Late Saturday night, a significant disruption unfolded for numerous Android users as the Google app encountered widespread crashes, prompting an alarming “Google keeps stopping” error message. This glitch primarily impacted users attempting to utilize the app for searches, resulting in immediate crashes upon opening.
Details of the Disruption
The issue was not limited to newer versions of the app; older iterations were also affected. Users found that uninstalling updates via the App Info option did not remedy the situation, complicating matters further, as reported by 9to5Google. The experience was frustrating: users trying to access the Google app from their home screens faced instant crashes, while the Google Search bar widget briefly displayed previous queries before failing. The Pixel Launcher search bar would show results momentarily before shutting down, and attempts to launch Google Discover or utilize the Voice Search microphone resulted in app failures, all culminating in the persistent error message.
This disruption was felt across a range of devices, including popular models like Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy, affecting both stable and beta versions of the Google Search app on Android 15, 14, and earlier. However, it is worth noting that other Google services, such as Gemini, Google Assistant, Google Lens, and Circle to Search, continued to function without issue. Users still had access to google.com via Chrome for Android, and platforms outside the Android ecosystem remained unaffected.
By around 11:00 PM PT on Saturday, reports began to surface indicating that the app was starting to recover. Google acknowledged the “service disruption” at 11:07 PM PT, advising users to clear the app cache and data as a temporary solution. The company confirmed that the issue had been fully resolved by 1:11 AM PT on Sunday.
In an earlier update, the Google search status dashboard indicated: “The issue with serving has been mitigated and our systems are becoming stable, but we’re still working on a fix. Affected users still experiencing issues on the Google App on Android may try to clear the app cache and the app data through the Settings app. Next update will be within 12 hours.” Shortly thereafter, the dashboard updated to state: “We fixed the issue with serving. There will be no more updates.”
