How to Fix Common eBay App Problems: 9 Solutions

If you’ve never used eBay before, it’s a great way to either scrounge up some extra cash, or get your hands on something hard to find. Using eBay on a desktop works most of the time, but once you move the experience over to Android it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. The app itself has a few problems that have yet to be fixed.

Some of these problems range from small annoyances, to issues that make using the app not worth the hassle. The steps to fix each problem are pretty similar, so I’d like to outline what you’ll run into first, and then show you how to resolve it. You may not have run into all of the problems I’m covering before, but I’m sure the solutions will help.

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The common eBay app problems

No app is perfect, no matter the platform, so the eBay app isn’t any exception to the rule. The app isn’t a complete buggy mess, but it does have some issues I need to address that get in the way of buying, selling, and even browsing.

1. Disappearing Cart Items

Have you ever added something to your cart, only to see it vanish when you go back to check on it? Nine times out of ten, this isn’t because the auction ended, or you were sniped at the last second, but because of the app itself.

As annoying as the problem is, it’s usually solved by adding the item again. If this still doesn’t get the item to appear, then please follow the troubleshooting direction I’ve put down below.

2. Followed Collections and Items Won’t Update

The whole point of following a collection or a specific item is so you can keep it in the back of your mind, and see any change in an instant. If this doesn’t update, it invalidates the whole process.

Not counting the troubleshooting steps below, removing a collection or an item from your watchlist, and then adding it again is a quick way to solve the problem. If this doesn’t work, there are always other steps to try below.

3. Notification Settings Won’t Save

I check my apps enough to not want notifications bugging me every five minutes, so I always make sure most of mine are turned off. Unfortunately, the eBay app doesn’t always save these settings (most of the time because it crashed on me while I’m messing with them).

Unfortunately, other than following the extra steps I’ve put below, all you can do is keep trying to make the notifications stick. Something I’ve noticed that helps is to enter the notifications menu, not change anything, back out, and then go back in to make your changes.

This isn’t guaranteed to work, but I’ve noticed I crash much less often if I do it this way.

4. Random Crashes

While I’m on the topic of crashes, I’ve had the eBay app crash far more than it should. To put it simply, it’s not hard to get a screenshot of what the crash message looks like.

This happens in the settings menu, when selling an item, when buying an item, and even when searching through collection or general listings. So what can you do about it? This isn’t necessarily about how much RAM the eBay app uses, but have you checked how much RAM you’re using at one time?

When you don’t have enough RAM to take care of all the processes you’re using, something has to give. In some cases, the app that gives up first is eBay’s. When you’re using the eBay app, make sure you don’t have too many processes running at the same time.

5. Search History Won’t Save / Won’t Show Results

Normally, any of your recent searches will show up when you click the search bar, like so:

However, sometimes this won’t display, or your searches won’t return anything at all. When this happens, it’s a good idea to go into your app’s settings and manually clearly search history. After you’ve done this, complete a few searches to see if they save. Whether or not they do, close the app and then open it again.

If they still don’t save, try the troubleshooting steps below this section.

6. App Won’t Read Barcodes

One of the quickest ways to sell something on eBay is to scan the barcode instead of trying to find it in its system manually. All you need to do is line up the box with any bar code, and if it’s in the system, you’ll find it and be able to list the item.

It’s extremely convenient when it works, but it unfortunately doesn’t work 100% of the time. First things first, make sure you have enough light in the room while you’re trying to scan a barcode. Most Android cameras have a hard enough time working in the dark already, so the results are going to get even worse if they’re looking for something specific to capture.

Otherwise, try the steps I’ve listed below this section.

7. Can’t View Items Correctly

Arguably the most common problem, and most frustrating, is tapping an item to view and either getting a blank screen, or a prompt telling you that you can’t view what you’ve selected. This problem specifically can’t be solved without going through the troubleshooting steps I’ve listed below here.

I promise each step won’t take long to complete, and most of your problems will be solved by the end of them.

How to Troubleshoot the eBay App

Now that all of the app’s problems are on the table, we can go through how to fix them, starting from the easiest solution, all the way down to the hardest. None of these steps require anything crazy, like dismantling your phone and putting it back together, but some of them will take a few minutes.

Try these 9 quick fixes to get rid of eBay app problems.

1. Reset everything
2. Clear cache partition
3. Sign out and back in
4. Clear your search history
5. Update / Uninstall then reinstall
6. Close other apps
7. Try mobile site
8. Download previous version of the app
9. Factory reset

1. Reset Everything

The first step to troubleshooting anything is to turn it on and off again. This means closing the app, closing any other apps, and then even turning off your phone.

Once you do that, wait for a few minutes, and then turn everything back on. Open the eBay app again and see if the problem’s resolved. Nine times out of then, a quick reset is just what your Android needs to sort the problem out itself.

2. Clear the Cache Partition

When’s the last time you’ve cleared your cache partition? Or just the cache inside of your storage? If you can’t recall, it’s probably time to do it again. Clearing your cache doesn’t take long, and it’s thankfully easy to do as long as you follow these instructions.

3. Sign Out and Back In

If an app saves my account information I usually never sign out, because why would I? That means I have to put my password in again, and I can barely remember how many I have of those as is.

As annoying as it might be, trust me on this one and give it a try. Sign out of your account, do a few searches without it, and then sign back in. If that doesn’t work, try closing the app and doing a reset while you’re signed out first.

4. Clear Your Search History

This isn’t something that helps with every eBay app problem, but clearing the app’s history every once in awhile does clear up a few issues.

If you haven’t done it in a while, or even just did it yesterday, give it a shot!

5. Update / Uninstall then Reinstall

Updates have a tendency to fix as many things as they break, but if you’re already encountering problems, updating your app is something you need to look at as an option. If your app is already up to date, try uninstalling it before downloading a fresh version of it.

This is pretty much a harder version of a quick reset, but it works wonders for most small problems.

6. Close Other Apps

Normally, when you use your eBay app, how many other apps do you have open? Your Android can only handle so many at one time depending on how much RAM it has available. If you don’t have enough RAM, things start to slow down, or even crash.

If you’ve been experiencing lag or crashes in the eBay app, try closing other demanding apps while you use it. eBay’s app shouldn’t demand that much processing power, but it never hurts to give your Android less stress while you shop or sell.

7. Try the Mobile Site

This is less of a solution, and more of an alternative. The mobile site is vastly inferior to the app, but if you need to get something done quickly, and don’t have any other choice, it’s better than nothing.

8. Download a Previous Version of the App

On the opposite end of updating when you have a problem, why not go back? It’s easy enough to install the apk of an older version of eBay, just so long as you have the right tools, like a file manager to install with.

If you’ve never installed from an apk before, let me give you a quick rundown:

• Download your favorite file explorer if you don’t have one yet.
• Download the older apk on either your phone, or your PC. If you’ve downloaded it on your PC, transfer the apk to your internal storage, or preferably a SD card in your Android.
• If you haven’t enabled this setting already, open your settings, and go to your Settings and then Security. Look for the option talking about downloads or installs from unknown sources and enable it.

• Open your file explorer and find the apk.
• If you have not uninstalled your current eBay app, do that now.
• Open the apk in your file explorer and accept the prompts to install it.
• Enjoy your old app!

With an older version of the app you should be able to enjoy the eBay experience just like how you did before, without any extra features, or problems that were added in recent updates.

9. A Factory Reset

This is one of the last options to try when you have an issue with any Android software. It’s basically the history eraser button, except you’ll actually have a backup for the entire universe (or at least your phone) after you press it.

I cannot urge you enough to make a proper backup of all your data before you attempt this. You will lose everything on your phone after doing this, so make sure you’re prepared.

When you think you’re ready, follow these instructions to erase everything from your phone completely, and fix any software issues you have.

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Fix your eBay app problems in no time!

The eBay app isn’t without its problems, despite everything you can do with it, but it’s thankfully easy to switch to older version if you need to. When you have a problem with the app, no matter the version, now you have the tools to resolve them with a little bit of time, and a few different taps.

If you have any problems I haven’t mentioned above, or are still running into issues, please leave your questions down below!

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