T-Mobile users facing a frustrating problem, but the carrier isn't to blame

T-Mobile's T-Life app is crashing for users on the Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 update, according to Google's Issue Tracker and posts on Reddit.

T-Mobile is not at fault

Two days ago, Google released the first beta of the Android 16 QPR3 quarterly update for Pixel devices. The update appears to have broken many apps, including T-Life.

Since the update's rollout, many Pixel 6, Pixel 7, Pixel 8, Pixel 9, and Pixel 10 users have been unable to use T-Life, a situation first reported by The Mobile Report. The app crashes immediately upon launch, with a standard 'T-Life keeps stopping' error message.

Because T-Life serves as the primary gateway for account management, users are finding themselves in a bind. While accounts can also be accessed via the carrier's website, not all features are available through the web portal. For instance, the website cannot be used for redeeming T-Mobile Tuesdays freebies.

Rolling back from the latest beta may remedy the problem, but this should be considered a last resort, as it will wipe your device.

There's no word yet from either Google or T-Mobile about when a fix may be released for the issue.

The T-Life fallacy

T-Mobile has been relentlessly pushing T-Life as the preferred way to conduct transactions, but the faulty update is yet another sign that over-reliance on the app can backfire.

While the bug can be dismissed as a one-off or a rare incident, a common user complaint is that T-Life is glitchy and slow, which undermines the experience.

T-Life is central to T-Mobile's digital strategy, but it may be wiser to treat the app as an option rather than a mandatory requirement.