Symptoms
- Loading spinner never finishes
- Splash screen stays up indefinitely
- Content area stays blank
- Pull-to-refresh doesn't help
Likely causes
- CommonWeak or no internet connectionApps that need to fetch data on launch will hang without a connection.
- CommonThe app's servers are down or overloadedOutages on the developer's end look identical to a local problem.
- PossibleCorrupted local cacheBad cached data can block the app from progressing past loading.
- PossibleOutdated app version incompatible with current serversDevelopers sometimes retire support for old app versions.
- PossibleAccount or session token expiredAn expired login can cause an infinite loading state instead of a clear error.
What to do
- Check your internet connection works in another app or browser.
- Force-close the app and reopen it.
- Check the app's official social media or status page for a known outage.
- Clear the app's cache in your phone's app settings.
- Update the app to the latest version from the store.
- Log out and back in if the app allows it without losing data.
- Uninstall and reinstall the app as a last resort.
When to call a pro
If only one app is affected and its status page confirms an outage, there's nothing to fix on your end but wait.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.