Android 'Unfortunately, App Has Stopped' — How to Fix It

What it means

'Unfortunately, [app name] has stopped' (newer Android versions phrase it as '[app] keeps stopping') means the app crashed and Android closed it to keep the rest of the phone running.
It's almost never a sign of a broken phone.
Most of the time the cause is a corrupted cache, an out-of-date app, low free storage, or a permission the app needs but doesn't have.

Affected Models

All Android phones and tablets (Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Motorola, Oppo, Realme, Nokia)
Android 8 (Oreo) and newer — older versions show 'Unfortunately,' while Android 10+ usually shows 'keeps stopping'
Common with Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Chrome, YouTube, Gmail, Snapchat, banking apps, and games

Common Causes

App's cached data is corrupted
App is out of date and not compatible with the current Android version
Phone is low on free storage and the app can't allocate working memory
Android system or Google Play Services needs an update
A permission the app needs (storage, camera, contacts) was denied or revoked
Conflicting app or recent system update introduced a bug
A corrupted file the app is trying to open

How to Fix It

Close the app and reopen it.

Open the recent-apps view (swipe up from the bottom and hold, or use the recent-apps button on older phones) and swipe the misbehaving app off the screen.
Then open it fresh.
A one-off crash often doesn't come back.
Restart the phone.

Hold the power button and choose Restart.
This clears stuck background processes — the fix for a surprising share of 'keeps stopping' errors, especially when several apps are misbehaving at once.
Clear the app's cache.

Go to Settings > Apps > [the app] > Storage > Clear cache.
This deletes temporary files without touching your sign-in or saved data.
If the error returns, come back to the same screen and tap Clear storage / Clear data — that wipes the app's local data and you'll have to sign in again, but it fixes most stubborn crashes.
Update the app and Android.

Open the Play Store, tap your profile, tap Manage apps & device, and update everything pending — particularly the crashing app and Google Play Services.
Then go to Settings > System > System update and install any Android update.
Old app versions running on new Android (or vice versa) crash on launch.
Free up some storage.

If the phone is almost full, apps can't grab the working memory they need and they crash.
Go to Settings > Storage and delete what you don't need — old photos and videos in the gallery, big WhatsApp media, downloaded files, unused apps.
Aim for at least 2 GB free.
Check the app's permissions.

Settings > Apps > [the app] > Permissions.
If the app needs storage to save files, camera to take pictures, or contacts to find friends, the permission has to be allowed.
Set the relevant ones to Allow or 'Allow only while using the app'.
Reinstall the app as a last resort.

Uninstall the app, restart the phone, then reinstall from the Play Store.
For pre-installed apps you can't uninstall, choose Disable, restart, then enable again — or tap 'Uninstall updates' to roll the app back to its factory version.
If a freshly installed app still crashes on every Android phone, it's an app bug and the developer needs to fix it; contact them through the Play Store reviews or their support page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the same app keep stopping on my Android, but only this one app?

One app crashing on its own usually means that app's cached data is corrupted or it needs an update.
Clear the cache first (Settings > Apps > [the app] > Storage > Clear cache); if that doesn't help, Clear storage and sign in again.
If it still crashes, uninstall and reinstall.
If only the one app fails on the latest Android and the latest app version, the problem is on the app developer's side and they'll need to issue a fix — your phone is fine.