We've seen it before. You're settling in on the couch to play on your phone, ready to climb the ranks and master some team comps when, suddenly, the game... crashes. Before you get madder than a Molediver, here are some steps you can try to get back in game as soon as possible. It's time to troubleshoot your Android device. Looking for Apple Troubleshooting instead? Head over here.

First off, it's important to analyze what exactly is going wrong. There are three main things that could happen when attempting to play a mobile game: the game's frozen, the app has crashed, or it won't download in the first place. We recommend doing the following regardless of the issue you're experiencing, which could either fix the problem or narrow down the issue.

Restart Your Device

It's amazing how often turning devices on and off again can help a wide range of technical issues. Remember, it's important to give your phone a rest sometime, just like you would a computer.

You can soft restart your device by holding the power button until a popup gives you the option to select restart.

You can also hard restart your device by simply holding the power button down for 30 seconds.

If restarting your device doesn't work, it's time to move onto more systematic troubleshooting. Remember, every device is different, so be sure to contact your 

Step 1: Update and Relaunch

Make Sure Your Phone is Up to Date

Ensuring your operating system is properly updated can often help its ability to interface with other applications.

To update your phone:

• Open your phone's Settings.
• Tap System -> Advanced -> System Update.
• Follow the steps indicated on your device.

Make Sure the App is Up to Date

The game itself is the next step in ensuring your troubleshooting on a properly updated playing field. To make sure the app is up to date:

• Open the Google Play Store on your device.
• Tap Menu -> My apps & games.
• Tap Update next to any apps with available updates (or Update All).

Make Sure the App Has Required Permissions

You may have declined the access to storage pop-up that appears during an update or when first launching the app, but worry not. You can set it up manually.

• Open your phone’s Settings.
• Tap on Apps and scroll until you find the Riot Games app in question. 
• Find the Permissions, and tap on it.
• Make sure that Storage is ticked.

Step 2: Troubleshooting the Game

If your phone and the app are both properly updated, but you're still encountering crashes, it's time to try and pinpoint the root of your gaming issues.

Force Stop the Game

The first step is to force stop the game itself if it's frozen on your screen. You can do this by:

• Opening your phone’s Settings.
• Tap Apps & notifications and then tap the Riot Games product you are troubleshooting.
  • If you don’t see it immediately, tap See all apps.
• Tap Force Stop

If the Audio is Not Working

• Make sure the media volume is set appropriately & the phone is not on silent.
• Make sure that the Audio is turned on in the app settings.
• Make sure that another music player app is not cutting the sound for your game.
  • Apps like Google Play Music and SoundCloud can pause or mute the sound of other apps when they’re playing a song.

If You're Not Getting Notifications

• Open Settings.
• Go to Notifications.
• Find the Riot game in question, and tap on it.
• Tap Allow Notifications to make sure everything is properly enabled. 

If you'd like for even more in-depth instructions on Android notifications, please check out Google's guide here.

Step 3: Clear Data

Clear the App’s Cache

When you're browsing the internet or simply using your phone, your device will create data storage to help curate your experience. However, sometimes that extra fluff can gum up the works. When that happens, it's time to clear the cache for an optimal experience. To do so:

• Open your phone’s Settings.
• Tap Apps & notifications.
• Tap on the game you're troubleshooting. If you don’t see it, tap See all apps.
• Tap Storage & cache, and then tap Clear cache.

Clear App Data

To clear your app data:

• Open your phone’s Settings.
• Tap Apps & notifications.
• Tap on the game you're troubleshooting. If you don’t see it, tap See all apps.
• Tap Storage & cache, and then tap Clear Storage or Clear Data. Be sure to confirm your decision.

Uninstall the App

To uninstall the app:

• Tap and hold the application icon for the game you wish to uninstall.
• To see your options, start dragging the app.
• Drag the app to Uninstall at the top of the screen.
  • If you don't see Uninstall, you can't uninstall the app.
• Lift your finger.
• Confirm your decision to uninstall the app.

Step 4: Reinstall & Re-enable Apps

Once you've purchased an application on Google Play, you can re-download it without having to pay again, even on a new device. However, each device mush have the same Google Account on it. Remember, to ensure game data is properly saved, it is recommended you upgrade to a Riot Account. When it comes to reacquiring various apps, you can:

• Install an app on more than one Android device.
• Install an app on a new Android device.
• Reinstall an app you bought but deleted.

Also, if you turned off an app that came with your device, you can turn it back on.

Applications on Computers

Apps can usually only be installed on Android mobile devices, but where does that leave Chromebook? Click here to learn how to install mobile apps on your Chromebook.

Reinstall Apps on Your Android Device From Your Computer

• You can reinstall, or turn on, apps on your Android device from your computer.
• On your computer, open play.google.com.
• Click Apps -> My apps.
• Click the app you want to install or turn on.
• Click Install, Installed, or Enable. You may need to sign in to your Google Account.
• Choose your device, and click Install.

If You Are Still Experiencing Issues

Troubleshooting your mobile device and the application is no guarantee that an issue will be solved. We encourage you to troubleshoot your wifi connection, as well as getting in touch with your service provider. If you believe the issue is on our end, we encourage you to submit a ticket below.