A growing concern has emerged among certain Pixel owners as they grapple with persistent crashes of Android apps, for which an immediate solution remains elusive.
This issue manifests as abrupt closures of Android applications shortly after their launch, affecting both Google-developed and third-party apps alike.
Earlier today, I personally encountered a similar problem when Chrome Beta (version 115) unexpectedly shut down. The app had been functioning flawlessly throughout the day until it abruptly ceased operation. In my case, rebooting the affected Pixel 7, which was running the most recent Android 13 QPR3 stable release accompanied by the July security patch, resolved the issue.
Unfortunately, restarting the device failed to alleviate the problem for others, as did activating safe mode through the Power menu and selecting the “Reboot to safe mode” prompt after a long press. One user discovered a potential remedy by resorting to a complete device reset and subsequent restoration from backup, although this approach should be considered an extreme measure.
In a potentially telling clue regarding the root cause, individuals experiencing this issue have reported a malfunction in the system update page, where a blank screen is displayed instead of the expected user interface. This particular UI is provided by Google Play services, thereby suggesting its potential involvement in the problem. For reference, my Pixel 7 currently operates on version 23.25.17 (190400-548553588).
While there have been a handful of reports on Reddit today from Pixel 6 and 7 owners, this problem has not yet reached widespread proportions, nor have similar reports been observed among users of other original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
It is important to note that today’s app crashes do not appear to be caused by the same issue that plagued users in 2021, which was attributed to a faulty Android System WebView update.