What should I do when an app starts crashing after an update?

Work from the least disruptive steps toward options that may affect saved information. First, close and reopen the app. If it still crashes, restart the phone or tablet. Then check whether another app update or a device operating-system update is available. Apple suggests closing and reopening, restarting, and checking app and operating-system updates for iPhone and iPad apps. [S2] Google’s Android guidance also includes restarting and checking updates; it additionally suggests force-stopping the app. [S1]

Try one step at a time, then open the app and see whether the same problem remains. This makes it easier to tell which action, if any, changed things. The official guidance describes general steps; it does not establish that an update caused a particular crash or that any one step will fix it.

Treat those as later options, not the first things to try. Android settings and menu names can vary by phone. Google lists clearing cache and data as possible steps, but warns that uninstalling an app can erase data saved in it. [S1] Before clearing app data, check the app’s guidance or ask its developer what the action may affect. Before uninstalling, consider whether important information is stored only in the app and whether you can access it another way.

Don’t assume an app’s information is backed up just because the app itself can be downloaded again. The cited guidance does not say which specific apps store information online, what a particular app’s backup covers, or whether clearing data is appropriate in your case.

On an iPhone or iPad, Apple’s suggested sequence includes closing and reopening the app, restarting the device, and checking for app or operating-system updates. If it still fails, deleting and redownloading the app is a later option, but Apple warns that data stored in the app may be lost; contact the developer if the problem continues. [S2]

Before deleting anything, note what information matters to you and whether you can still access it. Apple’s guidance does not guarantee that reinstalling will solve a crash, and it does not provide a specific crash-report checklist. Describe what you observed rather than guessing at a technical cause.

Send a short, factual report. Include the app name, your device type, what you were doing just before it closed, what happens when you try again, and which low-risk steps you have already tried. Add an error message if one appeared. Avoid including passwords or private account details; describe the problem without sharing information unrelated to it.

For example, using placeholders: “App: [app name]. Device: [device type]. The app closes when I [action]. It began after I updated the app on [date, if known]. I tried reopening the app, restarting the device, and checking for updates. The issue [still happens / no longer happens]. Message shown: [exact text, or ‘none’]. Could you advise what to try next and whether reinstalling could affect saved information?”

That is an organizational template, not an official crash-report form. Apple recommends contacting the developer if the app still fails but does not specify what details to include. [S2] Google likewise recommends contacting the app’s developer if one app continues to fail while other apps work. [S1]