4 Ways to Fix Samsung Messages App Keeps Stopping

Try Basic Fixes

• Force stop the Messages app: When an app on your phone fails to work properly or stops for no apparent reason, force stop the app and open it again. That usually fixes any temporary glitches with the app.
• Free up storage space: A lack of storage space can also cause apps on your phone to misbehave. You can remove unnecessary apps and large files from your phone to free up some storage. Alternatively, move some of your data to cloud storage options like Google Drive, OneDrive, and others.
• Update the app: If you haven’t updated the Samsung Messages app in a while, you may be using an older app version. This can lead to compatibility issues and cause the app to behave strangely. Update the Samsung Messages app on your phone and see if that helps.

Fix 1: Allow Necessary App Permissions

Samsung Messages requires a few permissions to function properly. If denied, certain features may not work or cause the app to crash abruptly at times.

Here’s how to allow app permissions for the Samsung Messages app.

Step 1: Long-press on the Samsung Messages app icon and tap the info icon from the resulting menu. Then, go to Permissions.

Step 2: Allow all the required permissions one by one.

Fix 2: Set Samsung Messages as the Default Messaging App

If you haven’t set the Samsung Messages app as the default SMS app on your phone, some of the app features may not work. This can also cause the app to crash. To avoid this, set Samsung Messages as the default messaging app on your phone.

Step 1: Open Settings on your phone and go to Apps > Choose default apps.

Step 2: Tap SMS app and select Messages by Samsung as the default app.

Fix 3: Clear App Cache and Data

Temporary data (also known as cache data) collected by the Samsung Messages app may also interfere with app performance, especially if it is old. You can clear that cache data for the Samsung Messages app to see if that improves the situation.

Step 1: Long-press on the Samsung Messages app icon and tap the info icon from the resulting menu.

Step 2: Go to Storage and tap the Clear cache option at the bottom right.

If the issue remains, try clearing the app data instead. This will effectively reset the app to its default settings and fix any issues.

Fix 4: Use Safe Mode

Safe Mode is a useful tool on Android to troubleshoot various issues with your phone. If your issues with the Samsung Messages app are caused by a third-party app, booting your phone in Safe Mode will help verify that.

Step 1: Press and hold the Power button on your phone until you see the power menu.

Step 2: Long-press on the Power off icon and tap the green checkmark to boot in Safe Mode.

Once you’re in Safe Mode, try using the Samsung Messages app for a few minutes.

If the app works fine, one of the third-party apps running on your phone could be the source of the problem. Apps you’ve installed fairly recently are most likely to have caused the issue. You can try removing those apps one by one to resolve the issue.