[13 Ways] How to Fix Apps Not Opening on iPhone Easily

Why are your apps not opening on iPhone?

With iPhone applications, you can socialize, access information, share moments, and more. But sometimes, you will find that an app on your iPhone becomes unresponsive, unexpectedly closes, or refuses to open. Then you may want to ask: “Why are my apps not opening on my iPhone”? There are some common reasons.

⛔ Problems with iPhone's network connection or settings.

⛔ Insufficient storage space on iPhone.

⛔ Outdated apps or iOS system.

⛔  Service-side issues on iPhone.

⛔ Some problems related to beta builds or beta iOS software.

⛔ Incorrect date and time settings.

⛔ Your iPhone is too hot.

⛔ Screen time limits for specific apps.

How to fix apps not opening on iPhone

There are 13 methods to solve the problem. And you can also use the professional tool mentioned in solution 5 and solution 13 to clear iPhone storage and factory reset iPhone without data loss.

Solution 1. Close and relaunch the app

Refreshing the specific app by force closing it can indeed solve glitches that may be causing the problem on your iPhone. After that, you can reopen the app to check if this way works.

Solution 2. Restart your iPhone

If you don’t know what to do when apps won’t open, restarting your iPhone is an effective initial step for solving minor software problems.

For iPhone X/11/12/13 or later: Press and hold either volume button and the side button simultaneously until the power-off slider appears > Drag the power-off slider to the right to turn off your device > After a while, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.

For iPhone 6/7/8 or SE(2nd or 3rd generation): Press and hold the side button until the power-off slider appears on the screen > Drag the slider to the right to power off your iPhone > After that, press and hold the side button again until the Apple logo appears.

For iPhone SE (1st generation), 5, or earlier: Press and hold the top button > When the power-off slider appears, drag the slider to turn off the device > 30 seconds later, press and hold the top button until you see the Apple logo to turn on the iPhone.

Solution 3. Remove the app from the screen time

Apple provides a Screen Time feature that allows you to set time limits for apps on your iPhone. When you've reached the daily time limit for a particular app on your iPhone, the app becomes grayed out and you can't open it.

If the app is limited by this feature, you can go to Settings app > Choose Screen Time > App Limits > According to your needs, choose to extend the time limit of the app or delete the limit.

Solution 4. Update the app on iPhone

If there is an outdated app version running on your iPhone, you may also encounter the app can’t open issue. You can visit the App Store and install the latest version on your iPhone. 

If you find that this method doesn't work after updating the app, you can try to remove and then reinstall the app to solve the issue. Before uninstalling, don't forget to back up any important data within the app.

Solution 5. Clear iPhone storage with the professional tool

When there isn't enough storage space on the iPhone, it can also affect the normal operation of applications. You can go to Settings app > General > Storage to check your available space.

If the iPhone's memory is running low, you can delete some large files from your phone or use the professional software - FoneTool to delete private data.

This all-in-one iPhone data management tool can help you delete photos, videos, music, Safari History, etc. on your iPhone in one click. You can also enable the Deep Erase Technology to delete them permanently. There is how to fix apps not opening on iPhone with FoneTool:

Step 1. Download FoneTool on your Windows PC > Connect your iPhone to the PC > Launch FoneTool.

Step 2. Go to Toolbox > Click Erase private data > Tap on Get Started.

Step 3. Select icons that you want to delete, then click Start Erase.

Solution 6. Check data and time on iPhone

Incorrect date and time settings on your iPhone can cause the issue. You can adjust your date and time settings on iPhone: Open the Settings app > General > Date & Time > Select a relevant time zone or enable the option to set it automatically.

Solution 7. Reset all settings

Sometimes, the settings on iPhone can cause the error. In such case, resetting all settings can help solve the problem without affecting your data: Launch Settings app > General > Reset > Choose Reset All Settings to finish the process.

Solution 8. Check App Outage

When popular apps like Facebook, Instagram, Netflix, or YouTube experience server-side issues, it can affect your ability to open and use the apps on your phone. To check if the problem is due to a server issue, you can visit a website like Downdetector and search for the name of the service.

If there is a significant spike in outage reports, it's likely a server problem on their end. In such cases, you'll need to wait for the company to resolve the server issue before the app will work properly on your phone.

Solution 9. Keep iPhone temperatures normally

Sometimes, using your iPhone intensively can cause the device's temperature to rise significantly. In such cases, it's advisable to let your device cool down to its normal operating temperature before attempting to open apps or perform other tasks.

Solution 10. Disable VPN on your iPhone

Certain apps are designed for specific regions and may not function properly in other countries. If you have a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection enabled on your iPhone, it can alter your device's IP address and potentially cause compatibility issues with some apps. So it’s better to toggle it off in the Settings app.

Solution 11. Don’t install beta app builds

Developers often test upcoming app updates with a limited group of beta users. If you've encountered issues with a particular app that's crashing due to a beta version, you can open the TestFlight app > Choose the app that's causing problems > From the menu that appears, select Stop Testing.

After that, you can delete the beta build and install the regular version of the app from the App Store.

Solution 12. Update software

If there is an outdated iOS system working on your iPhone, you need to go to Settings > General > Choose Software Update to update your iPhone.

Solution 13. Reset iPhone to factory settings

When none of the methods mentioned above work, how do you fix an app that won’t open on iPhone issue? You can try to reset your iPhone to factory settings to troubleshoot the problem.

Except for erasing private data, FoneTool can also help you reset your iPhone. Before the process, you’d better fully back up your iPhone to avoid losing data.

Fully back up iPhone

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the PC with a USB cable > Launch FoneTool and choose Phone Backup > Full Backup > Click Get Started to continue. 

Step 2. Check Enable Backup Encryption to protect your privacy > Choose a backup storage path on PC > Tap on Start Backup to begin.

Factory reset iPhone

Step 3. Click Toolbox > Data Eraser.    

Step 4. Choose Erase all data and tap Get Started.

Step 5. View the instructions on the screen and tap the Erase Data button to reset your iPhone.

Once the process is completed, you can go to Backup History and click Restore dot to restore the backup to your iPhone.

Conclusion

That’s all about how to fix apps not opening on iPhone. Hope you can find the most suitable way in these 13 methods. And you can also use the professional FoneTool to help you clear iPhone storage or factory reset your iPhone.