Why does the Amazon app keep crashing?
In recent weeks, many Android users have reported issues with popular apps like Amazon crashing unexpectedly. The crashes seem to be widespread, affecting a large number of users across various Android devices and app versions.
According to reports, the Amazon shopping app is one of the most impacted, with thousands of users complaining about repeated crashes when trying to use the app. The crashes render the app unusable until the issues are resolved.
Possible Causes
There are several potential reasons why the Amazon app may be crashing frequently:
Buggy App Updates
According to TechBeacon, one of the top reasons apps crash is due to problems introduced in app updates. If a recent Amazon app update contained buggy code, it could cause the app to crash or freeze for users.
Outdated Device OS
As reported by Lifewire, sometimes apps crash because they do not support the current OS version on your device. If you have not updated your device’s operating system in a while, the Amazon app may not be optimized to run on the outdated OS.
Server Errors
Apps rely on communication with remote servers to function properly. According to BrowserStack, server outages or overloaded servers can prevent apps like Amazon from retrieving necessary data, leading to crashes.
Connectivity Issues
Poor internet connectivity when using the Amazon app can also lead to crashing, freezing, or errors. Apps require a stable internet connection to load content and communicate with servers. Weak WiFi or mobile data signals may interfere with these processes and cause app crashes.
App Update Issues
Recent updates to the Amazon app have introduced bugs that cause crashes for many users. In particular, the latest versions for iOS and Android seem to be problematic.
On iOS, the current version 6.2.2 has received many 1-star reviews citing frequent crashes and glitches. Users mention the app freezing and then force quitting at random intervals, especially when browsing or searching for products. This seems to affect all iOS devices running iOS 12 and higher.
The Android app version 16.9.2 is also unstable based on user reports. Users on various Android versions mention the app crashing when first opened or when accessing certain sections like Amazon Music. Attempting to stream videos or browse deals pages seems to trigger crashes as well. Both older and newer Android phones seem susceptible.
Overall the main symptoms users experience are random crashes, freezes requiring forced restarts, and particular features like Music not working at all without crashes. Amazon has yet to publicly acknowledge the issues or provide fixes.
Older Device Compatibility Issues
One common cause of the Amazon app crashing is that it may not be fully compatible with older operating systems and hardware. According to the Amazon Developer documentation, the Amazon Appstore has official support for Android 5.0 and higher, as well as Fire OS 5 and higher [1]. This means that older devices running versions of Android below 5.0 or Fire OS below 5 will likely experience crashes and compatibility issues.
Some key unsupported Android versions that may lead to Amazon app crashes include Android 4.4 KitKat, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, Android 4.2, and earlier. For Fire OS devices, versions below Fire OS 5 such as Fire OS 4, Fire OS 3, and earlier may also experience crashes. The Amazon app requires more modern hardware and software capabilities not present in these older OS versions.
To resolve crashes due to older device compatibility, it is recommended to upgrade your device if possible to at least Android 5.0 or Fire OS 5. Consider newer devices that run supported versions of the operating system and have sufficient RAM and processors for a smooth experience. Upgrading to a newer device running the latest OS version is the best way to prevent crashes related to older software.
Server Overload
When there is a large influx of users trying to access the Amazon app at the same time, it can cause the servers to become overloaded and exceed capacity. This commonly happens during peak traffic times such as Prime Day sales or Cyber Monday when millions of users are trying to shop deals at once (https://datadome.co). Symptoms of server overload include slow loading times, timeouts, and increased app crashing as the servers struggle to handle all of the requests.
During overload situations, the servers have reached maximum capacity and start rejecting incoming requests, leading to errors like failed connections and crashes. Amazon likely provisions servers to handle high traffic volumes but extreme spikes can still overwhelm systems. To alleviate overload, Amazon may need to dynamically allocate more server resources or optimize app and server performance.
Internet Connectivity Problems
One of the most common causes of the Amazon app crashing is unreliable internet connectivity, either due to WiFi dropping or cellular data becoming unavailable. When using the app, it requires a consistent internet connection to load product data, process transactions, stream content, and more. If the connection drops while the app is in use, it can easily lead to a crash.
This issue tends to happen most when switching between WiFi and cellular data connections. For example, if you open the app on WiFi but then walk out of WiFi range, the app may struggle to handoff to cellular data smoothly. The brief loss of connectivity during this transition can cause the app to freeze and crash. Similarly, if you open the app on cellular data and then connect to a WiFi network, the app may crash if the handoff is not seamless.
The impact of this connectivity issue is that the app suddenly closes and stops working. Any activity you were engaged in like browsing products, listening to audiobooks, or watching video will halt. The app may even freeze up for a while before eventually crashing. This can be a frustrating experience and may cause you to lose progress or data if the app is forced to close unexpectedly.
To prevent crashes from connectivity problems, make sure you are in a location with strong, stable internet through either WiFi or cellular data before opening the app. Also try not to switch connections while the app is in active use. Close the app fully before turning on/off WiFi or cellular data to allow it to relaunch fresh on the new connection.
Account Conflicts
Having multiple accounts logged in on the same device can sometimes cause the Amazon app to crash, especially if you are constantly switching between accounts. As noted on Reddit, some users face crashing issues on just one account while their other accounts remain unaffected [1]. This points to an account-specific conflict.
Problems with signing in and out of accounts are also a common culprit. If your account credentials are not syncing properly during sign in, it can lead to conflicts that cause the app to crash. Trying to sign into multiple accounts at once, or having issues with account syncing across devices, can also overload the app and lead to crashes.
Overall, having multiple accounts on one device puts more strain on the app to juggle and sync information correctly. Any conflicts, syncing errors, or overload from account switching can manifest as sudden crashes. To alleviate this, try using separate devices for different accounts or signing out of all accounts before switching.
Third-Party App Conflicts
One frequent cause of the Amazon app crashing is conflicts with other third-party apps installed on your device (Source). This can happen for a few reasons:
Other apps interfering – Some third-party apps, especially memory cleaner or task killer apps, can interfere with the Amazon app and cause it to crash or freeze. These apps may aggressively close the Amazon app’s processes in the background.
Memory/resource issues – If you have many apps running at once, it can overtax your device’s RAM and processing power. This can lead to the Amazon app crashing due to insufficient memory or conflicts over resources (Source).
Security software problems – Some anti-virus or security apps may falsely flag the Amazon app as malicious, preventing it from running properly. Whitelisting the Amazon app in your security software can help prevent conflicts.
Troubleshooting Steps
There are a few potential troubleshooting steps to try if the Amazon app keeps crashing on your device:
First, try force closing the Amazon app and reopening it. To do this on an Android device, open the Settings app and go to Apps. Find the Amazon app, tap on it, and choose Force Stop. Then reopen the app and see if the crashes persist.
Updating your device’s operating system can also help resolve app crashes. Make sure your Android or iOS software is fully up to date by checking for system updates. New OS versions often include bug fixes for app stability.
If crashes continue, try deleting and reinstalling the Amazon app. This will wipe out any cached data that could be causing conflicts. Download the latest version of the app from the Play Store or App Store.
Finally, you can contact Amazon customer support for further troubleshooting. They may be able to identity any specific account or device issues leading to crashes.
Preventing Future Crashes
There are several steps you can take to prevent the Amazon app from crashing frequently in the future:
Keep the app updated to the latest version through the Google Play Store. App developers regularly release updates that fix bugs and improve stability. Running the most current version can prevent many crashes.
Periodically clear device storage and caches, which can build up over time and cause performance issues. Go to Settings > Storage > Cached Data and tap Clear cached data. Also uninstall unused apps and media to free up system resources.
Use a stable high-speed WiFi or cellular data connection. Connection disruptions when loading content in the app can lead to crashes. Ensure you have a strong signal by moving closer to your router or toggling Airplane mode on and off.
Report any persistent crashes directly to Amazon’s app developer through the Play Store listing. Providing details on when and how the app crashes will help them isolate the bug and release a fix.
Limit switching between different Amazon accounts within the app. Rapidly changing accounts and contexts has been known to cause stability issues. Use separate profiles or log out completely if needing to access different accounts.