‘Unfortunately X has stopped’: What does it mean?
The error message itself is self-explanatory. It means an app has crashed. Also see: How to permanently delete unwanted apps: free up space on your device by getting rid of unnecessary apps So you could just relaunch the app, but what should you do if you keep seeing the same error message?
How to fix ‘Unfortunately Samsung Galaxy has stopped’ error message
We’re using ‘Samsung Galaxy’ as an example here because we’re aware of it being a particular issue of late. However, you might see the same error message regarding other apps, in which case you can simply follow the steps below substituting Samsung Galaxy for your troublesome app. ‘Unfortunately Samsung Galaxy has stopped’ is clearly a software issue, which can often mean you will be encouraged to perform a factory reset. For many people this has solved the problem, but in doing so you will also lose any not-backed-up data and your customisation options. Instead, uninstalling and reinstalling an app or clearing its cache will usually solve the issue of apps crashing without you performing a factory reset. Also see: How to update Android.
How to clear an app’s cache and fix app crashes in Android
Step 1. Open the Settings menu and choose Application Manager. (On non-Samsung phones open the Settings menu and choose Apps.)
Step 2. Tap the All tab, then look for and tap on the troublesome application – in this case ‘Samsung Galaxy’.
Step 3. In this order select Force Stop, Clear Cache, Clear Data.
Step 4. Restart the phone and all should be well. Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter. Marie is Editor in Chief of Tech Advisor and Macworld. A Journalism graduate from the London College of Printing, she’s worked in tech media for more than 17 years, managing our English language, French and Spanish consumer editorial teams and leading on content strategy through Foundry’s transition from print, to digital, to online - and beyond.
