Apps can crash on your device for any number of reasons–perhaps the developers did inadequate testing, or maybe it’s using up too much memory. No matter what the reason–do you even really care?–the most likely response (53% of users reported) is to uninstall the app. Stop right there! There are a few things to know when it comes to uninstalling buggy apps (mainly, that you shouldn’t do it). Here’s why:
READ MORE: The One Thing You Should Do IMMEDIATELY After You Crack Your iPhone Screen
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Delete The App
Although most modern apps use a cloud backend so that every update you make on your phone is synchronized and restored, tech expert Giacomo Balli tells us, there is one thing you should avoid doing when an app crashes, and that's removing it entirely.
"Some files and settings are still stored on the device," Giacomo warns. "Removing it from the device will delete all of its related content, including perhaps unique IDs or token for push notifications." Yikes!
Theoretically, the developers should have accounted for this when you reinstall the app, but not all of them do, he says. To avoid losing any data, don't delete any app immediately after it crashes.
Restart Your iPhone
The other drastic measure you should avoid after an app crashes is to switch off your iPhone and restart to relaunch the app, Somdip Dey, Embedded AI scientist and mobile platform researcher at the University of Essex tells us.
"Through experimental studies, we have noticed that many participants would switch off their device to restart and relaunch the crashed app, but this operation also deletes the crash log on the application," he says, explaining that this information is useful for the developers of the app to prevent crashing in the future.
"After the app crashes, one good habit is to take a screenshot of what happened and then report the issue to the developer before you restart or relaunch the app," he explains. Some companies even offer money for reporting when applications crash! A screen grab record could mean that you can cash in on the bounty.
