When a mobile game keeps crashing, the fix is usually one of five things: restart the phone, update the game and your phone’s software, free up storage, let an overheating phone cool down, or clear the game’s cache on Android. Work through them in order before you reinstall anything. Deleting a game can also delete progress that’s only saved on your phone.
Why do mobile games crash? #
Most crashes come down to a short list of causes:
- Not enough free storage or memory. Games need room for temporary files and updates, and a nearly full phone struggles.
- Out-of-date software. After a big iOS or Android update, older game versions sometimes break until the developer catches up. The reverse happens too: a new game version may need a newer phone OS.
- Heat. When a phone gets hot, it slows itself down to protect the battery, which causes stutters and sometimes crashes.
- A corrupted download or cache. Temporary files can get damaged, especially after an interrupted update.
- A bad connection. Online games can freeze or drop you when the network does.
- An older phone. A game can install on a phone that only barely meets its requirements and still struggle.
- A bug in the game. Sometimes it really isn’t your phone.
Developers watch their crash rate closely, because crashes lead straight to bad reviews and uninstalls. A crash report from your phone, or a clear message from you, is often how a bug gets fixed.
If the game doesn’t close but stutters, drops frames or feels slow to respond, that’s lag rather than a crash, and our guide to fixing lag in mobile games is the better place to start.
10 fixes, in the order to try them #
1. Restart your phone #
It sounds too simple, but a restart clears memory and ends stuck background processes. Try it before anything else.
2. Update the game #
- iPhone: open the App Store, tap your profile picture, and scroll to see pending updates.
- Android: open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, then Manage apps & device and Updates available.
If a game started crashing right after an update, check its recent reviews. If lots of people report the same thing, it’s a bug, and a fix is usually on the way.
3. Update your phone’s software #
On iPhone, go to Settings, General, Software Update. On Android it’s usually Settings, System, Software update, though the path varies by brand. Games are tested on current versions, so an old OS is a common cause of crashes.
4. Free up storage #
Check how much space you have in Settings, General, iPhone Storage, or in Settings, Storage on Android. If it’s close to full, delete apps you don’t use or move photos and videos off the phone. Try to keep a few gigabytes free.
5. Close other apps #
You rarely need to close apps on a modern phone, but if a game crashes when you switch back to it, other apps may be using the memory it needs. Swipe them away, then reopen the game.
6. Let your phone cool down #
Take the phone out of a thick case, get it out of direct sun, and stop charging it while you play something demanding, since charging adds heat. If your iPhone shows a temperature warning, stop and let it cool completely before playing again. Our guide to why phones get hot when playing games covers how to keep it from happening.
7. Turn off Low Power Mode or Battery Saver #
These modes limit performance to save battery. They’re more likely to cause lag than crashes, but they can make a demanding game unstable. Turn them off while you play if your battery allows.
8. Clear the cache (Android) or offload the app (iPhone) #
- Android: go to Settings, Apps, choose the game, then Storage & cache, and tap Clear cache. Don’t tap Clear storage or Clear data. That deletes everything the game has saved on your phone, including progress that isn’t backed up online.
- iPhone: there’s no cache button. Instead, go to Settings, General, iPhone Storage, choose the game, and tap Offload App. This removes the app but keeps its documents and data, and reinstalling it gives you a fresh copy with your data restored.
9. Check your connection #
For online games, switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, turn off any VPN, and check the game’s social accounts or website for server problems. If everyone is having trouble at once, it’s the game’s servers, not your phone.
10. Reinstall, but only after checking how the game saves #
Reinstalling fixes a lot of stubborn crashes, but first find out where your progress lives. Games that save to an account, Game Center, Google Play Games or iCloud will restore it. Games that only save on the phone will start over unless your phone backup includes them. Our guide on transferring game progress explains the three ways games save and how to tell which one yours uses.
Is your phone too old for the game? #
Every App Store listing has a Compatibility section that says which iOS version the game requires. Google Play tells you if your device isn’t compatible. A game that installs can still run poorly on a phone near the minimum, so if you play demanding games on an older device, lower the settings or consider a tablet. Our comparison of gaming on a tablet vs a phone covers the trade-offs.
How to report a crash so it gets fixed #
Developers can’t fix what they can’t reproduce. When you contact them through the support link on the store listing, include:
- Your phone model and OS version
- The game’s version number
- What you were doing when it crashed
- How often it happens
On iPhone, you can also let crash reports reach developers automatically: go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Analytics & Improvements, and turn on Share With App Developers.
If Flappy Kittens is the game that’s misbehaving #
Flappy Kittens (Flappy Cat on Google Play) was rebuilt in version 4.0 so its game engine runs off the app’s main thread, stepping at a fixed 120 times a second. A hiccup elsewhere on your phone doesn’t change how your cat flies, and a tap made a split second early still counts. It also plays fully offline, so a bad connection won’t interrupt a run. If it does crash, the fixes above apply, and you can reach the developer through the support link on its App Store or Google Play listing.
One warning before you try fix 8 or fix 10: Flappy Kittens saves your high score, fish and cats on your phone, not in an online account. Clearing its storage or deleting it without a phone backup will reset your progress.
Frequently asked questions #
Why does my game crash as soon as I open it? #
A crash on launch usually means the game needs an update, your phone’s OS is out of date, or the game’s files are damaged. Restart the phone, update both, then clear the cache on Android or offload and reinstall on iPhone.
Does clearing a game’s cache delete my progress? #
No. Clearing the cache only removes temporary files. Clearing storage or data is different: it deletes everything the game saved on your phone, including progress that isn’t backed up to an account.
Why does my game freeze instead of closing? #
A freeze usually means the phone is short on memory, too hot, or waiting on a slow connection. Close other apps, let the phone cool, and check your network. If the game keeps running but stutters, see our guide to fixing lag.
Why did a game start crashing after an update? #
The update may have introduced a bug, or it may need a newer phone OS than you have. Check the game’s recent reviews. If others report the same crash, wait for a fix and send the developer your phone model and OS version.