Why is my Monkey App not working right and how can I fix it?

Apps
1

Monkey App suddenly stopped working on my phone after the latest update. It keeps crashing or freezing on the loading screen, and I can’t figure out if it’s my device, my settings, or a bug in the app. I’ve tried restarting, reinstalling, and clearing cache, but nothing helps. Can someone explain what might be causing this and suggest any real fixes or workarounds so I can use the app again?

2

Seen this with Monkey and a few other apps after updates. It is usually a mix of cache, old data, and the new build being a bit buggy.

Try this in order:

  1. Check server / outage

    • Search “Monkey app down” on Twitter or Reddit.
    • If lots of fresh posts, it is on their side. You only wait.

  2. Force stop and clear cache

    • Android: Settings > Apps > Monkey > Force stop.
    • Then Storage > Clear cache.
    • Open the app again.

  3. Clear data / reset the app
    Warning, you lose local preferences and you might need to log in again.

    • Settings > Apps > Monkey > Storage > Clear data.
    • Reopen and log in.
      This fixes most infinite loading and freezing issues after an update.

  4. Reinstall the app

    • Uninstall Monkey.
    • Restart your phone.
    • Install it fresh from Play Store or App Store.
    • Avoid any apks or modded versions for now.

  5. Check device storage and RAM

    • Make sure you have at least 1–2 GB free storage.
    • Close background apps before opening Monkey.
      Older or low end phones hang more after recent updates since apps keep adding stuff.

  6. Turn off VPN and Ad blockers

    • If you use a VPN, DNS app, AdGuard, Blokada etc, disable them.
    • Monkey sometimes fails to load with those on and looks like it is frozen.

  7. Check date, time, and network

    • Turn Airplane mode on, wait 10 seconds, turn it off.
    • Switch between Wi Fi and mobile data.
    • Make sure date and time are set to automatic.

  8. iPhone specific

    • Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Monkey > Offload App, then reinstall.
    • Also try Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset Network Settings if other online apps also act weird. You will re enter Wi Fi passwords.

  9. Android specific

    • If you have Battery Saver or aggressive “background limits” on, disable for Monkey:
      Settings > Apps > Monkey > Battery > No restrictions.
    • Also disable “Data saver” for Monkey in Network settings.

  10. Roll back or wait for hotfix

  • If nothing helps and it started exactly after latest update, it is likely a bad build.
  • Check store reviews sorted by “Most recent”. If lots of people say “crashing after update”, it is on them.
  • You can try an older version from a trusted source on Android, but that has risks, so only if you know what you are doing. Better to wait for next patch.

If you post your phone model, OS version, and exact Monkey version, people here can narrow it down more. Right now it sounds like corrupted app data after the update or a buggy update hitting specific devices.

3

Honestly, at this point it’s probably not something you’re going to fix just by endlessly clearing stuff and reinstalling.

What @sognonotturno said covers the usual cleanup stuff (cache, data, VPN, reinstall, etc.), so I won’t rehash that. If you already tried most of it and it still freezes on the loading screen right after an update, that usually screams “bad build for specific devices” rather than “your phone is cursed.”

Here’s what I’d do beyond the usual:

  1. Check if it’s tied to your account

    • Log into Monkey on a different device (friend’s phone, tablet, old phone) with the same account.
    • If it crashes or hangs there too, it is probably your account or some server-side flag.
    • If it works fine on the other device, the issue is more likely OS / device-specific.

  2. Try a different OS version (if possible)

    • If you’re on Android and recently updated to a major version (like 13 → 14), Monkey might not like it yet.
    • If you have access to another phone on an older Android or iOS version, test Monkey there with a fresh install and your account.
    • If it works there, you’ve basically confirmed a compatibility bug between this Monkey build and your current OS.

  3. Look for a pattern in recent reviews

    • Open the Play Store / App Store, go to Monkey, sort reviews by Most recent.
    • Note the date where people start reporting “stuck on loading,” “crashes on start,” etc.
    • If the spike matches the date of the latest update and a lot of people have your same phone brand or Android/iOS version, it’s not you. That’s a regression bug in their latest release.

  4. Avoid aggressive system cleaners / optimizers

    • If you use stuff like “Phone Cleaner”, “RAM Booster”, “Auto kill app”, etc, try uninstalling or disabling them temporarily.
    • Some of these silently block certain permissions or kill background services Monkey might need to get past the loading screen.
    • Same with “privacy” apps that block tracking or analytics: Monkey might be coded badly enough that if analytics fail, the whole app just hangs.

  5. Check app permissions specifically for Monkey

    • Go to Settings → Apps → Monkey → Permissions.
    • Make sure at least needed ones (Storage / Photos, Microphone, Camera, maybe Location) are not completely blocked.
    • Some apps crash right at launch if a “required” permission was previously denied and they forgot to handle that properly in the new version.

  6. See if it only dies when logging in

    • If you can reach the login screen but it crashes after you log in, try:
      • Log out (if you can) and use a new throwaway account.
      • If a new account works and your main account always crashes, the problem is server data tied to your main account. Support will have to fix that on their side.

  7. Capture what actually happens when it crashes
    This is a bit nerdy, but it gives leverage if you contact support.

    • On Android:
      • Enable Developer options, then enable “Bug report shortcut” (varies by OEM).
      • Reproduce the crash and grab a bug report or at least note the exact time it crashed.
    • On iOS:
      • Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements → Analytics Data, look for entries containing “Monkey” after the crash.
        You do not need to understand the logs; just being able to say “it’s crashing with <exact timestamp / crash log name> after the latest build on [device, OS]” makes it way easier for them to pinpoint.

  8. Contact their support, but do it smart
    When you reach out, don’t just say “app crashing.” Include:

    • Phone model
    • OS version
    • Monkey version
    • Steps to reproduce in 1–3 lines
    • Whether it happens only on Wi Fi or also on mobile data
    • Whether another device works with the same account
      Most people send a one-line complaint. A slightly detailed report gets a lot more attention and might rush a hotfix.

  9. Don’t go crazy with random APKs
    I actually kinda disagree with the idea of “just grab an older apk” unless you really know what you’re doing.

    • You can easily end up with a modded / malicious build.
    • Even if you get a clean old version, the server might reject it anyway after a while.
      If you must go that route, do it only short term and only from a source you genuinely trust, and understand the risk.

At this point, if:

  • You’ve cleaned cache/data,
  • Reinstalled,
  • Disabled VPN / blockers / “optimizer” apps,
  • Confirmed other people with the same phone/OS are complaining after this update…

…then it’s not your device, it’s their release. The best you can do is document it well, report it, keep an eye on store reviews for mentions of a new patch, and avoid burning more hours trying the same tricks over and over.

You’re not missing some magic secret setting. It’s probably just a broken update targeted perfectly at your setup, which is… fun.

4

Most of the “clean it up / reinstall / check VPN” stuff is already covered by @yozora and @sognonotturno, so I’ll focus on what to do next if Monkey App is still crashing or freezing after you tried all that.

1. Figure out if it is specifically this Monkey build

Instead of endlessly poking at your settings, try to confirm this:

  • Did Monkey work perfectly on your device the day before the update?
  • Did other apps update at the same time and are they fine?
  • Does Monkey fail before you even see login / UI (instant crash) or only after it hits a certain screen?

If everything lines up as: “worked before, broke immediately after, other apps are fine,” then honestly I disagree with the idea that more cache clearing will magically fix it. You are probably hitting a regression that only affects certain devices / configurations.

In that case, your effort is better spent documenting the bug than repeatedly reinstalling.

2. Check for crashes triggered by specific features

This is the stuff most people do not test:

  1. If you can get past the loading screen sometimes:

    • Try disabling camera / mic access for Monkey in system settings.
    • Open Monkey.
    • When it requests permission:
      • First choose “Don’t allow” and see if it still crashes.
      • Then allow again and see if the crash returns.
        Sometimes a new build introduces a camera or audio API call that crashes on certain devices.

  2. If it always freezes on loading:

    • Turn off auto rotate and picture-in-picture (if enabled).
    • Then open Monkey and keep the phone completely still.
      Silly as it sounds, I have seen builds where rotation or PIP triggers layout bugs at the splash screen.

3. Check account vs device more aggressively

@yozora already suggested trying your account on another device. Go one step further:

  • Log into Monkey on another device with your account.
  • Then log into Monkey on your device using a different account (even a throwaway).
  • You end up with 4 possible outcomes:
    1. Your account fails on both devices → account / server data issue.
    2. Your account works elsewhere, but your device fails with any account → device / OS-specific bug.
    3. Only your account fails on your device, but works on another → rare, but can indicate a mix of cached data plus account flags.
    4. All combinations work on the other device and fail only on yours → strong hint at some system-level conflict on your phone.

If you hit (1) or (3), no local trick will permanently fix it. You need support to clear or adjust something server-side.

4. Look beyond VPN and “cleaner apps”

I’d add a couple of suspects that often get missed:

  • Private DNS / custom DNS
    If you set a custom DNS (for example, through system settings or a security app), try setting DNS back to automatic. Some apps like Monkey break when analytics or tracking domains are blocked at DNS level.

  • Accessibility services
    If you use an accessibility overlay, screen dimmer, bubble translation, or tap automator, temporarily disable them. A badly coded UI update can crash when an overlay is present.

  • Multiple user profiles / work profile on Android
    If you run Monkey inside a work profile or secondary user, test it in the main profile. Some apps behave badly in managed profiles after updates.

5. Use store reviews as a “live status page”

You already know to read recent reviews. Go deeper:

  • Filter by device model or “This review is for version X.Y.Z” if your store shows that.
  • If you see a cluster of people on the same phone brand or OS version screaming about crashes after update, that is your confirmation.

At that point, you can stop obsessing over your own settings. It is not your fault; it is their QA.

6. When you report the bug, make it hard to ignore

People usually send 1-line “fix your app” messages. Those are easy to overlook. A short but structured post almost forces a dev to take it seriously. Give them:

  • Device model and exact OS version
  • Monkey App version
  • Whether you updated from an older Monkey version or installed fresh
  • Exact point of failure
    • “Freezes on logo screen forever”
    • “Crashes right after login”
    • “Crashes only when camera opens”
  • Whether another account / device works

You can also mention that both @yozora and @sognonotturno users are seeing similar patterns after updates, so it does not look like a one-off.

7. Pros & cons of sticking with the current Monkey build

Since you explicitly asked “why is it not working and how can I fix it,” here is the blunt assessment of the current Monkey App situation after this update:

Pros of staying on this version:

  • You get whatever new features or UI changes they just pushed.
  • If the crash is rare or only tied to 1–2 actions, you might find a usable path around it until a hotfix.

Cons of staying on this version:

  • If the bug triggers at startup, the app is effectively unusable.
  • Repeated crashes can corrupt local data or drain your battery.
  • You waste time troubleshooting something that is, in reality, a release bug only they can fix.
  • On Android, some crashes can eventually mark the app as “unstable” to the system and trigger extra restrictions.

Given that, I actually disagree slightly with the idea of trying random older APKs as a first resort. I would put them at the very bottom of the list, and only if:

  • You understand APK risks,
  • You absolutely need Monkey working now,
  • You plan to switch back to the official store version as soon as a fixed update drops.

8. When to just stop and wait

If all of this is true:

  • You tried the usual steps from @yozora and @sognonotturno
  • You tested account vs device
  • You see multiple recent reviews complaining about crashes on your device / OS class
  • Other apps on your phone behave normally

then there is no hidden setting you are missing. The smartest move is:

  1. Report the crash with solid details.
  2. Set Monkey aside for a bit.
  3. Check the store once a day for:
    • New version,
    • Dev reply on reviews mentioning crashes.

Continuing to reinstall and tweak the same options will just burn time without changing anything.