IMPORTANT: This article applies only to specific products and/or operating systems. Check Applicable Products and Categories for details.
Disclaimer: Downloaded apps that have not been downloaded from the Google Play store may not be fully compatible with your device. If the steps in this article didn't solve the issue, please contact the app developer for more information.
What to do when a mobile app stops working properly
Mobile apps can misbehave for various reasons (e.g., poor internet connection, insufficient storage or software glitches). An app can freeze, crash or take a long time to respond. Fortunately, you can usually fix these issues by following simple steps. Give each step a try and check whether the problem has been resolved after each step.
Note: The following steps may differ depending on the Android version. To check your smartphone's Android version, find and tap Settings → About phone → Android version. If you do not see About phone under Settings, tap System instead.
Force stop, then restart the app
To force stop an app
Android 9, 10 and 11
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications.
- Find and tap the app that you want to stop.
- Tap Force stop → OK.
Android 8
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications → App info.
- Find and tap the app that you want to stop.
- Tap FORCE STOP → OK.
Update the app on your phone
If not done already, update the app to the latest version using the Google Play store. Furthermore, make sure your Xperia phone is running the latest software.
Note: Not all apps can be updated on Google Play.
Clear the app cache or app data
Clear the app's cache to delete any temporary files in the app's memory that may be causing the problem. You will not lose any personal data by clearing the cache.
Alternatively, you can go a step further and clear all app data that the app has saved since you started using it. Note that all personal data saved by the app, such as login information and settings, will be erased.
To clear application cache
Note: The option to clear the application cache is not available for every application or service.
Android 10 and 11
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications.
- Select an application or service, then tap Storage & cache → Clear cache.
Android 9
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications.
- Select an application or service, then tap Storage → CLEAR CACHE.
Android 8
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications → App info.
- Select an application or service, then tap Storage → CLEAR CACHE.
To clear application data
Note: When you clear application data, data for the selected application is deleted from your device permanently. The option to clear application data is not available for every application or service.
Android 10 and 11
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications.
- Select an application or service, then tap Storage & cache → Clear storage → OK.
Android 9
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications.
- Select an application or service, then tap Storage → CLEAR DATA → OK.
Android 8
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications → App info.
- Select an application or service, then tap Storage → CLEAR DATA → OK.
Hint: Did you know that the camera on your phone is also an app? If the Camera app (called Photography Pro in newer models) doesn't start, try clearing its cache. If this doesn't help, clear storage/data.
Reset the app
Uninstall all updates for the app to reset the app. All personal data saved by the app, such as login information and settings, will be deleted. If possible, update the app again on Google Play. You can also try to uninstall and reinstall the app.
Note: You can't uninstall some pre-installed apps.
To uninstall updates for an app
Android 11, 10 and 9
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications.
- Find and tap the app that isn’t working.
- If available, tap
(the 'More' icon; three vertical dots) → Uninstall updates → OK.
Android 8
- Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications → App info.
- Find and tap the app that isn’t working.
- If available, tap (the 'More' icon; three vertical dots) → Uninstall updates → OK.
Uninstall the app, then reinstall it
To uninstall an application from the Application screen
Note: Only downloaded apps can be fully uninstalled.
Android 11 and 10
- Touch and hold the app icon until the device vibrates.
- In the menu that opens, tap App info → UNINSTALL.
Android 9 and 8
- Touch and hold the app icon until the device vibrates.
- In the menu that opens, tap
(the 'Uninstall app' icon) → OK.
Check STAMINA mode
If your device supports STAMINA mode and this mode is activated, deactivate it and restart your device. Different features are restricted or disabled in STAMINA mode to reduce battery consumption (depending on your phone's current battery level). These include rendering performance, screen brightness, image enhancement, and GPS while the screen is off. Background app data synchronisation or streaming may be disabled for some applications.
To disable STAMINA mode
Android 11 and 10
- Find and tap Settings → Battery → STAMINA mode.
- Tap TURN OFF NOW.
Android 9 and 8
- Find and tap Settings → Battery → STAMINA mode.
- Tap the switch to disable STAMINA mode.
Check Airplane mode
If the app requires an internet connection, ensure that your device has an active internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile network) and that Airplane mode is turned off.
To disable Airplane mode
- Find and tap Settings → Network & internet.
- Tap the Airplane mode switch to disable the function. You may find this item under Advanced.
Restart your phone
To restart your device
Note: Your device may fail to restart if the battery level is low. Connect your device to a charger and try restarting again.
- Long press the power key.
- In the menu that opens, tap Restart. The device will restart automatically.
Perform a Factory data reset
A factory data reset resets your smartphone to factory conditions, which means it deletes all customised/personal content saved on your phone. Because it’s a full reset of your device, make sure to back up any important data.
To back up your data using a computer
- Unlock the screen of your device and connect your device to the computer using a USB cable.
- On the computer, select which files to back up, then copy and paste or drag and drop the files to a location on your PC.
To back up and synchronise apps, phone settings and call history
- Find and tap Settings → System → Backup. You may find the item under Advanced.
- Tap the switch to enable the function. Your app data, device settings, and call history will be backed up automatically.
Note: You can also enable backup from the settings menu in Google Drive. You can synchronise your app data, device settings and call history automatically by logging in to the Google account used to synchronise data on your old device. When you power on your new device for the first time, log in to the Google account during the setup wizard.
To perform a factory data reset
WARNING! To avoid permanent damage to your device, do not interrupt a factory data reset procedure.
Hint: Your device does not revert to an earlier software version of Android when you perform a factory data reset.
Android 10 and 11
- Back up any important data saved on your device's internal memory to a memory card or other non-internal memory. If you have any encrypted files stored on an SD card, you should also remove the encryption to ensure you can still access them after the reset.
- Find and tap Settings → System → Reset options. You may find the item under Advanced.
- Tap Erase all data (factory reset) → Erase all data.
- If required, draw your screen unlock pattern or enter your screen unlock password or PIN to continue.
- To confirm, tap Erase all data.
Android 9
- Back up any important data saved on your device's internal memory to a memory card or other non-internal memory. If you have any encrypted files stored on an SD card, you should also remove the encryption to ensure you can still access them after the reset.
- Find and tap Settings →System → Reset options. You may find the item under Advanced.
- Tap Erase all data (factory reset) → Reset phone.
- If required, draw your screen unlock pattern or enter your screen unlock password or PIN to continue.
- To confirm, tap Erase everything.
Android 8
- Back up any important data saved on your device's internal memory to a memory card or other non-internal memory. If you have any encrypted files stored on an SD card, you should also remove the encryption to ensure you can still access them after the reset.
- Find and tap Settings → System→Reset.
- Tap Factory data reset → Reset phone.
- If required, draw your screen unlock pattern or enter your screen unlock password or PIN to continue.
- To confirm, tap Erase everything.
Video tutorials
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