My files app is the doorway to accessing all the files on your Samsung smartphone or tablet. Without it, you won’t be able to access files on your device. Yes, you can indeed download a third-party file manager to access and manage your files. However, nobody wants to let a third-party app get access to their private and sensitive data.

That being said, many users have reported on the Samsung community that the My Files app started crashing suddenly. The error that many of them have experienced was “Unfortunately, My Files has stopped.” Some have just reported the My Files app crashing without prompting any error.

Does your Samsung My Files app keep crashing? Then, read this guide to know why it happens and how you can solve it.

Note: This guide is for any Samsung user who uses a Samsung Android device.

Editor’s note: We created these instructions using a Samsung Galaxy S22 running Android 12. Depending on your device’s software version, some steps and menu positions may look slightly different.

Why Samsung My Files App Keep Crashing?

There could be one or a few possible reasons for Samsung My Files App’s crashing issue. Let’s take a look at them first.

1. The My Files app has issues

If the My Files app is not opening or is giving you the “Unfortunately, My Files has stopped” error, this could mean that there is a problem within the app itself. This can be a caching issue or because of corrupted data that makes the app defective.

2. Recently installed software update

Another reason could be the recently updated software on your Samsung device. Software updates are meant to improve the performance and reduce problems. But unfortunately, users have reported that the My Files app has begun crashing after the Android 12 update. 

3. Third-party apps

There are some third-party apps that can revoke access to the My Files app and cause it to crash. If you have installed such an app on your Samsung device, it might be the reason why the My Files app is not working.

4. System cache

As you might know, the Android system on your smartphone or tablet builds up cache data when you use the system and other third-party apps. If the cached data gets corrupted or outdated (because of a software update), it can cause apps to malfunction. 

Fix 01: Clear My Files App Cache

Problems within the My Files app can be easily fixed by clearing its cache. When you clear its cache, it will generate new cache data once you open the app, fixing the issue.

Here is how you can clear the cache of the My Files app:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap on Apps.
3. Scroll down and tap on the My Files app. If it’s not visible, then tap on the filter button and toggle on “Show system apps” option (see the image below)

4. Tap on Storage or Manage storage

4. Tap on Force stop, then Clear cache button
5. Restart the app (Reopen it)

Fix 02: Clear My Files App Data

If clearing the cache of My files didn’t work, you can remove its data to see if it works to fix the crashing issue. 

1. Go to Settings > Apps > My files
2. Tap on Clear data
3. Restart the app

Fix 03: Check For Updates For Samsung My Files App

Samsung usually releases bug fixes and stability improvements as updates to its system apps. You can check these updates on both the Galaxy Store as well as Google Play Store.

1. Go to Google Play Store or Galaxy Store
2. Search for Samsung My Files
3. Download and install if there is any update available

Fix 04: Enable Samsung Core Services

If you have accidentally disabled this service from your Samsung device, then some system apps will not work, and the My Files app is in that list.

Therefore, you have to re-enable the service as you disabled it. One way is to do that by using the ADB shell, the other is by using the app to disable it.

Check this guide on how you can enable Samsung Core Services using the ADB shell.

Fix 05: Clear Cache

Once you did the Fix 01 and 02, you have successfully fixed the app-related issues. If you still get the My files crashing, you can troubleshoot the software that causes the problem.

First, let’s clear the cache of your Samsung device by booting your device into recovery mode. Follow the below steps:

1. Power off your device;
2. Press and hold the power button + volume up button together. If the Android version of your device is 13, then you need to plug the USB cable into a power source first;
3. Once you see the recovery menu, release the keys;
4. Use volume buttons to navigate to “Wipe cache data”;
5. Then press the power button;
6. Now you will get a prompt to confirm;
7. Select Yes and press the power button again; and
8. Once it is completed, you will get the recovery menu again. Navigate to “Reboot device now” and press the power button to restart your device.

After your device gets restarted, open the My Files app and see if it works.

Fix 06: Use Google File Manager App

There is still one solution you can do which is resetting your Samsung device entirely (factory data reset). Since it is a bit of a tedious task (especially backing up and restoring the data), we thought it would be better to introduce an alternative to the My Files app.

Google File Manager can be trusted among other third-party file managers out there, therefore, you can choose it as your default file manager and say goodbye to the My Files app. If you like to do that, then follow these steps:

1. Open Google Play Store and search for Files by Google
2. Download the app
3. Go to Settings > Apps
4. Tap on default apps (for some devices, this could be found by tapping the top right corner)
5. From the list, tap on File Manager
6. Select Files by Google as the default file manager

Now, you are good to go!

Note: If you can’t find the default app option for the File Manager, then go to My Files app in settings and reset the defaults, uninstall updates and unauthorized My files from write system settings, and draw over other apps.

Final Fix: Do a Factory Data Reset

If none of the above-mentioned solutions worked, then it is likely a bug in the Android system. The last resort to fix this is by resetting your Samsung device to its factory default.

Doing this will wipe out all the data on your Smartphone/tablet. This means that you need to take a backup first before you reset your device. 

If you don’t know how to do that, check our guide on how to back up and restore the data on your Samsung smartphone.

Once you are ready, do the following:

1. Turn off the device
2. Boot it into recovery mode
3. Navigate to “Wipe data/Factory reset” and press the power button

4. Confirm the factory data reset
5. Wait until the reset is completed

Once it is completed, you can set up the device and see if the My Files app is working.

Wrapping Up

There was a hidden problem that suddenly popped up in the Samsung community after the Android 12 update. We noticed that it has been marked as unsolved so we further researched the community to find if there are similar issues about this that were reported before. That is the reason why we decided to take this problem and come up with the most possible and successful solutions. 

We hope this guide helped you fix the My Files app crashing issue. If you have any questions regarding this guide, the comment section is all yours.

Have a nice day!