Google issues permanent fix for constant Android app crashes

The company is rolling out an update to the Android System Webview app, which had a bug causing most apps that relied on it to display webpages and other content to simply crash.

Google has finally fixed those app crashes on Android phones. (Unsplash)

Over the past few hours, Android users have been experiencing non-stop app crashes, with several popular apps simply refusing to load - bringing users back to the home screen. While several users have been using a quick workaround by “downgrading” the Android System Webview, which seemed to be the culprit, Google has now issued an official fix which is rolling out via the Play Store.

The issue was found to be in Google's own Android System Webview, which had a bug causing crashes on any app that relied on the company's WebKit engine to display websites and content — there are many, including Google's own Gmail app. We reported earlier today that going to the Play Store and uninstalling the updates to the system web view app works as a temporary fix.

Google has now released an official fix for Android devices affected by the bug, according to a report by 9to5Google. Those who are still experiencing the bugs causing the crashes, can head over to the Play Store and open the list of their installed apps to find the Android System Webview entry. They can then tap on the update button which will install version 89.0.4389.105 which does not contain the bug causing the crashes.

Users will also need to need to update their Google Chrome browser on their devices to version 89.0.4389.105 which will ensure the app crashing bugs are permanently eliminated, according to the report. 

"We have resolved the issue with WebView that caused some apps on Android to crash for some users. Updating Android System WebView and Google Chrome via Google Play should now resolve the issue,” a Google spokesperson told HT Tech

If the updates for Android System Webview and Chrome aren't showing up on the Play Store for some reason, users either search for them on a reputable site like APK Mirror or wait a while longer for the fix to roll out to their devices.