How to Fix It If Facebook Crashes on iPhone 13 after iOS 15.2.1 Update

This post highlights potential solutions to a post-update crashing issue affecting the iOS Facebook application. Read on to learn what to do if Facebook crashes on iPhone 13 after iOS 15.2.1 update.

What makes iPhone apps crash after an iOS update?

Crashing apps are among the common issues smartphone users encounter after installing a new software update. This could happen to both the stock and downloaded apps. Even the most attested apps like Facebook are no exceptions.

When the problem is only transpiring among online applications, it’s possible that network-related errors are the underlying cause. This is usually what happens if the recent update ruined the iPhone’s normal network functions and triggered internet problems such as slow, unstable or no internet connection.

In some cases, post-update app crashing may occur when the device is running low on storage. Aside from crashing, other performance issues such as system lags, freezes and unexpected reboots will likewise manifest.

Overall, this problem is software-related unless hardware damage is present on the iPhone prior to updating.

To eliminate the common culprits, I’ve outlined the applicable solutions for personal troubleshooting reference.

What to do if Facebook crashes on iPhone 13 after iOS 15.2.1 update

The following solutions will help you rule out software-related factors that make Facebook crash on your iPhone after updating to the latest iOS version. These methods are also applicable when troubleshooting the same issue on other iPhone models that are running on iOS 15.2.1.

Actual screens and menu items may vary between wireless service providers and device models so expect some slight differences on every device’s interface.

Prerequisites:

Before you begin, verify and ensure that your iPhone is not running low on storage. Typically, you’ll get a warning prompt, reminding you that your device storage is low or something similar.

To check the current memory status of your iPhone, go to Settings-> General-> iPhone Storage menu. There you can see the used and available memory plus a graph of what is utilizing the memory.

If the available memory is less than 2 gigabytes, that means you need to free up some storage space. This can be achieved by deleting old and unwanted contents from your device.

Moving some of your important data to iCloud or iTunes drive is also an option.

Also make sure that your iPhone is connected to the Internet, preferably via Wi-Fi network.

Once everything is set, you can go ahead and start ruling out individual culprits with these subsequent methods.

Solution #1: Clear all background apps.

If you’ve left Facebook and other apps open while updating, there’s a higher chance that Facebook or any of these background apps got stuck and stopped working. To make these apps work properly again, they need to be terminated.

So here’s what you should do first:

Swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen to launch the app switcher or multitasking menu that contains previews of all apps you’ve recently used and left open/running in the background.
Locate the Facebook app preview and then swipe it up to close.
Do the same to end all other background apps on your iPhone.

After terminating all background applications, relaunch Facebook on your iPhone and see if it’s already working stable.

Solution #2: Reboot/soft reset your iPhone.

Another simple solution to post-update app crashes is a soft reset or iPhone reboot. In iOS devices, performing a soft reset clears out system cache including any corrupted residual data fragments that are causing conflicts to certain apps.

It doesn’t affect any user data from the internal memory so you won’t lose important files and downloads from your device.

For starters, performing a soft reset on an iPhone 13 is carried out through these steps:

Press and hold the Power/Side button and either Volume buttons for a few seconds and then release when the Power off slider appears.
Then, drag the slider to turn your iPhone completely off.
After 30 seconds, press and hold the Side button again until the Apple logo appears.

Wait for your iPhone to finish booting up and then reconnect to Wi-Fi. As soon as the internet connection becomes stable, relaunch the Facebook app and see if the problem is gone.

Solution #3: Update Facebook app (if applicable).

Keeping apps up-to-date is highly recommended to ensure optimum performance and stability. The same notion applies to every device.

App developers typically roll out software updates soon before or after a new firmware update is released for a certain device. This is one way to ensure that their apps are still able to meet the updated system requirements and therefore be able to work properly on the latest system interface.

If the app is outdated, there’s a higher chance for system conflicts to instigate. As a result, various in-app issues arise including random crashes.

If you haven’t enabled auto-update on the App Store, then you will need to manually download and install pending app updates including Facebook.

Here’s how:

Go to your iPhone Home screen or App library and then long-press on the App Store icon.
From the quick menu options, select Updates to view all pending app updates on the App Store app menu.
If multiple app updates are available, tap Update All.
Otherwise, tap the Update button next to Facebook. Do the same to install pending updates for other apps individually.

After updating apps, reboot/soft reset your iPhone to ensure that all recent software changes are properly implemented. This is also needed to refresh the recently updated apps and give them a clean fresh start.

Solution #4: Optimize internet connection.

As mentioned earlier, internet connectivity issues are also among the possible causes especially if the problem occurs only among online/internet-based apps.

To rule out minor internet flaws after the recent iOS update, refreshing the iPhone’s wireless connection can help.

So here’s what you should do next.

Go to Settings-> Wi-Fi menu and then turn the Wi-Fi switch OFF and ON. This is the common way to refresh wireless connections and eliminates minor internet flaws.
Alternatively, you can do the Airplane mode trick by heading to Settings-> Airplane Mode menu and then turn the Airplane mode switch ON. All wireless features and services will be disabled.

Reboot your iPhone while Airplane mode is enabled.

As soon as it boots up, go back to the Airplane mode settings menu then toggle to turn OFF the switch again.

This will give a simultaneous restart to all wireless features and services on the iPhone and clears out any transpiring Wi-Fi conflicts.

Forgetting and re-adding the Wi-Fi network can also help especially if the problem is tied to a corrupted Wi-Fi network in use.

If you’ve set up multiple Wi-Fi networks on your iPhone, connecting to another Wi-Fi network available might also help.

Solution #5: Manually offload Facebook app on your iPhone.

Should this be a memory-related issue, manually offloading the Facebook app on your iPhone will likely fix it.

One of the built-in features of an iPhone is the so-called Offload unused apps. When enabled, this feature automatically deletes apps that you don’t use for a long period of time. The automatic deletion of inactive apps instigates when the phone detects that it’s running low on storage.

Offloading apps frees up memory without deleting the app data. This means that relevant content is accessible for as long as the app is still available in the App Store.

Aside from automatic app offloading, you can also offload individual apps manually on your iPhone. Not only that it helps free up storage but also corrects any inconsistency of an application.

To manually offload Facebook app on your iPhone 13, just follow these steps:

Open the Settings app by tapping on the Settings icon from Home.
On the succeeding menu, tap General.
Then, tap iPhone Storage.
Tap to select Facebook from the apps list and then tap the command to Offload App.
If prompted, enter your passcode and tap Offload App again to confirm.
The Facebook app will then be dumped from the system.

To redownload the app, just tap on the Facebook app icon from the Home screen. Wait for a few minutes and the app should be reinstalled and ready for use on your phone.

Solution #6: Reinstall Facebook on your iPhone.

Uninstalling a problematic app is usually deemed a drastic solution. Doing so deletes the app and its relevant data and documents permanently.

This is often needed when the app has been totally corrupted from the recent firmware update and reinstalling is the only way to make it work properly again.

To uninstall Facebook from the iPhone 13, just follow these steps:

Go to the Home screen and then touch and hold the Facebook icon.
On the quick menu, tap Remove or Delete app.
After deleting the app, launch the App Store app.
While on the App Store, tap on your Apple ID profile and then select Purchased.
Locate the Facebook app and then tap the cloud icon to instigate app installation.

Reinstalling an app is also another way to clear the app’s cache and data. Several app-related issues are likewise rectified by reinstalling the errant application.

Is Facebook still crashing on your iPhone 13?

Performing the above solutions is usually good enough to rule out common software-related factors that trigger apps like Facebook to crash on an iPhone after installing an iOS update.

However, there are some cases where complex system errors are the underlying cause of the problem and thus more advanced solutions would be necessary.

Should you wish to troubleshoot further, your next option would be to reset all settings on your iPhone 13.

This reset often helps if the problem is attributed to some messed up settings especially when the recent update overrides the current settings on your iPhone.

Resetting all settings on the iPhone does not affect any user data so you won’t lose any important files and documents from your device.

What it does is to erase all system settings including network settings, keyboard dictionary, Home screen layout, location settings, privacy settings, app permissions and preferences. After the reset all system defaults are restored.

To do so, simply head over to Settings-> General-> Transfer or Reset iPhone-> Reset menu and then tap Reset all settings from the given options. If prompted, enter your device passcode and then tap Reset settings to confirm action.

The phone will then erase all custom settings and then restore the original options and settings on the phone.

Check Facebook Server Status

Although the Facebook app crashing symptoms had instigated from the recent iOS update implementation, it doesn’t always mean that an iOS bug is to blame. It’s possible that the problem is actually with Facebook’s main server, like when it’s having unexpected downtime due to some technical difficulties or scheduled maintenance.

Should this be found to be a server issue or temporary outage, there’s not much that can be done on your end but to wait until the outage is over and the service is back up and running properly again.

You can also try using the Facebook web version. If it’s available, you can use it while waiting for the iOS version to become accessible.

Escalate the Problem

Reporting the issue to Apple Support is also a good idea since it started from the recent iOS update. Making this move is imperative as it lets the Apple software development team know that such a post-update issue is transpiring and be able to develop necessary bug fixes.

That will therefore prompt them to verify whether or not the problem is due to an unforeseen iOS bug that requires a patch.

Please keep posted for more comprehensive iOS tutorials and troubleshooting guides on this site. Or you can check out this YouTube channel to view more comprehensive tutorial and troubleshooting videos including recent iOS devices.

How to Fix It If Facebook Crashes on iPhone 13 after iOS 15.2.1 Update

What makes iPhone apps crash after an iOS update?