Update as of 12:05AM on 9/15: The Google app appears to be back to normal for most people. If you have issues, we recommend clearing app cache at this point. The original post follows.
If you’ve noticed your Google app repeatedly crashing the last few hours, it isn’t just you. As of 11:20 PM MST on 9/14, The Google Search app appears to be down for most Android smartphone users, including nearly all Galaxy smartphones. While this issue clearly isn’t limited to Samsung devices, it’s definitely frustrating Galaxy users. The bug appears as a pop up letting you know the Google app has stopped. Unfortunately, clearing the app cache and data do nothing to solve the problem. Of course, you can’t uninstall or disable the Google app either, as it is vital for many Android services.
Google App Workarounds
We first noticed this issue on our Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 devices here in the US. After noticing the crash on these devices, we confirmed the issue persists on the S24 Ultra as well. Nearly all of our phones are affected, including the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The bug also impacts the Google Now feed to the left of your Galaxy Home Screen, rendering it useless. Luckily, other Google services continue to operate normally. We confirmed that Chrome, Youtube, Google Search on the web, and other vital services are still up and running. Unfortunately, all versions of the Google app are impacted, including the beta. This means the only viable workaround for search is to use Google search in the Chrome browser on Android.
The good news is that Google should fix this issue relatively quickly. In addition, the issue seems limited to Android and is not indicative of a widespread Google server outage on their backend. We will definitely update this post when Google restores functionality, so feel free to check back for breaking updates. Make sure to let your friends and family know that this issue is not particular to their phone. Many users seem to think that installing an older APK might work, but this sadly does nothing. If you have any questions, find us over on X, we might be able to help you out!
