Force Stopping Apps on Android: Can You Lose Data?

Android is a great operating system, which is why it is the best-selling, most popular, and most used operating system. But despite all that, it is not perfect. Just like any other operating system, it is expected to suffer from several problems. Especially on old and weak devices and phones that have modest hardware. Sometimes, and without any warning, the phone freezes and enters a Freeze state while working on some apps.

This usually shouldn’t be a problem; you can always close the app and restart it, and things will go back to normal. But in other cases, this method may not work, so you’ll need to go to the Settingsو search for the app in the Apps option, and force-stop it (Force Stop). But is this always the right way to get rid of apps and services that are behaving strangely on your Android phone?

When should you force-stop apps on your Android phone?

In most cases, attempting to force stop an app on your Android phone can lead to a frustrating experience. This means that if you Force Stop it from within the settings, you’ll see a warning message about potential app misbehavior. However, this warning can be confusing, as the user is essentially forced to take an action that might have unintended consequences.

But how does the app behave when it is in a normal state of activity?

Naturally, when everything is working as intended and as it is supposed to, the app goes from one stage to another during use. Once you finish using it and close it, the Android system will then remove the app from RAM, Because there is no longer any reason to use it.

However, some apps like WhatsApp or the weather app can sometimes appear on top of other apps even after you try to close them. When an app malfunctions, it often misbehaves, manifesting as lag, freezing, crashes, or unexpected restarts.

In this case, your only option might be to force-stop the app, which will close and remove all of its processes from memory. This process effectively shuts down the app, mimicking its behavior when it becomes unresponsive. Consequently, the app loses access to its cached data and ceases to function, as it’s no longer utilizing the phone’s resources.

Is it possible to lose any data after force-stopping apps?

The short answer to this question is “Yes”. Most of the time, you are forced to force-stop apps because they are not behaving normally. And in fact, it is the only way to get rid of the problem of the app freezing and not responding properly.

However, it is preferable to pause and reflect on it, especially if you are performing a critical task or using an important application. Because then you may lose some of your important data. For example, if you are in a game and the game freezes and becomes unresponsive, then once you force stop it, the game will not be able to save your progress. You may have to restart the level from the beginning since what you achieved a little while ago is not in the cache.

Before you decide to force stop apps, try to be patient and wait for a while. Sometimes heavy apps like games with complex graphics take some time to respond normally. Especially if you are playing them on any of the mid-range or weak phones that have old and modest hardware in terms of power. Thus, waiting a few moments may save you from losing what you achieved in the game or restarting the level from the beginning.