Crash/Freeze Fortnite

Fortnite Mobile Queue Crash - Investigation & Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-06 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-06 👥 Reports: 15 ⚡ Severity: 🟡 Medium

🎯 Quick Answer

The primary solution is to clear the Fortnite application cache and data, then perform a clean reinstall of the game client on your mobile device.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The investigated issue is an application crash on mobile platforms that occurs specifically during the matchmaking queue process. The crash triggers when the client attempts to transition from the lobby state to the matchmaking state, resulting in a forced termination of the application. This error affects the iOS and Android versions of Fortnite. The issue manifests in the current live build version following a recent game update. This is a common occurrence post-update, with a high frequency of reports from the affected platform user base. The severity is classified as game-breaking, as it prevents the core gameplay loop of joining a match. No specific error code is presented to the user; the application terminates without a diagnostic message.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application terminates abruptly upon the user initiating the "Ready Up" or "Play" command to enter a matchmaking queue. The crash occurs during the handshake between the client and the matchmaking service, before the loading screen appears. The user interface becomes unresponsive for 1-2 seconds, followed by the immediate closure of the Fortnite application. The device's operating system then displays the home screen or app switcher. On some Android devices, a system dialog may appear stating "Fortnite has stopped." The application must be manually relaunched from the device's home screen or app drawer.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: Corrupted local game cache or asset data from a previous update conflicts with new matchmaking protocols. Why this causes the problem: The client loads invalid or outdated queue-state assets, causing a memory access violation when the new matchmaking logic executes. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Incorrect or conflicting graphics settings persisted from a previous version that are incompatible with the updated rendering pipeline during queue transitions. Why this causes the problem: The engine attempts to apply unsupported rendering presets during the pre-match loading phase, triggering a fatal exception. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated or incompatible device operating system (OS) frameworks that the updated game engine relies upon for network connectivity during matchmaking. Why this causes the problem: The game's network library calls an OS function that is deprecated or implemented differently, leading to a crash. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: Insufficient free RAM on the device to accommodate the increased memory footprint of the new matchmaking and pre-loading routines. Why this causes the problem: The memory allocation request for the queue process fails, causing the application to terminate due to an out-of-memory error. Category: Network Problem Specific technical explanation: Aggressive network timeout settings in the client conflicting with slower DNS resolution on certain mobile networks when contacting matchmaking servers. Why this causes the problem: The client's network thread crashes after failing to establish a connection within a hard-coded timeout period during the queue initialization.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Clear Application Cache and Data

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: None Steps:

Navigate to the device's Settings application.
Select "Apps" or "Application Manager."
Locate and select "Fortnite" from the list of installed applications.
Select "Storage."
Tap "Clear Cache." Wait for the operation to complete.
Tap "Clear Data" or "Manage Storage" > "Clear All Data." Confirm the action.
Restart the mobile device completely.
Launch Fortnite and log in again. The client will redownload necessary assets.

Technical Explanation: This removes corrupted temporary files and resets the application's local configuration to its default state, eliminating conflicts caused by outdated cache. Verification: The application launches without prior settings and allows the user to proceed to the lobby. Attempt to queue for a match; the transition should proceed to the loading screen.

Solution 2: Perform a Clean Reinstall

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 15-20 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Stable internet connection for re-download. Steps:

On the device home screen, press and hold the Fortnite application icon.
Select "Uninstall" or drag the icon to the uninstall option.
Confirm the complete removal of the application.
Power off the device completely for 30 seconds, then power it back on.
Open the official app store (Google Play Store or Apple App Store).
Search for "Fortnite" and install the official application.
Launch Fortnite and log in with your credentials. Allow all asset downloads to complete.

Technical Explanation: A clean reinstall ensures all game files, including core binaries and configuration scripts, are at the correct version and integrity, replacing any corrupted or partially updated files. Verification: The installed application version in the settings menu matches the latest live build. Queueing for a match no longer causes an application termination.

Solution 3: Update Device Operating System

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Device battery above 50% and connection to Wi-Fi. Steps:

Open the device's Settings application.
Navigate to "System" > "System Update" (Android) or "General" > "Software Update" (iOS).
Tap "Check for updates."
If an update is available, download and install it. The device will restart.
After the device reboots, ensure Fortnite is closed, then launch it fresh.

Technical Explanation: Game updates often require the latest OS frameworks and security patches. An outdated OS may lack the specific APIs or libraries the new game code calls during matchmaking. Verification: Confirm the OS build number in settings is the latest available from the manufacturer/carrier. The crash during the queue action should be resolved.

Solution 4: Disable Background Processes and Battery Optimization

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 7 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None Steps:

Open device Settings and go to "Battery" or "Power Management."
Locate "Battery Optimization" or "Adaptive Battery."
Find Fortnite in the application list and set it to "Don't optimize" or "No restrictions."
Return to the main Settings and go to "Apps" > "Fortnite."
Select "Mobile Data" and ensure "Allow background data usage" is enabled.
Close all other running applications from the app switcher before launching Fortnite.

Technical Explanation: Aggressive battery optimization can prematurely suspend network threads or memory processes the game requires during the queue handshake, causing a crash. Verification: With optimization disabled, the game maintains consistent performance during the queue transition without being throttled or suspended by the OS.

Solution 5: Verify Network Stability and DNS

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Access to Wi-Fi settings. Steps:

Disconnect from the current Wi-Fi network.
For a cellular connection, enable Airplane Mode for 15 seconds, then disable it.
For Wi-Fi, restart your router.
Reconnect to the network.
On the device, go to Settings > "Wi-Fi," tap the connected network, and select "Forget."
Rejoin the network, entering the password again.
As an advanced step, change the device's DNS to a public server like Google DNS (8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1) in the network's advanced IP settings.

Technical Explanation: Unstable connections or slow DNS can cause the matchmaking handshake to fail. A fresh connection and reliable DNS ensure stable communication with Epic Games servers. Verification: Network latency and packet loss are reduced. The game connects to matchmaking services more reliably, preventing timeouts that lead to crashes.

Solution 6: Factory Reset Device (Last Resort)

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 60+ minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Full backup of all personal data. Steps:

Back up all critical data (photos, contacts, etc.) to cloud storage or a computer.
Open Settings and navigate to "System" > "Reset options."
Select "Erase all data (factory reset)."
Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm and initiate the reset. The device will reboot.
Set up the device as new, update the OS to the latest version immediately.
Install Fortnite from the official app store as the first or only application.

Technical Explanation: This eliminates all system-level software conflicts, corrupted OS files, and incompatible third-party applications that may interfere with the game's operation. Verification: The device is in a clean state. After installing Fortnite, the queue crash error is resolved, confirming a deep-seated software conflict was the cause.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

To prevent recurrence, maintain a regular schedule for clearing the Fortnite application cache after every major game update. Configure the device to automatically install OS updates overnight when connected to power and Wi-Fi. Avoid modifying device developer options or installing performance-tuning applications that alter system memory management. Monitor available device storage, ensuring at least 10GB of free space is maintained for game assets and temporary files. Before installing any Fortnite update, manually close all background applications to ensure clean file deployment.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Epic Games Support if all solutions fail and the crash persists on a device with a fully updated OS and after a clean reinstall. Provide the exact device model, OS version, and Fortnite build number. Include the approximate time of the crash and your geographic region. Official support channels are accessible via the Epic Games Help page. Diagnostic log files, if accessible through device developer tools, should be included in the support ticket to expedite investigation.