An app is not working, what can I do? (Android 10 or Higher )

IMPORTANT: This article applies only to specific products and/or operating systems. Check the Applicable Products and Categories section of this article before starting these steps.

Valid for

• Android 10 or higher

Solution

There are occasions when apps crash or do not work properly. The possible causes are numerous and can include, for example, compatibility issues, unknown bugs, conflicts with other installed apps or an Internet connection failure.

Try these actions one after the other. Verify after each action whether the problem was solved, before trying the next one.

• Force the app to stop and then try to open it again.
• Update the app on the Google Play™ Store.
• Restart your Xperia phone and then try using the app again.
• If the app requires an internet connection (an online app), make sure that Airplane Mode is turned off and that your device has a working internet connection. 
• Clear the cache for the app in order to delete temporary files in the app's memory. These temporary files may be causing the problem. All personal settings and other private data are kept. 
• Turn off STAMINA mode and restart your device. To save battery power, STAMINA mode disables some functions on your device. This may affect app performance. For example, apps used for streaming or GPS navigation may shut down when the screen is turned off, and email and other apps that rely on syncing may not be updated.
• Clear all the app data to reset the app to the state it was in when you first installed it. By clearing the app data, you remove personal information and content in the app, such as databases, user data, account settings, login information, personal settings and high scores for games. App content saved on an SD card (external memory card) may not be deleted. 
• Reinstall the app (if possible).
• If there is a problem with an app which is not possible to uninstall, you should try to perform a software update. If your Xperia phone already has the most recent software available, you should perform a factory data reset. 
• If the app was not downloaded from the Google Play Store, it might not be fully compatible with your Xperia phone. Contact the developer of the app for further information or to report your issues. The developer's email address is normally given in the app description.
• If the app was downloaded from the Google Play Store, you can contact the developer of the app to inquire for more information, and to report the issue. You typically find the developer's contact details at the bottom of the app's page under DEVELOPER in the Google Play Store. You may also want to take part of the comments given by other users to see whether they have had the same issue and if there is a solution. Comments are listed under REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS. All reviews and filtering options are available if you tap READ ALL REVIEWS.

To force an app to stop

1. Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications / Apps → See all [number of apps] apps / All Apps.
2. Find and tap the app that you want to stop.
3. Tap FORCE STOP.

To update an app using Google Play Store

1. Find and tap Play Store.
2. Drag the left edge of the screen to the right, then tap My apps & games.
3. Select the app that you want to update, then tap UPDATE.

To turn off Airplane mode

1. Find and tap Settings → Network & Internet.
2. Tap the switch beside Airplane mode to turn the feature off.

To clear cache from an app

1. Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications / Apps→ See all [number of apps] apps / All Apps.
2. Find and tap the app that you want to clear cache from.
3. Tap Storage & cache → CLEAR CACHE.

Note! You will not lose any personal data by clearing the cache. Only temporary files, which are just used, for example, to start an app faster, get deleted. Such files are created again when the app restarts. The option to clear the application cache is not available for all applications.

To clear data from an app

1. Find and tap Settings → Apps & notifications / Apps → See all [number of apps] apps  / All Apps.
2. Find and tap the app that you want to clear data from.
3. Tap Storage & cache → CLEAR STORAGE.

Note! When you clear data from an app you delete any personal data stored for this particular app. You also delete the cache for the app. Make sure you back up all important personal data linked to the app before you delete the app data.

To turn off STAMINA mode

1. Find and tap Settings → Battery → STAMINA mode.
2. Tap the TURN OFF NOW button.

To reinstall an app

Note! Any data saved in the app will be erased.

1. Touch and hold the app that you want to uninstall.
2. To see your options, start dragging the app.
3. Drag the app to Uninstall at the top of the screen. If you don't see Uninstall, you can't uninstall the app.
4. Lift your finger.
5. Restart your Xperia device.
6. Download the app again from Google Play and reinstall it on your Xperia phone.

Note! By reinstalling an app you also delete any personal data stored by the app. Make sure you back up all important personal data linked to the app before you reinstall an app. Note! You may not be able to reinstall pre-installed apps.

To check for new software

1. If you are using a phone with multiple users, make sure you are logged in as the owner.
2. Make sure your phone is connected to the internet. It is recommended to use a Wi-Fi network instead of a mobile network to download new software so that you can avoid data traffic costs.
3. Find and tap Settings → System → (Advanced) → Software update → SYSTEM.
4. If a system update is available, tap UPDATE.

To perform a factory data reset

1. Find and tap Settings → System → (Advanced) → Reset options → Erase all data (factory reset) → Delete all data.
2. If required, draw your screen unlock pattern or enter your screen unlock password or PIN to continue.
3. Tap Delete all data.

Note! When you perform a factory data reset, you erase all personal data stored on the internal storage of your Xperia phone. Make sure that you always back up data stored on the internal storage that you want to keep before performing a factory data reset. Any data which is encrypted by the phone on an SD card (memory card) will be unreadable after a factory data reset.

To contact an app developer

1. Find and tap Play Store.
2. Search for the app by name.
3. Find and tap the app from your search results.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
5. Find the contacts details under DEVELOPER.

To find app reviews

1. Find and tap Play Store.
2. Search for the app by name.
3. Find and tap the app from your search results.
4. Find and tap ALL REVIEWS.
5. To sort reviews, tap Most helpful first, and the select an option.
6. To filter reviews by device type or app version, tap Options, and then select an option.