How to Fix System UI Not Responding on Android

The "system UI not responding" is one of the many error messages that Android users face. You would think that with Android gaining more and more users, Android developers would fix such errors, but they don't; old errors are still there across all Android devices, and new errors are popping up. 

Users of Android can only resort to all the available methods of fixing any error that pop us. Here, we will discuss the "system UI not responding" Android error; we will understand what causes the error and how you can fix it. 
 

What Causes the System UI Not Responding Error?

Android users who have recently downloaded the new OS of Android have reported running into this error; some others reported that after downloading some apps from places other than Google Play Store, they had faced this error.

However, there are many other reasons, including:

1. A virus or malware might have affected the SD card.
2. A conflict might have arisen in the software.
3. Your device's memory or storage space may be insufficient.
4. There might be some missing or corrupt system files. 
5. If your device has been rooted, this might be what's causing the error.
    

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How to Fix the System UI Not Responding Error

There are a few methods you can follow to fix this error. We will go over them all step-by-step. 

Restart your device

The first thing you need to think of if your device runs into the "system UI not responding" error, or any other error, is to restart it. You do so by pressing and holding the power button until the option for "reboot" appears > press on it, and your device will restart. 

Another way of doing this is pressing and holding the power button simultaneously with the volume up button. The screen will then go dark; wait a few seconds and turn on your device by pressing and holding the power button. 

If the error persists, move to the next method. 
 

Remove all widgets from your home screen

Widgets are like shortcuts you take to access certain apps or certain actions in those apps. Widgets are generally harmless, but sometimes they can cause errors, like the "system UI not responding" error. If you remove them from your home screen, the error should be gone. 

To remove the, all you have to do is simply to press and hold the widget and drag it to the X that is located on top of the screen. After you remove all widgets from the home screen, you need to reboot your device. Refer to the section above to learn how to reboot your Android device. 
 

Check the internal memory

As mentioned before, insufficient storage space can cause the "system UI not responding" error to arise; you have to make sure your device's memory is more than 500 MB free. 

If you want to check your device's memory, go to Settings > Memory and Storage. If you see that the storage is anything less than 500 MB, then you need to start clearing the storage; you do this by deleting big files that are taking up most of the space, like videos, photos (like screenshots), and apps that you are not using anymore. You can store all these files on an SD card, your computer, or a hard disk; this way, you will keep the internal memory of your phone free.

You should also make sure to clear the Google app cache; caching data from apps (like System UI, Play Store, etc.) can clog your memory, slow down your phone, and cause errors. 

Go to Settings > Storage > Internal Storage > Apps >  tap Show System > click Clear Cache. 

By the end of clearing your internal memory, if the error still is not gone, move to the next method. 
 

Make sure all of your apps are updated

Outdated programs, software, OS, apps -or really, anything that is outdated- always bring issues and errors. The "system UI not responding" error is one example of the many errors caused by outdated apps. 

This is how you can update all of your apps:

1. The first thing you need to do is go to Google Play Store.
2. At the top-left corner > click on the three lines to open the menu.
3. From the drop-down menu > click on My apps & games.
4. You will now see a list of all of the apps that are installed on your device; you can either click on Update All or you can choose to update them individually.
    

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Reset app preferences

On Android, if you have two apps that are designed for the same purpose, you can set one of them as the default. This way, you will not have to choose which one of them is to perform a certain action every single time.

For example, photos can be opened either with the Google Photos app or with the Gallery. It would be a hassle to be asked which one you want to open a photo with every time you press on one. To select a program as default, all you have to do is press on "Always" so you never get asked again. This here is what we mean when we say "app preferences." 

App preferences can cause the "system UI not responding" error to happen. And resetting app preferences can fix the error. This is how you can reset the app preferences:

1. Go to Settings > Applications.
2. Press Reset app preferences > confirm by clicking Reset.
3. This will clear all app settings.

The error should be gone by now. If not, there is a chance your SD card is damaged; in this case, you will have to replace it with a new one. As a last resort, you can do a factory reset to your Android device.
 

Do a factory reset

If none of the previous methods works, you can do a factory reset. However, keep in mind that if you perform the reset, you will lose everything on your device; so make sure to back up everything before taking this step. 

Here is how you can do a factory reset:

1. Go to Settings > scroll down and click on Backup and reset.
2. Select Factory data reset? Reset device.
3. Click Erase everything. 
4. This will delete everything on your phone. You will then need to reboot the device.