Gboard is the default keyboard installed on most Android devices and chances are you might have come across the following message: “Unfortunately Gboard has stopped”. Let’s take a look at solutions to get rid of this error.
Force Stop and Restart
The most common reasons tend to be either faulty cache or an in-app bug. There is a chance it is due to a device malfunction—however, this is very unlikely.
If your app is misbehaving, a quick solution is to force stop the app. Force stop allows us to kill the running app, stopping it from accessing any of its cache files. Follow the below steps to force stop your app.
Go to Settings. Select Apps & notifications > See all X apps. Select Gboard then tap Force Stop.
If this doesn’t get rid of the error, try restarting your device before moving on to another solution. Restarting shuts down all running processes, so if the error is due to any conflict, it will get rid of it.
Disable and Re-Enable Gboard From Keyboard Settings
If you use multiple keyboards and switch between them frequently, whether it be for emojis or writing assistance, this can cause bugs to occur.
This is especially the case if your smartphone is an older model. To make sure any conflicts are removed, you should disable and re-enable the Gboard keyboard from the keyboard settings. To do so, follow the below steps.
Go to Settings. Select System > Languages. Select Virtual keyboard. Select Manage keyboards. Disable and re-enable Gboard.
Please note that if you don’t use multiple keyboards, this option will not be available to you.
Clear the Cache and Data
A faulty cache tends to be the leading cause of a lot of bugs. This is because your apps rely on information within the cache to run and if they cannot access it, the app will present an error message.
Clearing the cache helps erase it and leaves you with a blank slate. Here is how to clear your cache for the Gboard app:
Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all X apps. Select Gboard. Tap Force Stop to kill the application. Select Storage & cache and tap Clear cache.
Now that the cache is empty, try typing and see if the error has disappeared.
If deleting the cache doesn’t help, then try removing the Gboard app’s data files. A faulty backup could have caused some files to be damaged, so clearing the data will help get rid of any such data. You don’t have to worry about losing any data as your Gboard data is synced to your Google account, so it will automatically be restored.
Follow the same list of steps as above, but select Clear storage this time. If the error persists, move on to the next solution.
Update the Gboard App
If none of the above solutions have worked out so far, then the issue is not on your end. It is most likely a bug in the app, so you should check the Play Store for any updates. While updates are rigorously tested for bugs, the odd one tends to slip out.
If no update is available, then you should submit a bug report and try uninstalling the latest update from your phone. To do so, navigate to the Gboard app and tap the three-dot menu to access the Uninstall updates option.
If this doesn’t help, we recommend using another keyboard app until Google releases a new update. For help, you can check out our guide on how to change your keyboard.
Type Away to Your Heart’s Content
Not being able to type is an inconvenience most people don’t ever imagine happening. Hopefully, this guide has managed to resolve your error, allowing you to go back to your stress-free typing lifestyle.
