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Is Your Play Store App Crashing During Search? Here’s How to Fix It
Understanding the Play Store Search Crash
Android users across multiple manufacturers—including Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, and OnePlus—report a critical bug within the Google Play Store. The application crashes immediately upon tapping the search button or the search bar. This instability disrupts app discovery and updates. While Google developers investigate the root cause, no official patch timeline exists. However, user-tested solutions have proven effective in stabilizing the application.
Immediate Workarounds
Apply these technical adjustments to resolve the crash. These steps force the Android operating system to re-initialize the Play Store’s operational parameters.
Solution 1: Adjust Battery Optimization Settings
Modern Android versions aggressively manage background processes to preserve battery life. Occasionally, the operating system incorrectly flags the Play Store’s search function as a resource drain and terminates the app. Granting unrestricted battery access prevents this forced closure.
- Long-press the Google Play Store icon on your home screen or app drawer.
- Select the App Info (often represented by an “i” in a circle) button.
- Tap App Battery Usage (or simply Battery depending on your Android version).
- Switch the setting from Optimized to Unrestricted.
- Relaunch the Play Store and attempt a search to verify stability.
Solution 2: Clear Application Storage and Cache
Corrupted temporary files or misconfigured user data often trigger runtime errors. Clearing the storage resets the app to its default state without deleting your installed apps or Google account. This forces the Play Store to rebuild its index and configuration files.
- Long-press the Google Play Store icon.
- Select App Info.
- Navigate to Storage & Cache.
- Tap Clear Storage (labeled as Delete Data on some devices).
- Confirm the action by tapping Delete.
- Open the Play Store. Note that the initial load may take longer as the app repopulates content.
Current Status and Official Response
Google has acknowledged the instability affecting the search interface. The development team is currently isolating the conflict in the code. Until a server-side update or a new APK version is deployed via the background update mechanism, the manual fixes detailed above remain the most reliable methods for restoring functionality. If the issue persists after attempting both solutions, check for system updates regularly, as the fix may arrive bundled with a monthly security patch.