anything and everything you download on an Android device (other than apps from the Google Play Store, which are installed immediately) is stored by default in a system folder called  Downloads . It really couldn’t be any simpler, could it?

Well, this is one of the most common Android problems to afflict its newest versions, since the operating system no longer has an in-built file manager. That means that, if it was up to Google exclusively, we wouldn’t have any access whatsoever to any of Android’s folders through the device. To access them, you would have to do it when connected to a PC.

Luckily, there are a lot of different apps that work just so that you can manage and explore your folders and files at will. If you want a recommendation of what to use, you can easily download ES File Explorer by following this link , and it should do the trick.

I can't find my downloads common Android problems

12. Video playback issues

If the native player on your Android smartphone is unable to play a video you’ve downloaded, we recommend that you download and install another video player, preferably one that supports several different formats.

The one we recommend is MX Player, one of the most complete and easiest to use, which can be downloaded by following this link . The app really is great and it can run almost all video formats you can imagine, and it also works amazingly well with separate subtitle files.

Tip : find out here which ones are the best video download apps and the best video streaming services !

13. A malware got installed

The worst nightmare for any Android user is to accidentally end up installing malware on their device, even more so since the Play Store is not known for its thorough verification of the apps it hosts.

What we can recommend is that you always keep an eye on what the other users who have already installed the same app have said and how they’ve reviewed it, as well as never installing pirated apps and games that can easily be found on the internet, since they’re even more prone to be infected.

A big issue when it comes to this, and this is what makes this one of the most common and most serious problems on Android is that it is not easy or straightforward to identify if there actually is malware on your phone. The only way to do so is to use one of the antivirus apps.

If the damage has already been done, we recommend that you use a trustworthy app to find and delete the malware. MalwareBytes is the best and most reliable alternatives, and it is free to use on Android. Follow this link to download it.

14. The SD card is no longer being identified

This can unfortunately be really common in the life of anyone who uses SD cards. The first recommendation is that you always have a backup of all the files stored on the SD card since when this happens it most likely needs to be reformatted. Before doing that, try rebooting your phone and re-inserting the SD card, however.

If that doesn’t work, you can reformat it through Android itself by going to the  Storage tab on your Settings and choosing the  Format SD Card option, which should fix any issues you’re having. However, if even this doesn’t do the trick for you, your card might be completely unfixable.

The SD card is no longer being identified common Android problems

15. The device won’t connect to the Wi-Fi

Believe it or not, this is a quite common occurrence in the Android problems sector that is likely to be caused by your router, and not because of your phone. To find out, check on any other device that uses Wi-Fi (laptops, consoles, etc), and see if they’re properly connecting to the network and if the internet is working as it should on them.

If that’s the case, the problem might stem from the direct connection between the router and your Android device in specific, which might happen much more often than you expect. Try turning the router off for at least 15 seconds and turning it back on to see if it is fixed.

This usually solves it, but should the problem remain, delete the Wi-Fi network from your Android device and reboot it. Then, select the correct network, type in the password for it just like if you were connecting for the first time, and see if anything works, because, well, it should.

Tip : Check out which ones are the best apps to get free WiFi !

16. The Bluetooth or the mobile data is not working

Other connectivity issues might happen to your Bluetooth or to your mobile data network. Meaning, they can simply stop working. The first step anyone should take to fix this is rebooting their phone, which typically does work.

If it doesn’t, the next step is to turn on the  Airplane Mode on your device for a few minutes, and when you turn it back off, everything should have gone back to normal functionality.

17. Text messages aren’t sending

Another really annoying occurrence when it comes to the common Android problems is trying to send a text message only to realize that it is not being sent. Usually, this problem will be on your carrier’s end, so the best thing to do is to wait for everything to normalize.

However, there are a few things you can try, if you think the issue is on your device: Try the airplane mode, as mentioned in the previous section, try rebooting your device, and, finally, try to download another app to send your messages.

Text messages aren't sending common Android problems

Tip : if you no longer use texting, and have switched over to WhatsApp, check out the best WhatsApp dares , the best WhatsApp challenges , and learn how to hide online status on WhatsApp , how to appear offline on WhatsApp , and how to share Instagram link on WhatsApp !

18. App synchronization issues

Many apps, such as Google Drive or Dropbox use synchronization so they can always be up to date on all content you have added to your account on your computer or on your favorite web browser. The problem comes when this synchronization feature starts giving out errors.

Usually, this is another of the most common Android problems that is related to your Wi-Fi network, but if everything is working perfectly, it might be one of two things:

  • The app is not working properly, in which case you should first check the Play Store if the app has any pending updates. If it doesn’t, it’s recommended to reinstall the app to try to fix the problem;
  • You aren’t connected to a Wi-Fi network and the app is set to only synchronize when connected to a Wi-Fi network. If this is the case, check the settings to change it up!

19. The touchscreen is completely unresponsive

What’s worse than having the touchscreen on your phone go completely unresponsive to your touch? This might happen due to a more serious issue, such as dropping your phone, or if it falls into water, both scenarios in which only a phone repair shop can fix.

But, if nothing extreme has happened to your device, it might just be a temporary system error. To fix it, turn it off, leave it alone for a few minutes, and, when you come back to it and turn it on, it is very likely to be working normally again.

20. Phone won’t charge

One of the worst problems that are quite common to happen to Android devices, and cause panic to smartphone owners, is that their phones won’t charge. The first step is to check if both you charging brick and your cable are fully functional and test with other chargers.

Usually, the problem will be found on your charging cable, which can be very worn down and facing some issues. If that’s the case, replace the charger with a high-quality one. If the problem, however, is with all chargers you test, it is time to take your phone to a repair shop.

Phone won't charge

Did you like our list of the most common Android problems?

We hope you’ve found the solution for the problems that are afflicting your device. Don’t forget to also check out our guides on what to do if your laptop won’t turn on , if your iPhone won’t turn on , find out the most common iPhone charging mistakes .

Posts Relacionados

apps that pay when you sign up cover

11 apps that pay when you sign up in 2023!

  • há mais de 1 dia

cover websites to draw online

18 websites to draw online on PC [free in 2023]!

9 free apps every college student needs.

Download videos from twitter cover

18 Websites to download videos from Twitter on PC and mobile

Apps to simulate the haircut cover

10 apps to simulate a haircut

How to know if my WhatsApp has been cloned? (2023) cover

How to know if my WhatsApp has been cloned? (2024)

  • Social Links
  • social networks
  • Uncategorized
  • Windows Phone

Close

Search results for

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

Samsung Galaxy S21 problems and how to fix them

Published on January 29, 2024

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs S21 Plus vs S21 Ultra 1

The Samsung Galaxy S21 series has been out for over two years. Samsung has done a great job fixing any bugs and kinks in that time, but a few issues tend to pop up from time to time, especially after significant software updates. We look at some common Samsung Galaxy S21 series problems and how to fix them!

QUICK ANSWER

The most common Samsung Galaxy S21 problems include notification problems, Android Auto discrepancies, random reboots, and camera bugs. There are more than these, though, so keep reading to learn about other common issues and how to fix them.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

Samsung Notes not working

Notification issues, the notification font is too small, android auto problems, random reboots and apps crashing, camera issues, connectivity issues, device freezing, touchscreen issues, guides: factory reset, boot into safe mode, wipe cache partition.

Samsung Galaxy S21 vs S21 Plus vs S21 Ultra in hand

Some users are facing problems using the Samsung Notes app. The ticker keeps moving to random parts of the note while typing or automatically deleting parts of it.

Potential solutions:

  • You can try clearing the app data and cache. Go to Settings > Apps and select Samsung Notes . Then go to Storage and tap on Clear cache .
  • Repeat the steps above and clear the cache for the Samsung keyboard as well.
  • Some users have found that resetting the keyboard seems to work. Go to Settings > General management > Samsung Keyboard settings and tap on Reset to default settings . Confirm by hitting Reset keyboard settings .

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra screen in hand 3

One of the more common Galaxy S21 problems has to do with notifications. More specifically, with app notifications being delayed or not appearing at all. This was especially an issue after the Android 12 update.

  • You can try clearing the app data and cache. Go to Settings > Apps and select the problematic app. Then go to Storage and tap on Clear cache .
  • Delayed notifications could be caused because of the phone’s battery optimization features. Go to Settings > Apps , tap the options button ( three vertical dots ) at the top right corner, and select Special access . Select Allowed to use data while Data saver is on and toggle on the apps you want to freely use data.
  • An update was rolled out to fix the issue where users didn’t hear notification sounds when receiving text messages. If you’re still facing this problem, open the default Messages app, tap on the menu icon ( three vertical dots ), go to Settings > Notifications . Tap on Notification categories , then make sure General notifications is toggled on.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra display held in hand over water

Some users have noticed that the notification font is too small. Adjusting the system font size doesn’t fix the problem.

  • If you have the Galaxy S21 Ultra, go to Settings > Display > Screen resolution . It will likely be set to Full HD+. Set it to Quad HD+, hit Apply , and close the settings menu. Then, return to the same page and set the resolution back to before. That should fix the notification font sizes.
  • You can also increase the font size alone. Go to Settings > Display > Font Size and Style , max out the size, and return it to the size you want. This should reset the notification font size as well.

dashboard android auto

Problems with Android Auto are common with most smartphones. Unsurprisingly, that is also the case with the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.

  • You might be running into Android Auto connection issues if you used the Smart Switch feature to set up your new phone. If that’s the case, find the app in the Google Play Store , uninstall it, and download it again.
  • You may notice that you don’t see the Android Auto app in your app drawer anymore. Go to Settings > Advanced featured > Android Auto . Everything you need should be there. If there’s a problem with app settings, you’ll find them tucked away in the phone settings.
  • Check the cable you’re using and get a new one if required. If you see frequent disconnections, this might be a hardware problem. On the other hand, if you’re using Android Auto Wireless, you might want to switch to a wired connection if possible for more stability.
  • It should automatically be set to Android Auto when you plug the phone in. However, you might have to change this setting manually. When the phone is plugged in, tap on the Android System notification in the notification panel. Make sure that it is set to transferring files/Android Auto .
  • I find that turning both the vehicle and the device off and back on often helps.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra display in hand 1

Quite a few users face a problem with their apps crashing on the Galaxy S21, and some face random reboots.

  • An app might be causing this problem. Boot the phone into Safe Mode and check if the issue persists. If it doesn’t, the cause is a rogue app. Uninstall the most recently updated or installed apps and see if the phone works as expected.
  • You can also try wiping the cache partition. The instructions are in a guide below.
  • Software updates have fixed this problem for many. If you’re still coming across it, though, getting a replacement is probably the best option.
  • Go to Settings > Battery and device care , tap on the three-dot menu button, select Automation , and make sure to toggle off Auto restart at set times .

backs of the phones

Some people notice various Samsung Galaxy S21 camera problems, especially if you’re still running Android 12. Users see the “Camera failed” error, or the viewfinder appears out of focus.

  • You can try clearing app data and cache. Go to Settings > Apps and open the app list. Select the Camera app, go to Storage, and tap Clear cache .
  • Some users say that performing a factory data reset after installing the latest version of One UI helps clear out some common bugs. It’s not the best solution since you’ll lose all your data and need to set up the phone again, but it’s worth considering if you’re running into many issues after the update. There are instructions for this at the end of the article.

 USB C

You may occasionally come across connectivity issues with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Galaxy S21 owners are facing Wi-Fi problems in particular. You can try these general troubleshooting tips.

Wi-Fi issues

  • Turn the device and the router off for at least thirty seconds, turn them back on, and retry the connection.
  • Go to  Settings > Battery and device care > Battery and ensure Power saving is turned off.
  • Reconnect the Wi-Fi connection. Go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi , tap on the gear icon next to your Wi-Fi network, and hit Forget . Now, you can reconnect to the Wi-Fi network.
  • Make sure the Wi-Fi router firmware is up to date.
  • Make sure the applications and software on the device are up to date.
  • Go into your Wi-Fi network settings (the gear icon next to the name and tap on Advanced)   and make a note of your device’s MAC address, then make sure that it is allowed access in the router’s MAC filter.

Bluetooth issues

  • If you have issues when connecting to the car, check the manufacturer’s manual for the device and the car and reset your connections.
  • Ensure that you are not missing a vital part of the connection process. Some Bluetooth devices have unique instructions.
  • Go to  Settings > Connections > Bluetooth and ensure nothing needs changing.
  • Go into Settings > Connections > Bluetooth , delete all prior pairings, and set them up again from scratch. Don’t forget to delete any devices you no longer connect to on this list.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G on the table

A few Galaxy S21 owners are facing problems with the device freezing.

  • An app is likely causing the problem with random reboots or the device freezing. Boot the phone into Safe Mode (you can find the instructions below) and see if the issue remains. If it doesn’t, it’s being caused by a problematic app. Uninstall any recently installed or updated apps and see if the problem disappears.
  • A factory data reset might help. Find the instructions towards the end of this post.

Razer Arctech Case for Samsung Galaxy S21 5

Some Galaxy S21 owners are complaining about touchscreen issues. For some, the middle of the screen doesn’t register touches at all, while the top and bottom still work as expected. Other Galaxy S21 owners say they have a problem with touches not registering when they scroll on the phone. The touch doesn’t register until the scrolling ends.

  • An app might be causing this problem. Boot the phone into Safe Mode and see if the issue stays. If it doesn’t, it’s a problematic app. Uninstall any recently installed or updated apps.
  • Go to  Settings > Display and toggle on Touch sensitivity .
  • A screen protector might be causing touchscreen problems. Remove your screen protector to check if the problem goes away. If you want to keep the screen guard, you should increase touch sensitivity.
  • Some users say that reducing UI animation helps fix the problem where a touch doesn’t register until the scrolling stops. Enable Developer Mode by going to Settings > About phone > Software information  and tapping on the build number multiple times. Open  Developer options in the settings menu and toggle on Remove animations .

back of the phones

Note:  To get into the recovery menu to factory reset the phone or wipe the cache partition, you must first plug your phone into your PC.

Factory reset using the settings:

  • Launch the Settings app.
  • Go into General management .
  • Hit Reset .
  • Tap on Factory data reset .
  • Select Reset again.
  • Enter your PIN and tap on Delete all .

Factory reset using recovery:

  • Turn the phone off.
  • Press and hold the volume up and power buttons.
  • Release both buttons when the green Android logo appears.
  • Press the volume down button to toggle the selection to  Wipe data/factory reset .
  • Then, press the power button to select Wipe data/factory reset .
  • Press the volume down button to toggle the selection to  Yes – delete all user data settings.
  • Press the power button to select  Yes – delete all user data .
  • Once the reset is finished, press the power button to select Reboot system now .

Boot into Safe Mode:

  • Press and hold the power button past the name appearing on the screen.
  • Once the Samsung logo appears, release the power button and immediately press and hold the volume down button.
  • Continue to hold down the volume down button until the phone finishes restarting.
  • Let go of the volume down button when you see “Safe mode” on the bottom left corner of the screen.

Wipe cache partition:

  • When the Android logo appears, release the volume up and power buttons.
  • You will see an  Installing system update  message for anywhere between 30 and 60 seconds.
  • Press the volume down button in the system recovery menu options to toggle the selection to wipe cache partition .
  • Press the power button to select  wipe cache partition .
  • Once again, press the volume down button to toggle the selection to yes .
  • Use the power button to select Yes .
  • Press the power button to restart the device once the  Reboot system now appears.

What Galaxy S21 problems have you encountered? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. We’ll do our best to help.

You might like

How-To Geek

Why is my android phone so slow 10 ways to speed it up.

Get that Android phone back to its prime.

Quick Links

How to restart android, how to clear the cache on android, how to update an android phone, free up storage space on android, how to delete apps on android, how to update apps on android, speed up animations on android, use "lite" android apps, automatically turn on wi-fi on android, how to factory reset android.

If you've had your Android device for a while, you've probably noticed some lag that wasn't there before. Apps load slower; menus take a bit longer to show up. This is pretty normal---but you don't have to live with it.

This problem isn't unique to Android, either---try using an older iPhone with a new version of iOS and feel how slow it's become . But the solutions are slightly different for each platform, so let's explore all the ways you can try to fix this on Android.

The first thing we can try is the easiest---simply restart your Android device . This will clear the memory and give everything a fresh start. A lot of the time, a restart will fix minor problems and speed things up.

On many Android devices, you can access the restart option by pressing and holding down the power button until a menu appears. Select "Restart" from the menu.

Some Android devices have remapped the power key to launch the virtual assistant. You can also restart the device by pressing the power button in the Quick Settings panel. Swipe down once or twice from the top of the screen, then tap the power icon.

A restart will often give you a little performance boost, but it won't be long-lasting if there are bigger issues causing the device to be sluggish.

You can clear the cache on an Android device by going to Settings > Apps > Select an app > Tap "Clear Cache." Removing these temporary files can sometimes improve performance , but they will eventually be redownloaded.

First, open the Settings and go to the "Apps" section.

Here's the list of installed apps on your Android device (you may need to expand the list to see them all). Select an app.

Go to "Storage & Cache" or just "Storage."

Select "Clear Cache."

The cache will be cleared! This works for pretty much any app, but you may want to take some extra steps to clear the cache for Android browsers .

Sluggish performance can be a result of running outdated software on your Android device---check for an update by going to Settings > System > System Update. It's important to keep your device as up-to-date as possible. Even if the latest version of Android isn't available for your device, you may have monthly security patches to install.

Chances are there won't be an update waiting for you, but it never hurts to check. It's not safe to use an outdated Android device for a variety of reasons .

An Android device filled to the brim can suffer from poor performance. Thankfully, there are a variety of ways to free up storage space. Clearing the cache---as shown above---is just one method.

Related: How to Free Up Space on Android: 8 Ways

In our guide for freeing up storage space on Android , we outline eight methods you can try. You can use the feature built-in to the Files by Google app, clear out the downloads folder, empty the trash, move photos to cloud storage, and more. If limited storage space is causing performance issues, this is a good place to start.

Unused apps take up space and can slow down your phone---it's easy to uninstall Android apps in bulk from the Play Store. Android has features intended to limit what unused apps can do , but removing them entirely is your best bet.

Open the Play Store and tap your profile icon in the top right. Select "Manage Apps & Device" from the menu.

Go to the "Manage" tab and select the apps you'd like to uninstall. Tap the trash icon in the top right to remove them.

It's always a good idea to get rid of apps you aren't using anymore . For performance and security's sake.

Updating apps can solve performance issues---open the Play Store on your Android device and go to Manage Apps & Device > Update All or See Details > Update. The infamous "bug fixes and improvements" changelog can sometimes mean the developer fixed performance issues.

First, open the Play Store and tap your profile icon in the top right.

Select "Manage Apps & Device" from the menu.

On the next screen, you'll see either "Updates Available" or "All Apps Up to Date." If you see the latter, there are no updates available.

Otherwise, tap "See Details" to look at which apps have updates.

Now you can tap the arrow to read the update changelog or select "Update" to start the update.

Regardless of your Android device's performance, it's always a good idea to regularly check for app updates.

Android's hidden "Developer Options" menu has options to speed up the animations on your device. This is a long-time trick to make Android devices feel faster, and it still works.

After enabling Developer Options , open them and look for "Window Animation Scale," "Transition Animation Scale," and "Animator Duration Scale." By default, they'll all be set to "1x." Switch to ".5x" or "Off" to speed them up.

Now, when you're navigating around, animations won't take as long, making your device feel snappier. The Developer Options menu has a lot of other features to offer, too .

Some of the most popular Android apps are pretty beefy in size. They require a good chunk of storage and resources to function smoothly. Some of these apps have "Lite" versions intended for low-powered, budget devices, but there's nothing stopping anyone from using them.

Here are a handful of "Lite" alternatives to some popular Android apps:

  • Facebook Messenger Lite
  • Facebook Lite
  • Google Maps Go
  • Microsoft Outlook Lite
  • Instagram Lite

Slow performance can sometimes mean slow internet---so make sure you're always using Wi-Fi when you can. Android can automatically turn on Wi-Fi when you're at places you frequently use Wi-Fi. This way, you never accidentally stay on a slower data connection.

For Samsung Galaxy devices, you'll want to go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > Intelligent Wi-Fi > Turn Wi-Fi On/Off Automatically.

On Google Pixel and other Android devices, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Internet > Network Preferences > Turn On Wi-Fi Automatically.

Not only can this make sure you're using a solid internet connection, it can also prevent you from accidentally racking up data on a mobile connection if you forget to turn on Wi-Fi.

If nothing seems to solve the performance issues on your Android phone, the last thing to try is a factory reset.  A factory reset completely erases everything  off your device and takes it back to the way it was "from the factory." Essentially, it will be like new again, and that often solves common problems .

To get started, open the Settings and go to System > Reset Options > Erase All Data (Factory Reset).

The next screen will tell you everything that will be erased and show all of the accounts you're currently signed into. Tap "Erase All Data" to continue.

You'll be asked to enter your  lock screen PIN or password , then tap "Erase All Data" once more to confirm.

The device will go through the process of wiping all data and restart. You'll need to set it up again just like you did when you first got the device.

Sadly, performance that slowly degrades over time is just part of owning a gadget. The methods outlined above will buy you some time, but eventually you'll want to upgrade to a new Android phone or tablet , and the clock will start ticking again.

  • Travel eSIM
  • Install eSIM
  • Delivery Options

Loading Cart

20 Common Mobile Phone Problems & Their Solutions

Technology is not always perfect, so you can experience different problems that you can solve by yourself. Cell phones may present faults some times and we know it can be a very stressful situation. That is why we decided to make a top 20 of the most common mobile phone problems and their solutions, so you can solve them without losing your head –and your money.

Of course, there are several troubles that are a bit more difficult to solve if you are not a technology expert. If you cannot do it by yourself, we recommend you to take your mobile phone to an authorized service technician and hopefully, they will help you. So, we invite you to come with us and discover things that maybe you did not know about your cell phone.  

20 Common Mobile Phone Problems & Solutions

1. slow phone.

This is something that everybody has experienced at least once. It is the most common mobile phone issue and it can be associated with old phones. However, newer devices can present the same problem. When your Random-Access Memory (RAM) is full of apps and files that you do not use or need, your phone tends to respond slowly.

The Solution: Clean your cell phone and close/delete apps, files and clear the cache data. If you recently installed an app and your phone is not working well, you should uninstall it and see if your mobile phone runs faster. If this does not help you, you can also try saving important information on Google Drive, Dropbox or just on your computer. Then, you can restore your cell phone to factory data.  

2. Bad Battery Life

Another common problem that happens to everyone is when your phone never has battery enough although you do not use it all the time. There are different factors that can affect your battery life and you should take them into account before losing your battery.

The Solution: First, you should try to dim the screen brightness and turn off the GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth if you are not using them. You can also enable the Battery Saving Mode and see if your battery lasts longer. Additionally, you should check your Battery Usage in your phone Settings and see which apps are using more battery. You can close or disable the ones that are draining more battery if you usually do not need them.  

3. Overheating Phone

This usual problem can be related to the previous one. An overheating phone is sometimes related to problems with your phone battery. But, it can also be related to your charger and also with the place you normally have your phone. If you are experiencing this, you should solve it soon because your battery and your phone screen can be seriously damaged.

Possible Solutions: You should try the previous possible solutions first to see if this problem is directly related to your battery issue. If it keeps overheating, try to carry your phone in a fresh place and keep it away from the sun’s heat. You can also give your phone some minutes to “refresh” and start using it again.  

4. Full Storage Space

Maybe you are the kind of person that saves too many photos, songs, documents and some other files and although you do not need them anymore, you do not delete them. Sometimes those files are so old that you forget you have them stored in your cell phone. Unnecessary apps also occupy important storage space that can be used for other matters.

The Solution: This fourth common mobile problem can be related to the first we already mentioned before. When you have filled up your storage space, your cell phone tends to respond slowly. So, the possible solutions for this problem are the same: try to delete those files and apps that you do not use anymore, you can also delete old calls and text messages and clean the cache data. Try to transfer those files you would like to keep with you on an online cloud or buy a microSD card to save that valuable information in a safe place.  

5. App Crashes/Freezes

This problem happens a lot and, although it is a very annoying thing, it is not so difficult to solve. Although it should not be a common thing, the truth is that apps sometimes present this issue and can be related to bugs on the app or maybe your operating system is not the best or the newest for those apps. There are apps that are constantly adding new options and improving some details for better performance, but sometimes your phone just cannot support the latest version and that app starts crashing all the time.

The Solution: The first thing you should try is to restart your cell phone and start using the app again. You can also go to the App Manager and stop the app, sometimes cleaning the cache data also works. If it continues doing the same, try to uninstall the app and install it again. As it was mentioned before, sometimes the app has a lot of bugs that cause this problem.  

6. Phone Freezes

This happens a lot, especially in old phones or devices with full storage space. What people usually do is to restart their phones or turn them OFF and ON. When this does not work, we normally remove the phone battery and everything goes back to normal. However, some modern phones do not have this option because their batteries cannot be removed. Do not worry, we will tell what to do and how to do it.

The Solution: Depending on your phone, here are the steps you must follow to restart it:

  • Click Volume Uponce
  • Click Volume Down once
  • Hold the Power key for 15 seconds.
  • Press the Power key + Volume Down key at the same time for 10 seconds or until the Apple Logo appears.
  • Press the Power key  + Volume Down key at the same time for 15 seconds or until the Samsung Logo appears.
  • Press the Power key + Volume Up at the same time for 10 seconds
  • When the phone vibrates, press the power key like normal to turn ON the mobile phone.
  • Press the Power key + Volume Up at the same time for 15 seconds or until the Android logo appears.

7. Apps Not Downloading

Users complain a lot about this issue that can be solved with just a few steps similar to the ones explained in the fourth problem. This mainly happens due to corrupt cache and it is pretty easy to solve it.

The Solution: Try cleaning the apps cache and you can also clean the history of Google Play and Google Play Services. Remember to restart your cell phone after doing that and try again to download the app you want  

8. MicroSD card does not work

When your phone is full but you do not want to lose your files and you are too busy to move them to another place, you probably think about that old microSD card you bought few years ago. But, here comes the problem: your device does not want to accept that card.

The Solution: Your microSD probably has errors and your phone is not recognizing that card. Try to connect a card reader to your PC and format the microSD card at least two times. Restart your mobile phone and insert the SD card again.

9. Wet Cell Phone

Do not feel bad if you dropped your mobile phone and now it is wet. This happens a lot and most of the time it can be solved.

The Solution: The first this you should NOT do is to turn ON your device. It can be just the worst thing to do. Remove the battery and put the cell phone in a bowl full of rice. It will help to absorb the moisture. Now, take it to a service workshop and let them fix it.  

10. Damaged Charging Port

Like everything in life, nothing lasts forever. And your phone is not an exception. Charging ports tend to deteriorate as time passes. Misuse or dirt can be some of the causes of this deterioration. This common problem needs to be solved by an expert. However, you can try some things to see if it works again.

The Solution: Before taking your mobile phone to the repair shop, try to clean the charging port with a new and dry toothbrush. You can also clean it using a dry cotton swab to remove the dust and dirt that does not allow your charging port to work properly. If this does not work, please take your phone the repair shop. Of course, these 10 problems are not the only ones that mobile phones have, but they are the most common ones according to Internet searches. However, we decided to add 10 more divided into 2 groups such as Android problems and iOS problems. Take a look at these following common issues.

5 Common Android Problems

11. google play store does not download apps.

This is something frequently experienced by Android users. People tend to panic and think there is nothing they can do and they will not be able to download anything again. Relax, we have 2 ways to fix this.

The Solution: The first option –and the most recognized- is to clean the Google Play cache. How can you do it? Go to Settings – Apps – Open Google Play Store – Clean Cache – Restart your phone. The second way to solve this problem is to clean the Google Play Store history. This is more simple than the first solution. First, you need to Open Google Play Store – Settings – Choose Clean History.  

12. Google Play Store Crashes

We know how annoying is that you try to look for an app and Google Play crashes all the time. This happens a lot and must of the time is because of a corrupt cache. It should be solved with similar steps mentioned before.

The Solution: Although some menus vary, most Androids have the same options. So, you just need to go Settings – Apps – Open Google Play Store – Clean Cache and Data – Restart your phone. This should fix the crashing problem. But if it does not work, try doing the same with Google Play Services and Google Services Framework.  

13. Connectivity Issues

Sometimes the connection through Bluetooth or WiFi can be a little bit difficult. This is one of the most common problems among Androids that can be solved just with a couple of simple steps.

The Solution: We recommend you to enable the airplane mode for at least 1 minute. Then, try to connect again. Occasionally, you can turn OFF and ON the connection that is failing and then try to connect it again.  

14. Synchronization Failures

Sometimes you are trying to sync your account to a specific app but it seems just impossible to do it. Sometimes the app does not show you what the problem is, so you are not sure what you should do. When you have synchronization failures there are a few steps that you must follow.

The Solution: First of all, make sure that you are connected to the internet. You also need to check if the services that are you trying to sync (just like Google or Dropbox) is working as well. Another thing that you should do is to verify your password, check if it is correct and try again. If any of this works, remove entirely your account from your device and add it again.  

15. Unsent Messages

Sometimes happens that you are texting someone and then the screen show “Message not sent, touch to retry”. You try over and over again to send the same message but it shows the same annoying alert.

The Solution: The first thing you must do is to make sure that you are connected to a WiFi network or that your mobile network is working correctly. Then, click on the message that was not sent and select the resend option. This should be enough, but if you still have the same issue, try to restart your phone or try downloading another message service app.  

5 Common iOS Problems

16. control center button does not respond.

According to the Apple Toolbox, some users have been reporting some issues with the Control Center button or Home button. They say that the button is constantly freezing and does not respond.

The Solution: If this happens to you, you must go to Settings and then to the Control Center to customize and delete the specific app that does not work in the including section. You can do it by sliding it on the left and touching Delete. After that, you must restart your device and once it is turned ON again, you can customize the controls again and add the app that you remove before.

17. iPhone Overheats

A lot of customers complain that their devices turning extremely hot. They also affirm that feel like their phones are swelling and they open by themselves. This problem was already explained, but iPhones tend to present this issue more than other phones.

The Solution: If you are using a specific app and your cell phone overheats, let it rest for a while. You can disable the location service by going to Settings and Privacy. We recommend you to do this because the location service uses GPS, Bluetooth and mobile locations to determine where you are. This could mean a lot of activity for your phone. If you are charging your iPhone and it overheats, unplugged it for several minutes until it cools. Then, you can plug it again. Removing the case of your device also works. It will avoid that the plug keeps the heat and it will not block the heat output of the phone.  

18. Issues to Connect to WiFi

Users express through the Apple forum that they lose the WiFi connection and they cannot connect to a local network. While a WiFi network is working with other devices; users assure that they have problems to find a stable connection.  Before trying to find out the possible error in your cell phone, make sure that the router is close to you.  You must also make sure that you can see your WiFi network to check that it is connected to the correct network.

The Solution: You can also try to restart your devise or the router by unplugging it and plugging it again. If it still not responds you may go to settings to reestablish your network. It will restore the Wi-Fi network and the password with the VPN and APN of your cell phone. Just in case the problem continues, remember that you can restore to the factory configuration by eliminating all the content. Before doing this make sure of have made a backup of all the important files that you have on your phone because everything will be erased once you restore your device.  

19. The Screen Is Not Bright Enough

Some users explain they have noticed that the screen looks dark although the brightness is at the highest level. You are not the only one who has experienced this. So, keep calm and read what you need to do.

The Solution: To solve this problem you can go to General Settings, then to accessibility and after that click on Screen Adaptations. You will see an option to reduce the white point at the button so you can adapt the intensity of the colors until you consider is good for you.  

20. Unable To Connect To The App Store

Besides some issues experienced at the moment of downloading apps, some users have also had problems to go on the App Store. They receive error messages saying that their devices cannot currently connect to the App Store.

The Solution: A possible solution for that is to set the date and time of your device. Disable the option of set automatically, instead of that, set the date and time manually. Then, go to the App Store and let it open for about 5 seconds at least. Activate the date and time automatically again and then close the App Store and open it again. We are sure there are many more problems among phones, no matter, if they are Android phones or they are part of the iOS technology. But, this time we just covered the most common issues and we hope those possible solutions work for you. Please share with us if you have experienced some of these problems and how you solved them!  

Recommended Articles

Tech & Gear

How To Avoid Roaming Charges?

Published on 4th February 2020

What is Tethering & How to Enable It?

Published on 9th January 2020

What is an eSIM?

Published on 13th January 2020

Phone app not working on Android? Here’re 12 ways to fix it

TechieTech.Tech Team

  • April 6, 2021
  • Android , How to

Phone app not working on Android Here're 12 ways to fix it

At present, smartphone apps hold a vital place in our day-to-day life. Most of us wake up by the alarm app and go to sleep after using an app. But, the most important app in any smartphone is the phone app or the calling app. It is what makes it a phone after all. When it comes to Android, a lot of apps (including the system apps) are developed to run on different sets of hardware. Therefore, it is quite common for them to run into some problems which could hamper their basic functioning. Whether the phone app is not working, crashing, freezing, or simply not responding, there are certain troubleshooting methods to fix these problems. With that being said, let us start with our detailed guide on how to fix if the phone app on your Android smartphone is not working.

Also note, these methods are suitable for fixing the calling app in the smartphones by the following Android manufacturers:

  • Samsung Galaxy series
  • OnePlus Flagship & Nord series
  • Oppo F and Reno Series
  • Vivo V series 
  • Mi Note Series

Disclaimer: Proceed at your own risk, TechieTechTech will not be responsible if anything goes wrong with your device.

How to fix the phone app when it is not working on Android?

1. close the app and reopen it.

The first and easiest method to fix the phone app not working on Samsung Galaxy or any other Android device is to close the app from the recent menu and re-launching it. 

If this fixes the issue, you’re lucky enough to get away with such an easy solution. If not, you might have to start the hit and trial method with all the possible solutions we’ve listed below. 

2. Force Stop the Phone App

If the above method didn’t help you fix the Android phone dialer app problem, we recommend you to force stop the concerned app.When an app freezes or stops responding, what usually happens is it gets stuck in a loop. When you force stop an app, you are simply killing all the processes related to it and letting it run everything from scratch when you reopen it. 

Here’s how to force stop the phone app on Android:

  • Head to Settings
  • Navigate to Apps and Notifications
  • Now, scroll through the list of apps and tap on Phone 
  • On the next screen, you’ll notice some buttons. Tap on the one that says “Force Stop.”

Once you’re done doing this, try to relaunch the phone app on your Android device and see if it works.  

3. Restart your Android Phone

Most a simple yet effective solution to fix minor errors and bugs that are not allowing the phone app to work flawlessly. Believe me, it is one of the easiest methods to fix apps crashing issues on Android. You can simply restart your android device by long-pressing the power button and tap on the Restart option listed along with Power Off and Emergency Mode. 

Once the device is rebooted try opening the phone app and see if it’s working.

4. Clear the App’s Cache and Data

Clear the App’s Cache and Data

Another solution to fix this annoying problem is to clear the cache and data of the phone app. In simple words, the cache is the temporary files of an app stored on your device. Remember, it is a temporary solution because they heap up again as you continue using an app. So, it needs to be done more often. Please note, caching is what makes the app opening times and overall performance snappier on your device. So, no need to do it on a daily basis. In the following steps, we have mentioned how to clear app cache and data in an Android device.

Please note that this will also clear the settings that you’ve made like speed dialing, automatic call recording functionalities in some Android smartphones.

  • Go to Settings
  • Tap on Apps and notifications and choose Phone app from the list.
  • Now, tap on the storage
  • Then, tap on buttons saying “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache”

Now check if you’re facing the problem again. If this didn’t help to fix the dialer app on Android, we suggest moving further with methods listed as under. 

5. Clear RAM

If the above method didn’t help, you can try clearing the RAM of your Android device to fix the phone app crashing issue. You may not realize but clearing the RAM of your Android phone fixes many problems including the one where the phone dialer app doesn’t open at all.

Here’s how to clear RAM on Android:

  • Scroll down, and tap on the About phone
  • Tap on the Build number at least 5-6 times continuously , and your phone will enter the Developer mode.
  • Now, go back to the Settings menu and choose Developer options 
  • On the next screen, find Running services
  • Now, choose from the services that use a lot of RAM and tap on the Stop button to clear it. 

You should repeat this method for clearing the Android services using a lot of RAM on your device. You can also use a 3rd party app to do this job for you. It’s faster and less finicky. 

6. Check SD Card (If you have on in your phone)

If the above mentioned methods did not help you fix the caller app, make sure to check if the SD card in your phone is corrupted. Yes, the corrupted card can be the possible reason why your phone app is not working on Android. It is because some apps in your phone write to the faulty card and behave weirdly at times. 

So, to fix this issue you might need to remove the SD card and launch the phone app again and see if it’s working. If it did not work, you should format the SD card after taking a backup and try again. 

 7. Check App permissions

Check App permissions

App permissions are another important aspect that helps running any Android app at its best. However, things might get troublesome when you disallow those permissions. You may not understand this, but it can be one of the reasons why you see the pop-up saying unfortunately “The app has stopped working on your Android phone”. So, to fix this you should check all the permissions allowed/disallowed by you from the app Settings of your phone. 

Here’s how you fix the phone app that keeps crashing on Android:

  • Tap on Apps
  • Find Phone and tap on it
  • On the next screen, tap on Permissions
  • You’ll see some mandatory permissions like Contacts, Telephone, Call logs, and more ; make sure you have allowed all the permissions mentioned over there. 
  • For that, you need to tap on the permissions listed and tap on the radio buttons that say “Allow.”

Now, close the app from the recent menu and try launching it again. We hope this might fix the phone app crashing issue.

8. Reset all Settings of your Phone

Remember, trying this method will restore all the settings of your phone as it was at the time you bought it. Do note this will not wipe any of the data present on your phone like photos, videos etc. However, it is one of the most effective ways to fix any bugs or glitches that could be the underlying cause for why the phone app keeps crashing on your Samsung or OnePlus smartphone. In the following steps, you will get to know how to reset all the settings on an Android device. 

  • Scroll through and tap on General management
  • Now, tap on Reset
  • On the next screen, tap on the Reset All settings option
  • Now, tap on the Reset settings button
  • A prompt will appear asking you to enter a password/PIN
  • Then, confirm the reset option by tapping the Reset button

Once you’re done, check if you can use the phone app on your Android device. If it doesn’t help at all, move on with the next method. 

9. Uninstall update of the Android System WebView

Recently, Google confirmed issues with WebView that are causing a lot of Android apps to crash. If this is the real issue behind the phone app crashing problem, we urge you to uninstall updates of the Android System WebView. Remember, you can’t fully uninstall it because it is a system app. To uninstall the update, you need to go to Google Play Store and search “Android System WebView;” and simply tap on the uninstall option.  

Now, check whether you can use the phone dialer app or not. Just in case this helps, the Android System WebView was the real culprit. 

Note: Manually uninstalling updates of the WebView may result in loss of data from some apps.  

10. Reboot your device from recovery mode

Rebooting your device from the recovery mode is another feasible option to fix the phone app not working problem on any Android device. For better understanding, you can term it as a hard reboot. It generally fixes all the minor issues and glitches that are disrupting the normal functioning of your phone. Make sure you remain cautious while doing it because one wrong or miss-step can be troublesome for your phone. 

Here’s how to boot Android in recovery mode:

  • Power OFF your Android device
  • When completely OFF, press the Volume Up and Power button for a few seconds at the same time.
  • Congrats, you’ve now entered the recovery mode
  • From the list, highlight the “Reboot System Now” option, and press the power key to confirm the same.

With that, you have successfully rebooted your device from the recovery mode. Now, check whether the phone app issue is fixed or not. 

11. Check for Software Updates

Check for Software Updates

If the above methods didn’t help, you should try updating your system to fix the phone app not working problem. Whenever a new update rolls out, devices tend to notify us of the same. But, sometimes we forget about it or ignore such notifications. Trust me, updating a device brings numerous benefits for a flawless user experience. You never know, it can be the remedy for one of the apps crashing problems on Android. 

Here’s how to update the software on an Android device:

Depending on the brand and model of the phone, this process might differ from one device to another. But, the most usual ones are mentioned below:

  • Tap on the Software Update
  • Now, tap on Download and install
  • On the next screen, your device will automatically scan for the latest updates available
  • If any update pops up, just tap on the Download button. Once finished, tap on the Install button and you’re done. 

12. Factory reset your Android device

Not the method you want, but factory data reset is the last resort to fix the crashing phone app issue. Before trying this method, make sure you backup all your data as it will erase everything from your Android device. Resetting your device factory settings will fix most of the problems happening day in and day out caused by system bugs or glitches. 

Here’s how to factory reset your Android phone:

  • Tap on General management
  • Then, tap on Reset
  • On the next screen, tap on the Factory data reset
  • Now, tap on the Reset button
  • Then, confirm the reset option by tapping Erase everything.

After you’re done resetting your device, check everything if the phone app is working fine. We hope this step will fix most of the issues including the faulty phone app on your Android device. 

Just in case, the problem isn’t solved even after resetting the device; we suggest you visit the service center of the respective Android phone brand.

That’s all for now on our troubleshooting guide to fix the phone/calling app not working on Android issues. We hope one of the methods came to your rescue. Just in case you are having a problem with the Instagram app, make sure to check our troubleshooting guide to fix Instagram not working, loading, or crashing issues .

TechieTech.Tech Team

TechieTech.Tech Team

Leaks point to ultra-wideband and a Samsung 5G chip in the new Pixel series

Leaks point to ultra-wideband and a Samsung 5G chip in the new Pixel series

GPS not working on Samsung Galaxy smartphones? Here are 20 ways to fix it

GPS not working on Samsung Galaxy smartphones? Here are 20 ways to fix it

problem solving for android phone

How to Reset Network Settings on Android 11 devices

Android Police

How to find your android phone if you lost it.

Don't sweat when you lose access to your Android phone

A smartphone stores our personal data, banking apps, media files, documents, browsing history, and more under biometric protection. Losing access to your Android phone can put you in a compromising situation. Before heading to the nearest carrier to purchase a new Android phone , use Google's Find My network to detect its whereabouts. If the trick doesn't work, you can factory reset the device, change login credentials for essential services, deactivate your SIM card, and take other steps to safeguard your digital data.

Phone insurance plans: Which Android protection plan is best?

Find your android phone with google find my device.

Did you misplace your Android phone at the office, your home, or a local café? Before taking extreme steps, use Google's Find My Device network to locate the device. The trick below only works when your Android phone is connected to the internet via mobile data or Wi-Fi and signed in to your Google account.

1. Go to Google Find My Device on the web and sign in with your Google account details.

2. Confirm your Android phone model in the upper-left corner and zoom into the live map to find its location.

3. You can also play sound to ring the device on silent or vibrate mode.

What to do if your Android phone is lost

If someone stole your Android device and it's out of your reach, go through the following recommendations to keep your data safe.

Factory reset the phone

In addition to locating your phone, Google's Find My Device service secures and resets the lost device. Follow the steps below.

1. Visit Google Find My Device on the web (refer to the steps above).

2. Select Secure device from the sidebar. It locks your Android phone with a PIN, password, or pattern and logs you out of your Google account. Click Secure device .

3. If you don't use any PIN or password on your Android phone, select Factory reset device .

4. Click Next , enter your Google account password to confirm your identity, and follow the on-screen instructions to wipe out data.

Change essential account passwords

Google's Find My Device requires a few conditions to work as expected. If you can't locate or manage your Android phone using the Find My Device network, change your important account passwords. Change your bank account login info, social media passwords, login details for e-commerce platforms, email accounts like Outlook, financial apps such as PayPal, Payoneer, and more.

Contact the authorities

Contact the local authorities and report device theft. Thieves may use your stolen phone for illegal activities and land you in legal trouble. Your stolen device report can help you avoid such problems. The authorities can also work closely with your carrier to locate the phone.

Check your carrier coverage

Major US carriers such as Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T offer phone protection plans to consumers. These plans cover accidental damage, loss, mechanical failures, electrical glitches, water damage, and theft.

For example, T-Mobile offers a P<360> add-on to provide coverage for accidental damage and theft. Verizon, the largest carrier in the US, partnered with Asurion Insurance to offer Wireless Phone Protection plans .

Carriers usually charge a nominal monthly fee to secure your device from unfortunate incidents. You can open your local carrier's mobile app or desktop page, sign in with your login credentials, and check if an insurance plan is added to your account.

There is no shortage of third-party phone insurance companies. AKKO, Progressive, Assurant, Allstate, and Asurion are some of the top insurance providers for electronics and smart gadgets. If you purchased phone insurance from one of these companies, contact their customer care to file a claim.

Check your homeowner's, car, or renter's insurance

Did someone break into your car and steal your items, including your phone? Typically, car insurance covers permanently installed items such as radio, navigation system, battery, TVs in the headrest, and custom wheels. Most plans don't cover personal items like a camera, phone, or laptop. However, insurance providers like Erie offer personal item coverage and pay up to $350 for stolen personal items.

Your homeowner's or renter's insurance plan covers phones and other gadgets in specific situations. These insurance policies typically cover your phone for circumstances like theft, fire, and vandalism. These plans also come in handy when someone snatches your phone from a crowded concert or when traveling abroad.

Unlike standard insurance plans from carriers, a renter's or homeowner's policy doesn't cover accidental damage like a cracked screen, mechanical failures, and more.

Check your credit card terms

Selected credit cards from major financial institutes like American Express, U.S. Bank, Chase, Capital One, and more offer protection against stolen or damaged phones. Check your card benefits to see if you are eligible for such benefits and limitations.

Claim your insurance

If you have one of the eligible carriers, car, credit card, or homeowner's insurance, file your claim for your lost phone. Let's take Verizon as an example.

Launch My Verizon app and go to Menu > Devices > Manage device > Lost, stolen, or damaged device? Start a claim and enter the requested information. The company asks for details like your cellular number, device model, date the incident occurred, proof of ownership, government-issued ID, and police report number.

T-Mobile users can file a claim on the official website and follow the on-screen instructions. After your claim is approved, the carrier mails you a reconditioned replacement device.

Contact your carrier

Contact or visit your carrier store and deactivate your SIM to avoid illegal activities on your cellular number. The representative may ask a few questions to confirm your identity. If your SIM is still in use, ask your carrier to locate the device from their end.

It isn't the end of the world

When you get a new Android phone, set up biometric protection. There are also several ways to protect your digital privacy. Using a password manager is a solid way to shield your data from thieves. Check our dedicated guide to find the top password managers for Android .

  • Help Center
  • Google Play
  • Privacy Policy
  • Google Play Terms of Service
  • Submit feedback
  • Google Play Store
  • Find or fix an app
  • Fix problems downloading apps from the Play Store

Fix problems with the Google Play Store app

Due to payment system disruption, Google Play has paused paid services in Russia as of March 10, 2022. Your experience on the Play Store may change. Learn more here .

If you can’t open the Google Play Store app, this article includes advanced troubleshooting steps that can help resolve this issue. Before you try these advanced steps, we recommend that you try to fix problems downloading apps with basic troubleshooting steps.

If you still can’t use the Google Play Store after you try the steps above, try the steps below. After each step, try to use the app again to check if it fixed the problem.

Troubleshoot problems with the Google Play Store

Uninstall & reinstall Google Play Store updates

problem solving for android phone

To uninstall Play Store app updates:

  • On your device's home or app screen, find the Google Play Store app.

Google Play

  • Tap App info .

problem solving for android phone

  • Review the info and tap OK .

To reinstall Play Store app updates:

  • At the top right, tap the profile picture.
  • Under “Play Store version,” tap Update Play Store .

Remove & re-add your Google Account

When you remove your account, some information is removed from your device. Make sure you back up any important information before you complete this step.

Learn how to remove and re-add your account .

Clear the cache & data of the Google Play Store

  • Clearing cache from Google Play Store is the most common solution to issues when you download apps from Google Play Store.
  • When you clear the cache and data, it may delete some settings on the Google Play Store app like parental controls and password protection . It will ask you to reagree to the Terms of Service the next time you open the Google Play Store.

problem solving for android phone

  • Find the Google Play Store app on your device's home or app screen.
  • Touch and hold the Google Play Store app.

problem solving for android phone

  • If you have issues when you download apps from Google Play, the most common solutions are to clear cache from Google Play Store and Download Manager.
  • When you clear the cache and data, some settings may be deleted on the Google Play Store app like parental controls and password protection . Next time you open the Google Play Store, you’ll be asked to re-agree to the Terms of Service.
  • Scroll down to ”Download Manager.”
  • For Android 5.1.1 and lower: Tap Clear cache and Clear data .

Clear cache & data from Google Play Services

  • Open your device’s Settings app.
  • If you can't find "Google Play Services," tap  See all apps .
  • Tap Google Play Services .

Get more help

If you still can’t use the Google Play Store after you try all the steps above, we recommend you reset your device to factory settings . Then, try again.

Related resources

  • Fix problems downloading apps with basic troubleshooting steps
  • Fix problems downloading one app
  • Fix problems downloading multiple apps
  • Problems with in-app purchases
  • Google Play supported devices

Need more help?

Try these next steps:.

Rokid AR Lite finally fixes two of the biggest problems with smart glasses

Rokid AR Lite introduces an IPD adjustment function and a spatial operating system.

An official lifestyle image of Rokid AR Lite smart glasses

What you need to know

  • Rokid AR Lite is a new smart glasses package that includes Rokid Max 2 smart glasses and a Rokid Station 2 compute module.
  • Rokid Max 2 smart glasses weigh just 75 grams and include diopter adjustment and IPD adjustment.
  • The glasses come with a Rokid Station 2, which features a Qualcomm processor, a 5,000mAh battery, and touch controls.
  • Rokid is launching the Kickstarter program soon and will ship the glasses in Midnight Black and Dawn Silver colorways.

It's been a long road for smart display glasses, but Rokid seems to have finally cracked the code. The company just announced Rokid AR Lite, a new product that encompasses two separate products into one sleek package: Rokid Max 2 smart display glasses and the Rokid Station 2 compute module.

Rokid Max 2 glasses include a new display that's capable of wider FoV, creating a virtual 300-inch screen at what looks like 6 meters away. The glasses include a motion mode that keeps this screen stable even during airplane turbulence, helping to reduce motion-induced dizziness. Rokid Max 2 comes equipped with what the company called "ultra-light air nose pads" and soft, bendable temples.

However, the real innovation here is the Intelligent Interpupillary Distance Adjustment (IPD) adjustment system. My biggest comfort problem with nearly all existing smart display glasses is that there's no way to adjust the spacing between the lenses, a basic necessity in assuring long-term comfort on VR headsets.

Everyone's eyes are spaced apart a little differently, and the wrong spacing between the glasses' lenses can cause dizziness and eye discomfort. Rokid isn't using a physical IPD slider though. Rather, the company will have software IPD adjustment so you can move things around as needed. Hopefully, this will fix the cropping issue seen around the edges of the display on other smart glasses, too.

Additionally, Rokid Max 2 ships with non-destructive diopter adjustment for near-sighted individuals. Some other glasses have this — Viture One , for instance — but having this ensures that more folks can comfortably use these glasses without having to outfit them with a special pair of prescription lenses. That, combined with the IPD adjustment, should make these the most comfortable smart display glasses ever made.

A product render of the Rokid AR Lite combo

The Rokid Station 2 is part of the Rokid AR Lite package, an upgraded version of the compute module Rokid previously shipped. Companies like Xreal have shipped similar products, but Rokid Station 2 looks like a substantial upgrade in several ways.

Rokid Station 2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and runs the company's proprietary YodaOS-Master operating system. It's got a 5,000mAh battery inside, dual USB-C ports, and supports 18W charging. Rokid Station 2's top acts as a touchpad, capable of being used like a mousepad when placed flat on a surface. Additionally, the unit ships with 3DoF sensors, which can be used as a pointer remote for quick navigation.

Be an expert in 5 minutes

Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android

Rokid Station 2 enables multiscreen mode and spatial screen casting so you can run multiple windows in 3D virtual space as if you had a set of monitors floating in front of you. This should enable use of your favorite apps and services without needing native apps, as you should be able to connect your computer or phone. The original Rokid Station ran Android TV, but we're not yet sure what Rokid Station 2 uses. We've reached out to Rokid and will update this article when we find out.

The company is launching the Rokid AR Lite Kickstarter campaign soon where we'll find out pricing and a tentative release date. The company offers a slew of goodies for "pioneer" investors for $9.90 on its website, including a T-shirt, badge, priority shipping, VIP group service, and offline priority experience.

Nicholas Sutrich

Meta Horizon OS could repeat Android's biggest problem if Meta isn't careful

Exclusive: Meta's upcoming glasses are the OMG moment that AR needs

Why is net neutrality so important?

Most Popular

  • 2 A glaring Android TV security flaw might put your Gmail at risk
  • 3 How to change and customize Garmin watch faces
  • 4 Google wants YouTube Music to be the 'ultimate destination' for podcasts
  • 5 ChatGPT integration comes to the Nothing Phone 2a and Phone 1

problem solving for android phone

IMAGES

  1. How to Solve Android System Problems

    problem solving for android phone

  2. How To Solved Android Smartphone Problems

    problem solving for android phone

  3. How to Solve Network problem on Android Mobile || Fix Mobile Network

    problem solving for android phone

  4. 10 Best Math Problem Solver Apps For Android in 2023

    problem solving for android phone

  5. How to solve hanging problem in Android phone

    problem solving for android phone

  6. Problem Solving with Android Studio

    problem solving for android phone

VIDEO

  1. just bored

  2. Most common android phone problems and solutions

  3. New SM-TOOL 2024 For All CPU

  4. Maximizing Phone Storage

  5. How to fix calculator Apps Show on lock screen problem solving

  6. gfx tool problem solving . android 11 .حل مشكلة ببجي على أندرويد 11 لا تعمل مع gfx tool

COMMENTS

  1. Android problems and how to fix them

    Go to Settings->Apps and notifications->See all apps (the steps might be different). Find the launcher app, tap on Clear cache, and restart the phone. A rogue app might be causing problems ...

  2. 15 common Android problems and how to fix them

    Google Play Store keeps crashing. The problem is probably a corrupt cache and all you need to do is clear it. Go to Settings> Applications> All Apps> Google Play Store> Storage and select Clear ...

  3. 20 Common Android Problems Solved

    Android Device Won't Turn On. If your phone doesn't turn on, try the following steps: Remove and reinsert the battery, if possible. If the battery isn't removable, hold down the power button for 15 seconds. Plug the device into a power source, give it a few minutes, then hold the power button down for 15 seconds again.

  4. Fix an Android device that freezes or won't respond

    Near the bottom, tap System Software update . If needed, first tap About phone or About tablet. When the update status appears on your screen, follow the steps. Check storage & clear space. On most phones, you can check how much storage you have available in the Settings app. Settings can vary by phone.

  5. The 7 Most Common Hardware Problems on Android Phones and How to ...

    Here are the seven most common hardware problems you might face on your Android phone and how to solve them. 1. Overheating. Overheating is a very common problem in smartphones, and there are many things that could be causing it on your device. These include hot weather, faulty manufacturing, the use of incompatible chargers and cables ...

  6. Fix an Android device that's restarting or crashing

    To learn how to restart your phone in safe mode, visit your manufacturer's support site. Step 2: Check if the problem goes away. Check if the problem goes away. If it does, an app is likely causing your problem. Go to the next step. If the problem does not go away, skip to Advanced troubleshooting. Step 3: Restart your phone normally & check apps

  7. 5 Common Android Problems and How to Fix Them

    Quick Links. Unusual Battery Drain. Wi-Fi Disconnecting. Phone Freezing Up. App Keeps Crashing. Charger Not Working. Android phones are great, but like any other gadgets, they have their fair share of problems. There are some problems that most Android users will encounter at one time or another.

  8. 12 fast fixes for common Android problems

    Android problem No. 1: Low storage. Ah, yes — the age-old problem of finite space. When you see a phone's storage starting to run low, just remember this catchy little adage: "Stop hoarding ...

  9. Why is my Android slow? 8 ways to troubleshoot your phone

    3 Uninstall unused Android apps. Unused apps take up storage space on your mobile phone and may clog the memory (RAM) if they run in the background. If you downloaded apps you no longer use ...

  10. How to fix any Android problem

    Open up the main Android Settings app, tap Apps, choose your problematic app from the list on screen, then tap Storage and Clear Cache. For an even more severe 'reset', choose Clear Data (which ...

  11. Common Android 12 problems and how to fix them

    A suggested solution is listed below, but first you'll need to enable Developer options on your phone. Step 1: Go to Settings, then select Developer options. Step 2: Select Bluetooth PBAP, then ...

  12. The Ultimate Android Smartphone Troubleshooting Guide

    Try fixing the problems on the interface or the complete setup using the methods below in this Smartphone troubleshooting guide. Option I: Restart Smartphone. Restarting your Smartphone is the most important and basic option to fix the issues on your Smartphone. Force restart your phone to fix the bugs and glitches on your phone.

  13. Fix a screen that isn't working right on Android

    Test the affected part of your screen. Touch the top left corner of the screen. Slowly drag your finger to the bottom right corner without lifting. Try to move your finger slowly enough that you can count to 10 before reaching the opposite corner of the screen. If you can drag your Quick Settings bar and notifications all the way to the bottom ...

  14. Samsung Phone Troubleshooting: Fix Common Problems

    Samsung Phone. Android Phone. Phone. Home. Parts Guides. Troubleshooting. Samsung Phone Troubleshooting: Fix Common Problems. The first step towards a working Samsung Phone is identifying the problem. Select one of our preferred guides below to diagnose and solve Samsung Phone common issues.

  15. The 20 most common Android problems and how to fix them!

    The first step anyone should take to fix this is rebooting their phone, which typically does work. If it doesn't, the next step is to turn on the Airplane Mode on your device for a few minutes, and when you turn it back off, everything should have gone back to normal functionality. 17. Text messages aren't sending.

  16. Samsung Galaxy S21 problems and how to fix them

    Reconnect the Wi-Fi connection. Go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi, tap on the gear icon next to your Wi-Fi network, and hit Forget. Now, you can reconnect to the Wi-Fi network. Make sure the Wi ...

  17. Why Is My Android Phone So Slow? 10 Ways to Speed It Up

    Select "Restart" from the menu. Some Android devices have remapped the power key to launch the virtual assistant. You can also restart the device by pressing the power button in the Quick Settings panel. Swipe down once or twice from the top of the screen, then tap the power icon.

  18. How To Fix Problems With Your Android

    More than 2.5 billion people use Androids. There are a lot of different Androids on the market, and we want to help you fix problems regardless of which model you own. Our articles will show you how to diagnose and fix a variety of problems with your Android. Whether your phone is frozen, won't charge, or simply isn't working the way it's ...

  19. 20 Common Mobile Phone Problems & Their Solutions

    18. [iOS] Issues to Connect to WiFi. 19. [iOS] The Screen Is Not Bright Enough. 20. [iOS] Unable To Connect To The App Store. 1. Slow Phone. This is something that everybody has experienced at least once. It is the most common mobile phone issue and it can be associated with old phones.

  20. Phone app not working on Android? Here're 12 ways to fix it

    Once finished, tap on the Install button and you're done. 12. Factory reset your Android device. Not the method you want, but factory data reset is the last resort to fix the crashing phone app issue. Before trying this method, make sure you backup all your data as it will erase everything from your Android device.

  21. Android 15 has a new dark mode switch with the same old problems

    The problem with the new feature is that it doesn't solve the actual accessibility problem with OLED displays on many Android smartphones. Phones that use gray backgrounds in place of true black ...

  22. Fix an installed Android app that isn't working

    Step 2: Check for a larger app issue. Force stop the app. You can usually force stop an app through your phone's Settings app. Settings can vary by phone. For more info, contact your device manufacturer. Tip: If problems continue after you've force stopped the app, you could need to contact its developer.

  23. Android 15 could stop you from leaking sensitive ...

    This is the same API that the system-provided screen recorder Quick Settings tile, introduced in Android 11, uses to record your screen on Android. Before apps get to record your phone's screen ...

  24. How to find your Android phone if you've lost or misplaced it

    Confirm your Android phone model in the upper-left corner and zoom into the live map to find its location. 3. ... Your stolen device report can help you avoid such problems. The authorities can ...

  25. Fix problems with the Google Play Store app

    Find the Google Play Store app on your device's home or app screen. Touch and hold the Google Play Store app. Tap App Info . Tap Storage & cache Clear Cache. Tap Clear storage Delete. If these steps resolve your issue, re-enable password protection and parental controls. If these steps didn't resolve your issue, try to clear cache and data from ...

  26. Rokid AR Lite finally fixes two of the biggest problems with smart

    Rokid AR Lite is a new smart glasses package that includes Rokid Max 2 smart glasses and a Rokid Station 2 compute module. Rokid Max 2 smart glasses weigh just 75 grams and include diopter ...