How to Prevent Your Google App From Crashing on Android
The latest Google app update, version 12.23.16.23, is unstable. Many users report app crashes every few minutes on Pixel, Motorolla and Samsung devices. This is an issue considering the app controls everything from Google Search to Google Lens and Discover Channel and interacts with Android Auto, Google Podcasts and Google Assistant, none of which will work properly if your device is damaged.
Usually such glaring bugs are caught before the update hits the stable channel, but for some reason the testers didn’t encounter this during the beta period and it managed to slip through. Fortunately, there are two fixes available: you can select the beta version of the Google app and download the early 12.24 patch, or revert to the previous stable version of the Google app. However, any correction is accompanied by caveats. As we often warn , beta software can cause unexpected bugs and stability issues, while downgrading to a previous version of the Google app will require you to do some maintenance on the device. For example, it will remove all episodes from Google Podcasts and you will have to reconfigure Google Assistant on your device.
If none of the options work, and you’re willing to endure a few more days of crashing, patch 12.24 will soon be available via the stable channel. Fortunately, installing the stable version doesn’t require reconfiguring Google Assistant, Google Podcasts, or other apps.
But if you are bored and want to fix the Google app error right now, try one of these options. We’ll leave it up to you to decide which method works best for you, but here’s how to do both:
How to join the beta version of the Google app
- Go to the Google App Beta Program page .
- Scroll down and select Join. (You can do this on your phone or computer.)
- Open the Google Play app on your phone.
- Tap your Google account profile, then go to Manage apps and devices> View latest updates> Available updates> Check for updates.
- Find the Google app and click Update. Wait for the update to install.
Please note that exiting the beta version of the Google app and returning to the stable version will have the same effect as uninstalling updates, so you will have to reconfigure Google Assistant if you decide to exit the beta again after the fix.
Remove buggy google app update
- In the Settings app on your Android device, select Apps & notifications> See all apps.
- Find and tap the Google app in the list.
- Click the button with three dots in the upper right corner and select “Uninstall Updates”.
- Wait for the process to complete. Once that is done, you will need to set up Google Assistant again and re-download your Google Podcast Library.