Phone app crashes every time on Galaxy J3

[PatrikT]

My son's Samsung Galaxy J3 has a problem with the phone app, the actual classic phone voice call app (app icon: green background with white handset).

Phone can receive voice calls without problems but If I try to stat up phone app, to for example make a call from "recents", the app crashes within a second or two. And the error is persistent = every time I try to start phone app it crashes. If I try repetedly I get qestion to send feedback so the phone is aware of the app crashing. I tried to clear cache for phone app and restarted phone but no change.

I also tried sim card in another phone (an old Sony Xperia) and there all worked fine, so I do not think it is SIM card related.

Using other apps, such as SMS and "data apps", are running fine. It is just the basic phone app that crashes. Approx one of two GB of RAM free.

I hope I can avoid factory reset and look forward to your ideas how to solve but I fear that it is factory reset that will be my way forward, if phone app should be possible to use.

/Patrik

[AntS]

Hi @PatrikT ,

1. As well as the cache, did you clear the 'data' from the Phone app too? And then restart the phone?

2. All of the software and apps up to date on your son's phone?

3. If you've done the above, and the Phone app doesn't crash in Safe Mode, then it's highly likely to be a third party app that's been recently installed/updated/highly active that's the culprit - and might be worth trying to uninstall/disable that app.

However, if you've done all of the above and it's still persisting, then a data backup and factory reset would indeed be needed.

[PatrikT]

Hello!

Yes, both account and cahce cleared for phone app and restarted, problem remains as before.

Problem also remains with phone in safe mode.

Any idea on how to find which app/app update to remove?

Or is it factory reset? Still hope not!

/Patrik

[TessM]

Hey @PatrikT , 

as the issue persists in Safe Mode, the next step would be Factory Reset the phone. As @AntS  mentioned on his post, we would recommend backing up your son's data before proceeding with this. You can find how to do this by following this link: https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-perform-factory-reset-on-my-mobile-device... 

Hope that this helps!