This guide explains how to restart apps on Android smartphones and tablets, which can be useful when an application becomes unresponsive or starts misbehaving.
Before proceeding, it’s essential to note that forcing an app to close may cause any unsaved data within that app to be lost.
To quickly stop a frozen or malfunctioning application and then open it again to resolve common performance issues on your device, follow these instructions. First, open your device’s Settings app, typically a gray gear-shaped icon found in your app drawer, but you can also access it by swiping down and tapping the gear icon in the notification shade.
In the Settings menu, tap the option labeled Apps or Apps & notifications. This will display a list of all the applications installed on your phone or tablet. Scroll through the list to find the unresponsive app you want to close and tap on its name. This will take you to its specific Application Info screen.
On the Application Info screen, tap the Force Stop button, which is usually located near the top, just below the app’s name. A confirmation dialog box will pop up to warn you that the app may misbehave. To proceed, tap Force Stop in the bottom-right corner of the pop-up.
Once confirmed, the button will be grayed out, indicating the app is no longer running. Now, press the Home button on your device to return to the main home screen. Finally, navigate to your app drawer and tap on the app’s icon to restart it. The app should now launch from a clean state.
If an app is frequently unresponsive, try clearing its cache. You can find the “Clear cache” button in the “Storage” section on the same Application Info screen. Force restarting an app is a great first step for troubleshooting, but it might not solve a persistent issue.
If the application continues to freeze or crash, your next step should be to check for updates. Developers often release patches to fix bugs, so visit the Google Play Store, find the app, and see if an “Update” button is available. If updating the app doesn’t work, the final resort is to uninstall and then reinstall it. This process removes all of the app’s data from your device and provides a completely fresh installation.
To do this, you can long-press the app icon and select “Uninstall” or use the “Uninstall” button on the same Application Info screen you used to force stop it.
