7 ways to fix the Reddit app when it's not working, including clearing the app cache

If the Reddit app on your smartphone isn't working, you can usually fix it by force-restarting the app or your phone.

• If the Reddit app on your smartphone isn't working, you can usually fix it by force-restarting the app.
• Other fixes include clearing the Reddit app's cache, logging out of your account, and even reinstalling it.
• Restarting your phone can also get the Reddit app working again.
• Visit Insider's Tech Reference library for more stories.

Over the last few years, Reddit has put a lot of effort into advertising its official mobile app. And it makes sense — the official Reddit app is a pretty fantastic way to browse the website.

But like most apps, the Reddit app doesn't always work perfectly. Maybe images aren't loading, or your notifications aren't showing up, or you can't leave comments. Whatever the issue, there are a few different ways to get the app running smoothly again.

Here are seven ways to fix the Reddit app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device when it's not working.

Force-restart the Reddit app

The simplest fix is also the best.

When you close the Reddit app, it doesn't actually shut down — it keeps running in the background. This means that any glitch the app has encountered will keep running too. To fix this, you'll need to fully close the app and start it up again. 

To do this on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, swipe up slowly from the bottom of the screen to open the App Switcher. Once it's open, swipe up on the Reddit window to send it flying off the screen.

Wait a moment, then open the Reddit app again. It should be refreshed and ready to use.

Restart your device

There's a chance that the issue is coming from your phone or tablet, not the Reddit app. In this case, you should restart your device. Restarting will not only refresh every app on the device, but also your device's own hardware and software. 

This means that if your device is having issues displaying pictures or connecting to the internet, for example, restarting it will jumpstart whatever components are causing the issue.

You can restart an iPhone or iPad by holding down the Power and Volume Up buttons. When a slider appears at the top of the screen, swipe it to the right. Once the device turns off, hold the Power button down to start it up again.

To restart an Android device, just hold down the Power button. When a menu appears on screen, select Power off or Restart. 

Check your internet connection

The Reddit app needs a stable internet connection to load anything, especially pictures and videos. If you're using a spotty signal, the app might stop responding altogether.

Try getting closer to your Wi-Fi router, or connect to a different internet signal. If you're using Wi-Fi, you might want to try using mobile internet data instead. Even if you already have a strong signal, sometimes changing connections can kickstart the app and get it working again.

If you're trying to connect from someplace with restricted internet access — a school or library, for example — there's also a chance that Reddit has been blocked. If this is the case, you'll definitely need to find a new internet connection.

Log out of your account

It's rare, but apps like Reddit can occasionally lose their connection with your account. This usually ends with the app freezing, since it can't figure out whether you're a real user or not. If none of the other troubleshooting steps have worked, this might be your issue.

To fix this, open the app and tap your profile icon in the top-right corner. Tap your username, and when the Accounts pop-up appears, tap the arrow-in-a-box icon to the right of your username and then Log out. 

Once you're logged out, you can tap the profile icon in the top-right to log back in.

Clear the Reddit app's cache

Every app has its own "cache," which is a space that it uses to store data that it'll need to use again in the future. This is why images that you've already seen can load instantly when you see them again — their data was stored in the cache.

But while caches have a lot of upside, they also come with downsides. For example: If the Reddit app runs into corrupted data and stores it in the cache, it can cause all sorts of problems. This can also happen if the app tries to load data that's not supposed to exist anymore, like from a deleted post.

Luckily, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices all let you clear your app cache. The method to do it differs between devices, though.

On an iPhone or iPad, the only way to clear Reddit's cache is to delete or offload the app. You can offload the app by opening Settings, tapping General, then iPhone Storage, and then Reddit. Once you've done either, reinstall the app, and the cache will be cleared.

On an Android, open Settings and tap Storage, and then Apps. Select Reddit from the list, and then tap Clear cache.

Check Reddit's server status

There's also the possibility that the problem's not coming from the app or your phone. Instead, the problem could be coming directly from Reddit's servers.

If the Reddit servers are down, you're not going to be able to use either the app or website. And no matter how many times you restart the app, you won't be able to fix the problem. You'll just have to wait for Reddit's internal teams to get things running again.

Reddit maintains a server status page, which tracks outages and lets users know if anything is broken. Check this page if the app suddenly stops working and you can't fix it.

Reinstall the app

This can be an annoying step, but it may be the only thing you can do to fix the Reddit app if nothing else has worked. 

Uninstalling Reddit and reinstalling it will clear out every bit of data, making sure that any corrupted or outdated bits get replaced. It'll also give you the newest updates, which can often come with bug fixes.

You can uninstall Reddit on an iPhone or iPad by holding your finger down on the icon, selecting Remove App, and then Delete App. Once it's gone, reinstall the app from the App Store.

On an Android, hold your finger down on the Reddit app icon until a pop-up menu appears, then tap the i icon. When the app's info page appears, tap the Uninstall option. Once you've deleted it, download it again from the Play Store.