Apps crashing on Realme, Motorola and Oppo phones was part of a wider Android incident on March 22–23, 2021—not evidence of a brand-specific hardware fault. Google traced the crashes to a faulty Android System WebView update and recommended updating both WebView and Chrome through Google Play. This is a historical incident, not a report of a current 2026 outage.
What happened to Android apps?
During the March 2021 incident, users reported apps freezing, closing as soon as they opened, or showing a “keeps stopping” message. Gmail, Chrome, Outlook, Amazon, Yahoo Mail, banking apps and messaging apps were among those reported as affected. Because many unrelated apps can rely on the same system component to display web content, the failures could look like a phone-wide problem.
Google acknowledged the incident in an update dated March 23, 2021, after reports began the previous day. Its notice said a recent WebView update was causing apps to crash.
What caused the crashes?
Android System WebView is a system component that allows apps to display web pages and other web-based screens without building a complete browser into each app. Google said the faulty update made Android apps using WebView unstable. Chrome is closely related: on some devices it supplies the WebView implementation, so updating Chrome mattered as well.
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Reports documented affected users on Realme, Motorola and Oppo phones, as well as devices from other manufacturers. These reports do not establish a separate defect in any of those brands. The cause identified by Google was a shared WebView update, not a Realme-, Motorola- or Oppo-specific hardware problem. Google’s incident update and contemporaneous coverage from Android Community describe the wider issue; individual reports also appeared from Realme, Motorola and Oppo users.
Google’s recommended fix at the time
Google’s March 23, 2021 guidance was to install updates for Android System WebView and Google Chrome from the Play Store, then reopen affected apps. Google cited WebView version 89.0.4389.105 as the corrected release for that incident; it is a historical version number, not a current update target.
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- Open the Google Play Store and search for Android System WebView. Tap Update if offered.
- Search for Google Chrome in the Play Store and tap Update if offered.
- Reopen the apps that were crashing. If they still fail, restart the phone and check that the updates completed.
If you cannot find a separate active WebView listing, your device may use Chrome as its WebView provider. In that case, update Chrome rather than searching indefinitely for a standalone WebView update.
If WebView or Chrome would not update
For Android 10 and 11 devices, Google also described clearing Play Store data and retrying the updates:
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- Open Settings and tap Apps & notifications.
- Select Google Play Store, then tap Storage & cache.
- Tap Clear data, reopen the Play Store, and retry the WebView and Chrome updates.
Clearing Play Store data can reset preferences such as parental controls and auto-update settings, so review them afterward. Settings labels vary by device and Android version. Google’s complete incident instructions are in its Android Help Community update.
WebView rollback was an emergency workaround, not the preferred fix
Before the corrected update reached every device, some coverage and users advised removing the latest WebView update. On devices where that option is available, the path is generally Settings > Apps or Apps & notifications > Android System WebView > three-dot menu > Uninstall updates. You may need to enable Show system apps in the app list. Restart the phone afterward.
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This rolls the system component back to its factory version; it does not mean permanently deleting WebView. Google explicitly did not recommend manually uninstalling WebView updates and warned that rollback could cause data loss in some apps. Prefer the official WebView and Chrome updates when they are available. If the rollback option is missing, the device may use Chrome as its provider, the menu may differ, or the update may already have been replaced. Android Authority’s coverage and Android Community’s workaround report explain the historical rollback option.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When WebView is probably not the cause
The 2021 WebView explanation is most relevant when several unrelated apps began failing around the same time. A single app crashing does not establish a WebView problem. Check for an update to that app, available Android system updates, low storage, corrupted app cache, compatibility issues with the phone’s Android version, or an outage in the app’s own service. If several apps remain broken after component updates, restart the phone, update the affected apps, and seek help from the app developer or device manufacturer.
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- 6600mAh Giant Battery & 45W Ultra Fast Charge – Built-in 6600mAh high-capacity durable battery supports all-day long-lasting battery life, easily meeting heavy usage needs of gaming, video playback and outdoor travel. 45W ultra-fast charging technology greatly shortens charging time, quickly replenishes power and eliminates low-battery anxiety for daily use.
- Powerful Dimensity 6300 5G Processor – Adopts MediaTek Dimensity 6300 high-performance 5G chip, with optimized operation algorithm and excellent heat dissipation performance. It ensures stable and smooth running of daily office apps, social software and mainstream mobile games, while supporting 5G full-network fast connection for ultra-fast downloading and network surfing.
- 50MP AI Dual Camera System – Comes with a 50MP high-definition rear main camera and 5MP front selfie camera. The intelligent AI imaging algorithm optimizes light, color and details automatically, enabling clear and vivid photos in bright daylight or low-light night environment. It supports portrait mode, panorama and multiple shooting modes to record wonderful moments easily.
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What changed after the incident?
In April 2021, Google described work to improve WebView testing and distribution, including a mechanism intended to return WebView to a known-good state if a serious fault escaped testing, as well as faster Play Store updates for Chrome and WebView. 9to5Google’s report covered those plans.
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