Mobile App Crashing or Not Opening After an iOS or Android Update: What to Check
If your mobile app started crashing or refusing to open right after an iOS or Android update, the usual cause is that the new operating system changed something the app depended on, and the app was never updated to match. Less often, the timing is a coincidence and the real fault is on your server. Either way, do not ask users to delete and reinstall until you know where their data is stored.
The fix is nearly always a new app build submitted to the store, which is developer work, whether the app is on Android or needs iPhone app development. What you can do without code is work out how widespread the problem is and collect the evidence that lets a developer start on the fix instead of the diagnosis.
Why would an app break after an OS update when nobody changed the app?
An app breaks because the operating system underneath it changed, even though the app itself did not. Each major release alters how the system treats apps, and some of those changes apply to apps that were built years earlier.
Google states this directly. Its Android 17 behavior changes page lists changes that apply to all apps when they run on Android 17, regardless of the version the app was built for. One example on that page is a new app memory limit based on the device's total RAM. Google released Android 17 on June 16, 2026 for most supported Pixel phones and said devices from other makers would follow in the coming months, so the same app can break for different customers at different times.
The three usual culprits
First, changed behavior: the system now enforces a rule about memory, background work, permissions or networking that it used to tolerate. Second, removed or deprecated functions: the app calls something the new OS no longer provides. Third, an outdated third-party SDK: the payment, analytics, maps, login or advertising component inside your app has not been updated, and it fails before your own screens load. The third is common in apps that have had no release for a year or more.
Is the app crashing for everyone or only on one OS version or device?
You can answer this from the store dashboards without reading any code, and it is the most useful thing to find out. A crash on launch for every user points to a bad release or a server problem. A crash limited to the newest OS version, or to one phone model, points to compatibility.
Android: Android vitals in Play Console
In Google Play Console, open Monitor and improve, then Android vitals. Google's Android vitals documentation says it shows the user-perceived crash rate and lets you break it down by Android version and device model. The figures come from users who agreed to share usage and diagnostics. As of October 6, 2026, Google treats an app as badly behaved when at least 1.09% of daily users see a crash, or 8% on a single device model, and says such apps can become less discoverable on Google Play and may carry a warning on the store listing.
iPhone: App Store Connect Analytics
In App Store Connect, Analytics includes a Crashes metric. Apple's app usage documentation says you can filter it by app version, device and platform version, and that the data covers only users who agreed to share diagnostics with developers. Treat the count as a sample, not a total.
Recent store reviews fill the gap. Sort by newest and look for the OS version or phone model people mention.
Could the problem be the server and not the app?
Yes. A backend failure often looks exactly like an app crash, because many apps close or freeze on the loading screen when the server does not answer as expected. The common causes are an expired security certificate on the API, an expired hosting plan or domain, or an API that is down. The clue is scope: a server fault hits every user on both iPhone and Android at the same moment, including people who have not updated their phones.
What can I safely check in about 10 minutes?
These checks only involve looking at things. None of them changes the app, the server or anyone's data.
- Open the app on two phones if you can: one on the new OS version and one on an older version. Note which one fails and at which screen.
- Read the newest reviews on the App Store and Google Play. Write down the OS versions and phone models mentioned.
- Open Android vitals in Play Console and check the crash rate by Android version and device model.
- Open Analytics in App Store Connect and filter Crashes by platform version.
- If the app has a website or web version that uses the same server, check that it loads and that the browser shows no certificate warning.
- Check your hosting and domain accounts and your inbox for expiry, failed payment or outage notices.
- Check for emails from Apple or Google about the app, and the status page of any service the app relies on, such as payments or login.
What should I not do?
Do not tell users to delete and reinstall the app unless you are certain their data is held on your server. Removing an app normally removes whatever it stored on the phone, and a backup is not guaranteed. On Android, for example, Google's Auto Backup documentation says backups are limited to 25 MB per app, depend on the user having device backup switched on, and can be turned off by the app itself. If drafts, offline records or photos live only on the device, a reinstall can destroy them.
Do not pull the app from the store in a panic, do not publish an old build from someone's laptop, and do not change server settings, certificates or DNS records yourself. Do not advise customers to avoid OS updates either; those updates carry security fixes.
When should I call a developer, and what should I have ready?
Call a developer as soon as the dashboards show a crash tied to an OS version, or you suspect the server. Everything from here involves code, signing keys or server access. Have this ready:
- The exact time the problem started and the OS update it followed.
- Which OS versions and phone models fail, and which still work.
- Screenshots of Android vitals, App Store Connect Analytics and a few reviews.
- The current app version number and the date of the last release.
- Whether the source code, store accounts and signing keys are in your hands, and who has server access.
- A list of third-party services built into the app.
How do I stop this happening after the next update?
Have the app tested on each new OS version before the public gets it. Apple describes its beta software as being for developers to test apps for compatibility, and Google's Android 17 announcement tells developers to install their current app on Android 17 and test it. Major iOS versions have typically reached the public in the autumn after a summer of betas, so a few hours of testing each summer catches most launch crashes while there is still time to ship a fix.
That testing belongs in a maintenance agreement, along with updating third-party SDKs at least once a year. Our guide to software maintenance and support covers what such an agreement should include.
Quick answers
Why does my app crash after an iOS or Android update?
The new OS version changed or removed something the app or one of its built-in third-party components depended on. The app needs an updated build released through the store.
Will reinstalling the app fix a crash after an OS update?
Rarely, because the reinstalled app is the same incompatible version. It can also delete data that was stored only on the phone, so confirm where data is kept first.
Where can I see app crash data without a developer?
For Android, look at Android vitals in Google Play Console. For iPhone, look at the Crashes metric in App Store Connect Analytics. Both can be filtered by OS version and device, and both cover only users who share diagnostics.
How do I know if the server is the problem and not the app?
A server problem affects every user on both iPhone and Android at the same time, including phones that were not updated. A compatibility problem is limited to the new OS version or particular devices.
Can users fix the crash by rolling back the OS update?
That is not a practical answer for customers, and skipping updates means missing security fixes. The app has to be made compatible with the new version.
Conclusion
An app that fails after an OS update is usually an unmaintained app meeting a system that moved on. Establish whether the fault follows the OS version or hits everyone, protect on-device data by holding off on reinstall advice, and hand a developer the evidence listed above.
If you have no developer available, you can contact Entrant Technologies and we will take a look.