Definition
ANR (Application Not Responding)
When an Android app’s main thread is blocked long enough that the system reports it isn’t responding.
What is ANR?
An ANR happens when an app’s UI thread is blocked for too long — for example by slow disk or network work on the main thread — so the app stops responding to input. Android can show a dialog letting the user wait or close the app. Google Play tracks the user-perceived ANR rate in Android vitals.
Why it matters for ASO
ANRs are a direct quality signal. Google documents a bad-behaviour threshold of 0.47% user-perceived ANR rate overall (and 8% on a single device model); apps above the threshold are likely to be less discoverable on Google Play.
How to improve it
- Move disk, network and heavy computation off the main thread.
- Use Play Console’s ANR clusters and stack traces to find the worst issues.
- Check per-device breakdowns — some models are far more affected.
- Use staged rollouts so a regression reaches few users.
How to measure it
Play Console → Android vitals → user-perceived ANR rate, overall and per device model.
Related terms
Android vitals
Google Play’s technical-quality metrics, such as crash and ANR rates, which can affect how visible your app is.
Rating
The average star score shown on your listing, which affects conversion and quality signals.
Visibility
How often your app is shown to users across search, browse and recommendations.