Fix Common Phone Problems: Charging, Wi-Fi, Crashes & Freezes

Phones are reliable — but they have a few common problems that show up again and again: won't charge, won't connect to Wi-Fi, apps crashing, the screen freezing. Most of these are fixable yourself, often in minutes. Knowing the common problems and their fixes saves you a trip to a repair shop.

We've covered slow phones and battery drain; this guide covers the other common phone problems and how to fix them.

What we'll cover

Phone won't charge Phone won't connect Apps crashing Screen freezes

Phone won't charge

If your phone isn't charging, try these in order:

Check the cable and charger. Try a different cable and charger — cables fail often.

Clean the charging port. Lint and dust can block the connection. Gently clean it (carefully — don't damage the port).

Check for damage. A bent or damaged port needs professional repair.

Restart the phone. A glitch can stop charging.

Try wireless charging if available, to rule out a port issue.

Most "won't charge" issues are a bad cable or a blocked port. Try a new cable, clean the port, restart, and if it persists, the port may need repair.

Phone won't connect

If your phone won't connect to Wi-Fi:

Restart the phone. Clears many connection glitches (see our Wi-Fi guide).

Forget and reconnect. Forget the network and re-enter the password.

Check the password. Make sure you're entering the right one.

Restart the router. A proper power cycle helps (see our guide).

Check airplane mode. Make sure it's off.

Phone Wi-Fi issues usually resolve with a restart or forget-and-reconnect. If not, check the router (see our Wi-Fi guide).

Apps crashing

If apps keep crashing, try these:

Restart the phone. Clears memory issues (see our guide).

Update the app. An outdated app can crash (see our updates guide).

Clear the app's cache/data. Often fixes app problems (see our guide).

Update the OS. OS updates fix compatibility issues.

Reinstall the app. If nothing else works, uninstall and reinstall.

App crashes usually resolve with a restart, update, clearing cache, or a reinstall. Work through these in order.

Screen freezes

If your screen freezes or becomes unresponsive:

Force-restart the phone. Most phones have a button combo to force a restart — this fixes a frozen screen.

Check for low storage. A full phone can freeze (see our storage guide).

Update the OS. Updates fix glitches (see our guide).

Watch for overheating. Heat can cause freezes (see our overheating guide).

If it keeps freezing, it may be a hardware issue needing repair.

✨ The force-restart trick

When a phone freezes, a force-restart (holding the power button, often with a volume button) usually fixes it — it's a hard reboot that clears the freeze. Check your phone's method online. It's the #1 fix for a frozen screen. If freezes keep happening, address storage, updates and overheating.

📌 Bottom line

Common phone problems are usually fixable. Won't charge → try a new cable, clean the port, restart. Won't connect → restart, forget-and-reconnect, check the router. Apps crashing → restart, update, clear cache, reinstall. Screen freezing → force-restart, check storage/updates/overheating. Work through these simple fixes before calling a repair shop — most phone problems resolve in minutes.

Amara Johnson

Smartphone expert

Part of the HighTechBee editorial team. Amara Johnson writes practical, beginner-friendly tech guides that solve real everyday problems.