For the most part, the gmail app works fine. however, there may be certain bugs within the app or software on your phone that can cause it to crash or become unresponsive. luckily, whether it’s on ios or android, the problem is very easy to fix. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the possible reasons why the gmail app is crashing and what you need to do to fix the problem.
also read: gmail contacts export & other tricks that will increase your productivity
why does the gmail app keep crashing?
Before we talk about how to fix the Gmail app when it keeps crashing, let’s go over the reasons why this happens first. Here are the most common ones:
- minor software bugs in the gmail app
- corrupted local cache files on your phone
- an outdated gmail app
- a outdated version of android
- problems or errors with the latest update of the gmail app
- an outdated android webview
- not enough storage space on your device
- dimming mode enabled in gmail app
11 easy ways to fix crashing gmail app
There are several methods you can try when your gmail app keeps crashing. Here are 11 easy ways to fix the problem:
1. reboot your device
The first thing to do when the gmail app keeps crashing is to reboot your device. this helps fix any software bugs your phone may have.
how to reboot an android device
- Hold down the Power button.
- Once the Power shortcuts appear, release the said button and tap on the Restart option.
- Wait for your device to switch off completely and finish booting back up. This usually takes around a minute.
how to reboot an ios device
How to reset an iphone depends on whether you use face id or touch id. for newer iphones that use face id (or those that don’t have a home button), this is how they reboot:
- Hold down the power button and one of the volume buttons (see image below) at the same time.
- Lift your fingers from the buttons when a slider appears on the display.
- Move the Power slider to the right, and wait for your phone to finish shutting down.
- Wake your gadget up via the Power button.
- Let go of the said button once the gadget shows the Apple logo.
for iphones that support touch id, see these instructions:
- Hold down the power button for a while (see its possible locations below).
- Stop touching the power button once the slider is visible on the gadget’s display.
- To initiate device shutdown, move the slider to the opposite direction.
- After 30 seconds, switch your phone back on by holding down the power button once again.
- Once the Apple logo gets displayed, stop touching the button.
once your phone has rebooted, open the gmail app again and see if it doesn’t keep crashing this time.
2. disable dark mode in gmail app
Enabling dark mode in the gmail app helps reduce eye strain and conserve your phone’s battery life. however, many users have reported experiencing crashing issues with the app since the feature was introduced. If you’ve noticed that the gmail app only started crashing after turning on dark mode, you can try turning it off to see if it resolves the issue.
Here’s how to disable dark mode in the gmail app:
- Boot up the Gmail app on your device.
- Press the menu icon.
- Scroll down, then hit Settings. You’ll find it at the bottom of the menu.
- Head over to General Settings.
- Tap on Theme.
- Tick the “Light” option.
3. disable power saving/low power mode
Putting your phone into power-saving or low-power mode sometimes causes your apps, including gmail, to malfunction. That’s because in this mode, your phone disables some of your apps’ features to extend your phone’s battery life. So if power saving or low power mode is enabled on your phone, try disabling it and see if this will prevent the gmail app from crashing.
turn off power saving mode in android
If you are using an android phone, you can usually disable power saving mode from the quick settings panel. To get to that interface, swipe down from the top of the screen twice. On other android phones, you will need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access the quick settings menu. from there, you will find the energy saving tile. if this tile is highlighted, tap it once to turn it off.
Alternatively, you can switch off Power Saving mode by doing the following:
- Go to settings.
- Swipe up the interface and tap “battery and device care”.
- Tap the option labeled battery.
- touch the switch next to “power saving” to turn it off.
disable low power mode on ios
on an iphone, you can turn off low power mode by going to control center and tapping the low power mode tile to turn it off.
another way to disable low power mode is to do the following:
- Access your iPhone’s Settings interface.
- Locate and press the Battery option.
- Deactivate “Low Power Mode” via its slider.
better yet, if you have enabled low power or power saving mode because your phone’s battery is below 20%, you may want to recharge your phone.
4. delete your gmail account and sign in again
If you’ve tried the first three methods and the gmail app is still crashing, consider deleting your gmail account and then signing back in. this is one of the ways you can restart the app. In addition, you can resolve any issues that may have occurred while setting up your account.
how to delete and re-add gmail account on android
To remove your gmail account and re-add it using an android phone, follow these simple steps:
- go to settings.
- find and tap “accounts” or “accounts and backup”.
- on some android devices, you will have to select “manage accounts” to access your gmail and other email accounts.
- select the gmail account you’re having trouble with.
- find and press “delete account”.
- press “remove account” once more to finish the action.
- on the same page, re-add the account you just removed by tapping the “add account” option.
- choose google and then log in to your account by entering your gmail and password.
how to remove and re-add a gmail account on ios
removing and re-adding a gmail account on ios follows a slightly different method:
- launch the settings app.
- choose any of these three: mail, contacts or calendar.
- from the interface, select the gmail account to unlink it.
- press the delete account button.
- on the mail page, re-add your gmail account by tapping on the account.
- select google from the services available.
- enter your email credentials. then press next.
- tap save after the mail has finished verifying your account.
5. update the gmail app
Using an older version of the app can also be a possible reason why the gmail app crashes. App updates usually contain fixes for software bugs in the previous version. so keep an eye out for updates and grab them once they’re available.
how to switch to latest gmail app on android
- Boot up the Google Play Store app on your phone.
- On the top-right portion of the interface, press your avatar.
- Pick “Manage apps and device” from the menu.
- Check out the “Updates available” option.
- Look for the Gmail app on the list of available updates. Once you see it, tap on the Update button next to it.
- Wait for the update to finish installing. Open the Gmail app again to see if it has stopped crashing.
how to update gmail app on ios
- Go to the apple app store via its icon on your phone.
- Tap your account photo at the top of the screen.
- look for the gmail app in the list of pending app updates.
- tap the refresh button next to gmail to update the app.
- wait for the update to complete.
- open the gmail app again to see if it’s stopped crashing.
6. remove and reinstall the gmail app
if you are on ios you can also try removing and reinstalling the gmail app if it keeps crashing. Doing so clears all local data for the app so you can start fresh when you reinstall the app. Unfortunately, gmail is a built-in application on android phones, so it cannot be removed from these devices.
removing the gmail app on an ios device is easy. just find the app in your app drawer and then long press until the apps start wiggling. After that, tap on the minus (-) icon in the corner and select delete app. Select the delete app option in the window that appears and tap delete again to confirm your choice.
To obtain and set up the Gmail app on your gadget once more, find Gmail on the App Store or hit the blue button below. Then, tap its install icon. Hopefully, the app will already function smoothly afterward.
get gmail for ios
7. go back to a previous version of gmail
While updates almost always fix problems within an application, they can also sometimes be the reason an application begins to crash. So if the gmail app only started crashing after it was updated, please take it down to fix the problem. here’s how to do it on an android phone:
- Go to your phone’s settings app.
- Scroll down until you see “apps” or “apps & notifications.” touch this option.
- find gmail in the application list and select it.
- press the three dots icon.
- go to ” uninstall updates”.
- select “ok” to end the action. then restart the gmail app.
Unfortunately, iOS phones do not offer a way to uninstall app updates. So, if you suspect that a recent update is causing the gmail app to keep crashing (and you’ve tried all the other methods in this guide), you’ll have to wait for the next update to fix the problem. problem.
8. update your phone’s android system webview
if you are using android, make sure the system webview is always up to date. Android System Web View is what keeps your apps and the various features of your phone running smoothly. keeping it up to date ensures that it does its job correctly.
To update the android system webview, follow these steps:
- Boot up the Google Play Store app on your phone.
- On the top-right portion of the interface, press your avatar.
- From the account menu you’re now on, pick “Manage apps and device.”
- Check out the “Updates available” option.
- Look for Android System WebView in the list and press its Update button.
9. clear the cache and data of the gmail app
Sometimes corrupted cache files can also be the culprit for gmail app crashing. To diagnose and fix the problem, you can try clearing the app’s cache and data. Note however that clearing the gmail app data could also delete your drafts, signature, and other settings.
how to clear data and cache of gmail in android
To clear the cache and data of the gmail app on android, follow these steps:
- Use your gadget’s Settings app.
- On it, press “Apps” or “Apps & notifications.”
- Look for the Gmail app on the list, and tap on it.
- Head over to “Storage” or “Storage & cache.”
- Select “Clear cache” at the bottom of the page.
- Hit the adjacent “Clear data” icon once cache clearing is done.
how to clear gmail cache and data on ios
You won’t see the “clear cache” option on ios devices. although what you will see is an option to “download” an app, which does the same thing.
To download the gmail app on an iphone, do the following:
- navigate to the settings app from the home screen.
- go to general, then iphone storage.
- find and tap gmail in the list of files installed apps.
- go to download app option.
- touch download app again to confirm your choice.
10. sort your device storage
Having insufficient storage space on your device is another possible reason why the gmail app crashes. apps need to store temporary files on your phone in order to continue working. therefore, if there is not enough space to store these files, they may not function properly.
To free up some storage space on your phone, first go to settings and then storage to see which files are taking up the most space. then check your photos, videos, messages, and other files to see which ones you can already delete.
Also read: 9 Ways to Clear “Other” Storage Space on Your iPhone or iPad
11. update your phone’s operating system
An outdated operating system can also cause applications like gmail to crash. Your phone’s operating system usually needs to be updated every few weeks. You will usually receive an alert from your device when a software update is deployed.
how to update android
- make sure your device is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
- from the app panel, go to settings.
- in the menu that appears, touch “software update”.
- press “install now” (available only if an update is deployed).
- allow your device to complete the update process and reboot.
- make sure your device is online via a stable network and has enough power to stay on.
- on it, go to settings and then general.
- tap on software update.
- select “install now” or “download and install”. if the latter option is available, you may be prompted to enter your password before the update can be installed.
- wait for the software update to finish and your phone to reboot.
how to update ios
Does the gmail app keep crashing? don’t panic!
For many of us, gmail has become an important part of our daily and professional lives. that’s why it can be frustrating when it constantly crashes or doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to. Fortunately, as we have shown here, it is quite easy to fix this problem. We hope this guide has helped you find a working solution for when your gmail app crashes.
Do you know of other solutions we don’t cover? feel free to share your tips and ideas with us!