An app that opens and closes immediately almost always has a corrupted or incompatible installed version. Start with the basics, which fix most cases: force quit the app (Solution 1) and restart the iPhone (Solution 2). If it continues, go to the App Store and update the app, because sudden crashing is usually patched by the developer soon after it appears (Solution 3). Nearly full storage is a silent and very common cause: free up space before trying anything else (Solution 4). If only one app misbehaves, the definitive route is offloading or reinstalling, and Solution 6 shows how to do that while preserving data. Before deleting any app, confirm its content is in the cloud or in a backup, because not every app keeps data off the device.
What causes this problem
- A faulty app version, already fixed in an update that has not been installed.
- iPhone storage nearly full, which stops the app from writing the temporary files it needs.
- Corrupted internal app files after an interrupted install or update.
- An old app, no longer updated, incompatible with the installed iOS version.
- Memory pressure on the device when many apps stay open at once, typical of older models.
- A problem on the app's own service, when it depends on a failing connection or an expired sign-in.
- Notice whether the problem affects one app or several. If several, the cause is the iPhone (free space or iOS version), not the apps.
- Check whether the app's content lives in the cloud before considering deleting it. Messaging, notes and game apps do not always sync on their own.
- See how much free space you have in Settings, under General, in iPhone Storage. Under 2 GB free already causes odd crashes.
- Keep the iPhone at 30% battery or higher, or plugged in, before the solutions that involve updating.
- Note when the problem started: right after an iOS update, after an app update, or for no apparent reason. That points straight at the right solution.
Solutions, in the order to try them
1Force quit the app and open it again
When an app hangs in the background, it can stay in a broken state even after you return to the home screen. Closing it from the app switcher ends the process for real and fixes most one-off cases. It deletes no data and requires no new sign-in.
- On iPhones without a home button, swipe up from the bottom edge and pause with your finger mid-screen until the cards of open apps appear.
- On iPhones with a home button, press the button twice quickly.
- Find the card for the problem app and swipe it up, off the screen.
- While you are there, close all the other cards too, especially on older devices, where lack of free memory is the direct cause of crashing.
- Open the app again from the home screen.
2Restart the iPhone
Restarting clears memory, ends stuck processes and reloads the system services apps rely on. Plenty of people skip this step because it seems too obvious, and it resolves a good share of crashes that appeared out of nowhere with no change to the device.
- Hold the side button together with one of the volume buttons until the power off slider appears. On models with a home button, use only the side or top button.
- Drag the slider to power off and wait for the device to shut down completely.
- Wait about 30 seconds with it off.
- Turn it on again by holding the side button until the apple appears, and test the app.
3Update the app in the App Store
When an app starts crashing for many people at once, the developer usually publishes a fix within days. If automatic updates are off, or if the last one downloaded only halfway, you stay stuck on the faulty version. Updating through the App Store also repairs an incomplete installation.
- Open the App Store and tap your photo or the account icon in the top right.
- Pull the list down to refresh it and look for the app among pending updates.
- Tap Update. If the app is not listed, search for it by name and see whether the button reads Update instead of Open.
- To avoid this in future, turn on automatic updates in Settings, in the App Store section.
4Free up storage space
This is the most underrated cause. Apps need to write temporary files to run, and when the iPhone is nearly full they simply cannot, which the system resolves by closing the app on the spot. The symptom is misleading, because it looks like an app defect. The storage screen also shows which apps take the most room and suggests safe cleanups.
- Open Settings, go to General and then iPhone Storage.
- Wait for the chart to load and look at the available space. Aim to keep at least 10% of the total free.
- Apply the recommendations shown at the top of the screen, such as reviewing large videos and deleting old conversations.
- Delete downloaded videos and podcasts, which are the biggest offenders, and empty the recently deleted album in Photos, because it keeps taking up space for 30 days.
- Test the app after freeing space, before moving to the next solutions.
5Update iOS
New apps start requiring newer system versions, and an incompatibility shows up exactly like this: the app opens and closes with no message at all. The reverse also happens, when an iOS version breaks something and Apple fixes it in the next one. Updating does not delete your data, but make a backup first to be safe and keep the device on the charger.
- Connect the iPhone to Wi-Fi and to the charger.
- Open Settings, go to General and then Software Update.
- If a version is available, tap to download and install, and enter your passcode when asked.
- Let the device restart on its own and test the app afterwards.
- If your iPhone no longer receives updates and the app requires a newer version, that combination has no fix: check the App Store to see whether the developer keeps a compatible version.
6Offload the app without deleting its data
Offloading is the feature made for exactly this case: it removes the program from the device but preserves its documents and local data. When you reinstall, everything comes back as it was. It is the safest way to swap a corrupted installation for a clean one with no risk of losing content, and it should be tried before deleting for good.
- Open Settings, go to General and then iPhone Storage.
- Tap the problem app in the list.
- Choose the option to offload the app, which states on screen that documents and data will be kept.
- Go back to the home screen: the icon is still there, with a small cloud next to the name.
- Tap the icon to download it again and wait for it to finish before opening it.
7Delete and reinstall the app
If offloading did not help, the corruption is in the local data, and only a full reinstall clears it. This step deletes the data stored inside the app, so confirm first where the content is saved: apps that work with an account, such as social networks and streaming services, restore everything on sign-in; messaging apps depend on their own backup; games and offline notes can lose progress permanently.
- First, open the app if it stays up for a few seconds and check whether there is an account sign-in or sync enabled.
- Back up the iPhone to iCloud or to a computer, from Settings, at the top of the screen with your name.
- Hold your finger on the app icon on the home screen until the menu appears, choose to remove the app, then delete.
- Open the App Store, search for the app and download it again.
- Sign in with the same account you used. If the app used its own backup, choose to restore when it asks, during initial setup.
8Check date, network and app permissions
Some crashes have nothing to do with the app itself. A wrong date and time breaks the security check on connections, and the app closes when it tries to reach its server. Denied permissions cause the same effect in apps that need the camera, microphone or location to open a particular screen. These are quick settings worth checking before more drastic measures.
- In Settings, under General, open Date and Time and leave the set automatically option on.
- Still in Settings, scroll to find the app in the list and check its permissions, enabling the ones that make sense for how you use it.
- On the same app screen, confirm mobile data access is allowed, in case you use it away from Wi-Fi.
- If the app crashes only on one particular network, test on another network or on mobile data to rule out network blocking.
9Reset settings and, if needed, contact the developer
This is the last resort, for when several apps close on their own and nothing has worked. Resetting all settings returns network, keyboard, wallpaper and privacy settings to default, without deleting photos, messages or apps. You will need to reconnect Wi-Fi and reconfigure some preferences afterwards. If the problem is one app only, and it persists even on a freshly restarted and updated iPhone, the fault is in the app itself and the route is to report it to whoever develops it.
- Make a backup before any reset.
- Open Settings, go to General, scroll to the end and look for the option to transfer or reset the iPhone.
- Choose reset and then reset all settings. Do not choose erase all content, which is something else.
- After the restart, reconnect Wi-Fi and test the apps.
- For one specific app, use the developer support field on the app's App Store page and describe the iPhone model, the iOS version and what you do right before it closes.
Applies to
| System | Status |
|---|---|
| iPhone on iOS 16 or newer | Confirmed |
| iPhone on iOS 13 to 15 | The steps are the same; some Settings menus sit in different places |
| iPad | Confirmed |
Menu names can change slightly between versions. If a step above does not match what you see on screen, the official support page from the manufacturer has the most current wording for your version.
Frequently asked questions
Last checked: Oct 16, 2026 · We review this guide whenever the manufacturer changes the process.