How to Fix It When Facebook Keeps Crashing

If Facebook is up and running, here's what to do to get the app working again

By
Brad Stephenson
Brad Stephenson - Lifewire Writer
Brad Stephenson
Freelance Contributor
  • Western Sydney University
Brad Stephenson is a freelance tech and geek culture writer with 12+ years' experience. He writes about Windows 10, Xbox One, and cryptocurrency.
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Updated on August 5, 2022
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
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Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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This article will walk you through a number of ways to stop the Facebook app from stopping and crashing on smartphones, tablets, and PCs. We’ll also provide some tips for how to prevent the app from closing and freezing again in the future.

Why Does Facebook Keep Crashing?

Apps and services, because they do so much more, are just more complicated. And that means there's a wider variety of reasons the app is crashing:

  • A lack of free space on a smartphone, tablet, or PC
  • Out-of-date operating system or app
  • Facebook service being down or experiencing other issues
  • Weak cellular or Wi-Fi internet connection

How to Stop the Facebook App From Crashing and Freezing

There are a number of proven tech tips that can prevent the Facebook app from stopping, freezing, and crashing. It’s best to work through them in the order listed below as these solutions are organized from simplest and quickest to more complex and lengthy.

  1. Check if Facebook’s down. It’s possible Facebook itself is experiencing some issues which can cause the Facebook app to freeze or crash.

  2. Update the Facebook app. It’s important to keep the Facebook app up to date. The process to update the app depends on your platform: iPhone (Update Facebook on iPhone), Android (Update Facebook on Android), or Windows (Update Facebook on Windows).

  3. Update your operating system. How to update your operating system depends on the platform you use: Windows (Update the Windows OS), Android (Update the Android operating system), or iOS (Update iOS on an iPhone).

  4. Free up space on your device. Freeing up space on your device will depend on the platform you are using: iPhone (Free up space on an iPhone), Android (Free up space on an Android device), or Windows (Free up space on a Windows PC).

  5. Close and re-open the Facebook app. Re-opening the Facebook app will refresh a lot of its data and help it run better. Make sure to properly quit the app. Properly quitting an app depends on your platform: iPhone (Close an app properly on an iPhone) or Android (Close an app properly on an Android device).

  6. Restart your device. A simple restart can fix quite a few problems you'd not be able to fix any other way. Restarting your device depends on your platform: Windows (Restart your Windows PC), iOS (Restart your iPhone), or Android (Restart your Android device).

  7. Switch to cellular. Your Wi-Fi internet may have a weak signal which can cause app glitches and crashes.

  8. Switch to Wi-Fi only. It’s possible your mobile device’s weak connection to its cellular network could be causing Facebook to crash. Connect your Android device or iPhone to Wi-Fi and re-open the Facebook app. 

  9. Turn off your VPN. It’s possible your VPN service could be having connection issues that are affecting the Facebook app.

  10. Turn off 5G. Your smartphone or tablet could be connecting to a 5G signal that’s congested or has trouble maintaining a solid connection.

  11. Disable your iPhone’s Low Data Mode. This setting could be affecting the Facebook app’s ability to connect to the Facebook servers which can cause app freezing and crashing.

  12. Clear the Facebook app cache. This quick process can improve the Facebook app’s performance and correct any freezing or crashing errors.

  13. Clear your device’s cache. Deleting the cache depends on the platform you are using: Windows (Delete the cache on a Windows PC), iOS (Delete the cache on iOS), or Android (Delete the cache on an Android device).

  14. Reset network settings. Broad internet connection problems experienced across multiple apps and websites can sometimes be fixed by resetting your device’s network settings.

  15. Use Facebook in a web browser. If the Facebook app continues to give you headaches, you can always access Facebook via its official website in an internet browser on your device. The Facebook website is designed to function on multiple screen sizes and is a solid alternative on both mobile, tablet, and PC.

FAQ
  • Why is my Facebook app frozen?

    A frozen Facebook app could be caused by Facebook service issues, an interrupted Wi-Fi or cellular internet connection, or free space problems on your tablet, mobile device, or PC. Several of the above fixes can directly tackle these Facebook app problems.

  • Why does my app keep closing when I open it?

    Apps closing as soon as they’re open is often caused by a lack of free space on the device or a weak internet connection. Try the solutions at the top of this page to find the cause and stop apps from shutting down after they’re opened.

  • Is Facebook having issues at the moment?

    Facebook being down is a common cause of errors and glitches both on the Facebook apps and website. The easiest way to check if Facebook is having issues is to check both the official Facebook website and app and then check another website or app that requires an internet connection. If only the Facebook app and site are affected, Facebook is likely down.

    Still unsure? There are several additional ways to check if Facebook’s down that you may want to try.

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