If your app is crashing, there are several possible causes. First, it's important to identify when it's crashing, so you can then determined why it's crashing. For instance, an app may be crashing when a specific tab is launched. If so, that indicates that the issue is with that tab only, not the app as a whole.
Below is an overview of the main reasons an app would crash, plus solutions, beginning with the most common. If you don't see a relevant explanation for your issue below, please submit a support ticket directly with the following info:
- App code or app name
- Devices & operating systems you're experiencing the problem on (Ex: iPhone 6 running iOS 8.1.3)
- Specific use case info ("The app crashes when I click a POI in my Around Us tab")
- Any troubleshooting steps you've taken
Potential Causes & Solutions
1. Incompatible Feature
- Cause: Your app is using a feature or design option that is not compatible with the app. For example, you've added the Golf Course tab to your app, but your app has not been updated since this tab was released. In this situation, the app will crash because it's attempting to run an unsupported feature.
- Solution: You can remove the problem feature, or update your app to the latest source code by republishing. Keep in mind, the live app will continue to crash until the new version is approved, so it's best to deactivate the problem feature until the update is released. (Note: It can sometimes be difficult to identify what feature is causing the crash. Easy-to-overlook features, like a News tab home screen widget, often turn out to be the source of a crash. Troubleshoot by deactivating features—especially those on the home screen—one at a time, reloading your app each time to check for a resolution.)
- Cause: Your app hasn't been updated in a long time, leaving it with an outdated source code that isn't optimized for newer devices and operating systems. When you attempt to launch the app on modern devices/operating systems, the app may crash.
- Solution: You'll need to update the app to the latest source code in order to resolve this. Each time we release a new source code, it's either introducing new features or new optimizations (or both). We recommend updating your iOS apps at least once a year to keep up with the latest optimizations for new iOS versions and Apple devices, otherwise you'll encounter general issues with the app. We recommend updating your Android apps more frequently, since we release new Android source codes nearly once a week, and there's no cost to republish for Android.
- Cause: You've uploaded images in your app with exceedingly large file sizes. The file size is not the same as the image dimensions—it's the actual size of the image file, in KBs or MBs. When an image file size is too large, it can cause loading issues that result in crashing. (Note: This frequently occurs with splash loading screen images. If your app is crashing immediately upon launch and there are no identifiable issues with the content, it may be the splash loading screen that's causing the problem.)
- Solution: Downsize the image file by reducing its quality/resolution. Most images don't need to be larger than 1 MB to appear great on all devices. (Note: If you confirm that the splash loading screen is the problem, you'll need to upload new splash screens in Step 4 and republish your app to correct this. The splash loading screen can only be changed with a republish.)
- Cause: A tab has an excessive amount of content that is (usually) rich in nature. For example, your Around Us tab has several hundred POIs. This alone isn't usually a problem, but when a user attempts to swipe through content rapidly or click an item before it fully loads, it may result in a crash.
- Solution: When possible, split your content up into more than one tab. If you need to add hundreds of items, consider using two tabs instead of one from the get-go. The more content you have, the longer your loading times will be—by dividing content between tabs, you'll reduce loading speeds and the chances of the app crashing on users.
- Cause: You have a tab or button with no content, or with invalid content (like a faulty address). When you click this tab or button within the app, it may cause a crash because the app is attempting to pull content that isn't there. (Note: This frequently occurs with home screen buttons like Call Us/Directions. If you don't have a corresponding phone number or address, the button will fail to complete its action and may crash the app.)
- Solution: Complete or correct the necessary content in the app-builder and re-test. The app should no longer crash.
- Cause: Your mobile device is incompatible with our apps. This is more common for Androids, which have such a broad span of device types with many varying operating systems and underlying software versions. If your phone or OS version is years old, it most likely won't be able to support our apps' content and functionality.
- Solution: Unfortunately the only option here is a device or OS upgrade. Technology progresses so quickly that phones become obsolete within a few years' time. If your device isn't too old, but you're running an old operating system, we highly recommend updating your OS. Check for & install the latest updates, then try running the app again. (Note: Consider your phone's capabilities before upgrading OS versions. For example, old iPhones like the 4S & earlier don't perform well with iOS 8 & later. It's better to avoid updating your OS in this situation, because it may do more harm than good.)
