If apps keep crashing w/ Android 12 Beta, WebView might be the issue

Damien Wilde | Jun 7 2021 - 6:51 am PT

The latest Android 12 Beta has been pretty solid and stable so far. Heck, I’m running it on the Pixel 5 with no major issues to speak of, but some who have updated to the Android 12 Beta 1 have encountered random app crashes, and WebView might be the causing the issue.

We saw a few months back a huge portion of Android users encounter constant app crashing, which was all due to a problem with Android System WebView. It looks as though WebView is at the heart of some sporadic problems some people have encountered with app crashes on the latest Android 12 Beta 1 build, too (via Piunikaweb).

This bug looks to have jumped to a small number of people running the beta of the latest Android OS, with app crashes most prominent in Google apps such as Gmail. A Google IssueTracker thread has seen a large number of responses from frustrated Pixel owners. Google issued a response to state that the reports have been passed on to the development team.

This got fixed after uninstalling and reinstalling (enabling) webview from playstore. All apps seem to be working fine now.

However, some later thread responses have found a temporary fix. They suggest that if you are running Android 12 Beta 1 and are seeing random app crashes and problems, just disable Android System WebView then reenable. It’s a nice easy fix that isn’t too hard to replicate on your own device. You can find it in Settings > Apps > All Apps > Android System WebView > Disable > Accept the pop-up > Enable.

So, if you are running Android 12 Beta 1 and have been left frustrated, then this little WebView tip should have you back enjoying the latest OS experience in no time — at least until an update resolves it properly.