Random app problems depicted by freezing and random crashes are usually attributed to memory problems like when the device is already running low on memory. Aside from memory-related issues, malwares, bugs and bad updates are also among other possible triggers. Generally, these problems are software-related and therefore fixable at home.
Highlighted in this post are recommended procedures and potential solutions to a relevant issue on the iPhone XS Max. Read on to find out what to do whenever certain apps are suddenly freezing or closing unexpectedly on your new iPhone.
Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed most of the commonly reported issues with the phone. We’ve already provided solutions to some of the problems reported by our readers so try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and if you need further assistance, fill up our iPhone issues questionnaire and hit submit.
How to troubleshoot iPhone XS Max with apps that keep freezing
Before troubleshooting, try to determine what types of apps are showing the symptoms. If the problem is occurring only to online apps, then network-related problems are likely to blame. In that case, check your Internet connection and make sure your iPhone is connected and has stable Wi-Fi access. If the problem occurs to random apps, then it’s like due to a software error on the phone. And to fix the problem, refer to the following procedures.
First solution: End all background apps then restart your iPhone XS Max.
Background apps that crashed or have gone rogue may be causing other apps to misbehave. To make sure this isn’t the root cause, clear all background apps on your iPhone XS Max with these steps:
- Go to the Home screen then swipe your finger up and then pause.
- Swipe right or left to navigate through apps preview.
- Then swipe up on an app preview to end/quit individual apps. Do the same to the rest of the background apps.
After all background apps are cleared, restart/soft reset your iPhone XS Max to dump unwanted cached files from the internal memory. Here’s how:
- Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
- Release the buttons when the Slide to Power Off command appears and then drag the power off slider to the right.
- After 30 seconds, press and hold the Power/Side button again until the phone reboots.
Alternatively, you can do a force restart on your iPhone XS Max to forcibly shut the system down and then reboot. This is often needed if you cannot carry out a soft reset due to unresponsive or stuck display. Here’s how it’s done:
- Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
- Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
- Then, press and hold the Power button on the side of the phone and then release when the phone restarts.
A force restart does the same job as soft reset when it comes to dealing with minor software errors and app glitches. Both methods won’t cause data loss as none of them affects internal data.
Second solution: Install pending app updates on your iPhone XS Max.
App updates also contain patch codes that are used to fix bug-inflicted errors. If you haven’t set your apps to auto-update, there’s a higher chance that you missed to install some important updates for your apps. This therefore results to your apps becoming unstable and prone to errors. In that case, you will need to manually check for, download and install pending app updates on your iPhone XS Max with these steps:
- Tap to open the App Store then scroll down to Updates section.
- Navigate through the list of apps with pending updates.
- To update individual app, tap the Update button next to an app.
- Or tap the Update All button to install all app updates at once.
After updating your apps, reboot your iPhone to apply the new app changes and to refresh the system.
Third solution: Install new iOS update on your iPhone XS Max.
Aside from app updates, installing the latest iOS version available for your iPhone is also recommended as it too offers fix patches to get rid of bug-inflicted symptoms and errors. To get this done, your phone must have stable Internet access, preferably through Wi-Fi, has enough memory space to allocate the update file, and at least 50 percent of battery life. Then follow these steps to check for and download new iOS update for your iPhone XS Max over the air or wirelessly:
- Tap Settings from the Home screen.
- Select General.
- Tap Software Update.
- If a new update is available, select the option to Download and Install.
Follow the rest of the onscreen instructions to complete the update file download and installation. When the update is completely installed, reboot your iPhone to refresh its memory, to activate the new features, and to implement the recent platform changes.
Fourth solution: Reinstall rogue apps on your iPhone XS Max.
The apps might have been totally corrupted and are no longer working unless they’re reinstalled. That said, you can delete the problematic apps individually and then reinstall them. Here’s how to get this done:
- From the Home screen, tap and hold on an app icon until the icons start jiggling.
- Tap the X on the app you want to delete.
- Read the warning prompt, and then select Delete to confirm deletion of the app.
- Reboot your iPhone (soft reset).
- Then open the App Store.
- Search for and select the app you want to reinstall.
- Tap the Cloud icon or Get button to download and reinstall the app on your iPhone.
After reinstalling all your apps, reboot your iPhone and then see if that fixes the problem.
Fifth solution: Factory reset/master reset your iPhone XS Max.
If your apps are showing the same symptoms even after reinstalling them, then you’re probably dealing with major software issues that require full system reset. There may be some tough bugs residing in system folders or files and these may be destabilizing the apps. To clear this out, perform a factory reset to wipe everything from your phone and then restore its default settings. Here’s how:
- From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down to and tap Reset.
- Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
- If prompted, enter your device passcode.
- Then tap the option to confirm full system reset.
Creating backups is recommended before performing a factory reset, to prevent permanent data loss. You can back up all your important files to iCloud or on a computer drive through iTunes.
If the above procedures could not be carried out, then you can do the alternative reset through iTunes. To do this, you will need to secure a compatible computer either Windows or Mac that has the latest iTunes app version installed. Once you have the computer ready, connect your iPhone via USB/Lightning cable then launch iTunes on your computer. The rest of the process can be completed using the command buttons and iTunes controls.
You can refer to a more detailed walkthrough on how to reset and restore iPhone XS Max in iTunes on this site’s tutorials section. Just visit the Troubleshooting page for more information.
Other options
Aside from a factory reset, you may also resort to performing a recovery mode restore if the problem persists and your iPhone XS Max apps continue to freeze or close randomly. And if a recovery mode still failed, the last-ditch solution you can try on would be a DFU mode restore. These restore methods are usually used to deal with major system issues from fatal errors and corrupted system files.
You can also contact the developer or the apps for further assistance in performing more advanced solutions. There may be some hidden app settings or options that need to be configured from within the app.
Connect with us
If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the Apple iPhone XS Max smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone XS Max. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.