Apps crashing on a Galaxy S26+ is unusual for a phone with 12 GB of memory, and the threads on Samsung's community about One UI 8.5 describe a particular group of faults: Google Play freezing the screen when you open it to update apps, the whole phone freezing and restarting at random, and apps closing on launch after the update. Freezing in Google Play is solved, owners say, only by a restart, which points at a bug in the update and not at storage. The first fixes are the standard ones. Update the app and Google Play services, restart, and clear the failing app's cache.
Then reset app preferences and, if the whole phone freezes, check Settings, Battery and device care, Device diagnostics for an error report. Boot into Safe mode to see whether a downloaded app is the cause. Wipe the cache partition from recovery mode after a major update, which clears the system caches the update leaves behind. Report repeating freezes to Samsung with the software version. If only a few apps crash, check whether they are on Samsung's list of apps put to sleep, and whether Adaptive battery is limiting them. Owners found that removing a crashing app from Sleeping apps and then restarting stabilized it. Keep the phone's Android System WebView and Google Play services updated, since many apps depend on them.
Differential
Likely causes of “Samsung Galaxy S26+ app keeps crashing, freezing or will not open”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A One UI 8.5 bug
What separates it Google Play or the whole phone freezes
How to confirm Restart, update to the newest patch and report it
- 2
An out-of-date app
What separates it One app closes on launch after the update
How to confirm Update it in Google Play
- 3
A stale app cache
What separates it An app crashes every time
How to confirm Settings, Apps, the app, Storage, Clear cache
- 4
Leftover system cache
What separates it Instability after the update
How to confirm Wipe the cache partition from recovery mode
- 5
A faulty downloaded app
What separates it The phone is stable in Safe mode
How to confirm Remove recent apps one at a time
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Which apps crash and the exact moment
- The One UI version and patch level
- Whether Safe mode is stable
- Whether the whole phone freezes
Try in this order
0 of 8 completedRestart the phone
ReversibleHold power and volume down for the restart menu; a restart clears a frozen Google Play.
Update the app and Google Play services
ReversibleOpen Google Play, your profile, Manage apps, and update the failing app.
Clear the app's cache
ReversibleSettings, Apps, the app, Storage, Clear cache.
Test in Safe mode
ReversibleHold power, touch and hold Power off, and choose Safe mode.
Wipe the cache partition
ReversiblePower off, hold Volume Up and Power, choose Wipe cache partition.
Install the newest patch
ReversibleSettings, Software update.
Check Sleeping apps
ReversibleSettings, Battery and device care, Battery, Background usage limits, and remove the crashing app.
Update WebView and Play services
ReversibleIn Google Play, search for Android System WebView and Google Play services and update them.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Not a memory problem
- With 12 GB of RAM the S26+ has plenty, so crashes point at software.
- The update
- Freezes reports cluster after One UI 8.5.
- Cache partition
- It is wiped from the recovery menu, not from Settings.
- WebView
- Many apps use it to show web content, and an old copy makes them crash.
- Sleeping apps
- Samsung's battery features can interfere.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the phone freezes and restarts in Safe mode too, contact Samsung
- !If one app fails on current software, contact its developer
- !Report repeating freezes with the software version
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
S26 owners listing bugs after the One UI 8.5 update.
Another S26 thread on freezing, restarts and Bluetooth.
A list of One UI 8.5 faults and the fixes that owners report.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does Google Play freeze on my S26+?+
Owners link it to a One UI 8.5 bug.
Does the S26+ have enough memory?+
It has 12 GB of RAM, so memory is not the cause.
Will a cache partition wipe delete data?+
No.
Should I factory reset?+
Only as a last step after backing up.
Why do only some apps crash?+
They may depend on WebView or be put to sleep.
Where is WebView updated?+
In Google Play.