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App Crashing or Not Opening

What to do when an app crashes on launch, keeps freezing, or will not open at all

An app that crashes on launch or keeps freezing is one of the most common computer problems. The fix is almost always one of these steps: force quit and reopen it, clear its cache, update it, or reinstall it. Work through these in order.

Step 1: Force quit the app

If the app is frozen or stuck, force quit it first:

  1. Press Cmd + Option + Esc to open the Force Quit window
  2. Select the app from the list
  3. Click Force Quit

Alternatively, right-click the app's icon in the Dock, hold Option, and click Force Quit.

Now try opening the app again. If it works, you are done. If it crashes again, continue.

Step 2: Restart your Mac

Click the Apple menu > Restart. A restart clears temporary files and resets processes that may have gotten stuck. Try the app again after restarting.

Step 3: Update the app

An outdated app may crash on a newer macOS version:

  • App Store apps: open the App Store and click Updates in the sidebar
  • Non-App Store apps: open the app's menu and look for Check for Updates, or download the latest version from the developer's website

Also make sure macOS itself is up to date: System Settings > General > Software Update.

Step 4: Clear the app's cache

Corrupted cache files are a frequent cause of crashes:

  1. Quit the app completely
  2. Open Finder
  3. Press Shift + Cmd + G (Go to Folder)
  4. Type ~/Library/Caches and press Enter
  5. Find the folder matching the app (usually named like com.developer.appname)
  6. Move that folder to the Trash
  7. Reopen the app

The app will rebuild its cache on the next launch. This does not delete your data or settings.

Step 5: Delete the app's preferences

If clearing the cache did not help, try resetting the app's preferences:

  1. Quit the app
  2. Open Finder, press Shift + Cmd + G
  3. Type ~/Library/Preferences and press Enter
  4. Find the .plist file matching the app (e.g., com.developer.appname.plist)
  5. Move it to the Trash
  6. Reopen the app

This resets the app to its default settings. You will need to reconfigure any custom preferences.

Step 6: Reinstall the app

  1. Drag the app from the Applications folder to the Trash
  2. Empty the Trash
  3. Redownload and install it from the App Store or the developer's website

Step 7: Check the crash log

If nothing else works, the crash log can tell you (or IT) what went wrong:

  1. Open Console (search for it in Spotlight)
  2. In the sidebar, click Crash Reports
  3. Look for entries matching the app name and read the most recent one

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing an app's cache delete my files or data?▾

No. Cache files are temporary data the app creates to speed things up (like thumbnails, temporary downloads, or layout info). Deleting them forces the app to rebuild them on the next launch. Your actual files, documents, and account data are stored separately. Clearing preferences or config files will reset the app's settings to defaults, but still will not delete your files.

Why does an app work fine for a while and then start crashing?▾

Common causes: the cache grew too large or became corrupted, an OS update changed something the app depends on, the app updated and introduced a bug, or your disk is running low on space. Start with a restart, then clear the cache, then check for updates.

What is the difference between "Not Responding" and a crash?▾

"Not Responding" (or a spinning beach ball on Mac, or a grayed-out window on Windows) means the app is stuck but still running. It might recover on its own if you wait 10-15 seconds. A crash means the app closed itself entirely and is no longer running. For "Not Responding," give it a moment before force quitting. For a crash, just try reopening it.

Should I restart or shut down to fix a crashing app?▾

Use Restart, not Shut down. On Windows, Shut down uses Fast Startup by default, which saves part of the system state and does not give you a fully clean boot. Restart performs a full reboot and clears more temporary data. On Mac and Linux, Restart and Shut down followed by powering back on are effectively the same.

An app crashes only when I open a specific file. What should I do?▾

The file itself might be corrupted. Try opening a different file in the same app to confirm. If other files work fine, try opening the problem file in a different app. If it is a document, try the web version of the app (Google Docs, Office Online) to see if it can recover the content.