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Termux issues can turn an otherwise powerful mobile terminal into a frustrating experience. I learned this the hard way when my first install refused to update. Then came the broken packages, permission errors, and the dreaded “command not found” messages. Searching for fixes led me to outdated guides and complex solutions that barely worked.

If you’re struggling with Termux issues like update failures, missing storage access, or crashing apps, you’re not alone. This guide will walk you through quick and effective fixes so you can get Termux running smoothly—without wasting hours troubleshooting. Let’s dive in and get your terminal back on track.

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Table of Contents

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• Package Installation Errors
• Storage Access Problems
• Termux Not Updating
• Termux Freezing or Crashing
• Permission Denied Errors
• Network Issues
• Text Encoding Problems
• Fixing Termux Hanging or Freezing
• Resolving Network Connection Errors in Termux
• Solving APT Key Expiration Errors
• Fixing Termux API Not Working
• Resolving File Permission Errors on SD Card
• Bypassing SELinux Restrictions
• Fixing Custom Shell Configuration Not Loading
• Fix Termux Issues and Take Control of Your Mobile Terminal

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Package Installation Errors

Problem: You may encounter errors like:

• E: Unable to locate package
• 404 Not Found during apt update or apt install.

Solution:

Run:

apt update && apt upgrade

Ensure you’re using the correct repositories by running:

termux-change-repo

Clear the cache and rebuild the package list:

apt clean apt update

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Storage Access Problems

Problem: Errors like Permission denied when trying to access or manage files.

Solution: Grant storage permissions:

termux-setup-storage

Verify storage access:

ls ~/storage

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Termux Not Updating

Problem: You run apt update but nothing gets updated, or you face connectivity issues.

Solution: Install the latest version of Termux from F-Droid or GitHub, as the Google Play Store version is outdated.

Switch repository mirrors:

termux-change-repo

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Termux Freezing or Crashing

Problem: Termux may freeze during long tasks or crash unexpectedly.

Solution: Kill unnecessary background processes:

ps aux kill -9 <PID>

Clear Termux cache:

apt clean

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Permission Denied Errors

Problem: When running commands or accessing files, you encounter Permission Denied.

Solution: Ensure Termux has the necessary permissions:

termux-setup-storage

Use chmod to modify file permissions if necessary:

chmod +x <filename>

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Network Issues

Problem: You’re unable to connect to the internet or use network-related commands.

Solution: Test network connection:

ping google.com

Update DNS settings in /etc/resolv.conf:

nano /etc/resolv.conf nameserver 8.8.8.8

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Text Encoding Problems

Problem: Unreadable characters when opening certain text files.

Solution: Set the correct environment variable for encoding:

export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

Convert text encoding using iconv:

iconv -f <source-encoding> -t <target-encoding> <file> -o <output-file>

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Fixing Termux Hanging or Freezing

Issue: Termux becomes unresponsive, forcing you to restart the app.
Solution:

• Run: pkill -f "termux" to terminate stalled processes.
• Check for resource-intensive processes with: htop and kill them manually.
• Increase system performance by disabling battery optimization:

termux-change-repo

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Resolving Network Connection Errors in Termux

Issue: Termux cannot download or update packages due to connection failures.
Solution:

Check internet connectivity with:

ping -c 4 google.com

Change repository mirrors with:

termux-change-repo

Reset Termux’s DNS settings:

echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" > $PREFIX/etc/resolv.conf

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

Solving APT Key Expiration Errors

Issue: You get an expired key error when updating Termux packages.
Solution:

Update package lists:

apt update && apt upgrade

Manually refresh Termux’s signing keys:

apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv-keys <EXPIRED_KEY>

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Fixing Termux API Not Working

Issue: Termux API commands like termux-battery-status return errors.
Solution:

termux-battery-status

Ensure the API package is installed:

pkg install termux-api

Grant Termux permissions manually:

termux-setup-storage

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Resolving File Permission Errors on SD Card

Issue: Termux cannot write to external storage due to Android restrictions.
Solution:

Grant storage permissions:

termux-setup-storage

Use SAF (Storage Access Framework) to access SD cards:

termux-storage-get

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Bypassing SELinux Restrictions

Issue: SELinux policies prevent some Termux commands from executing.
Solution:

Check SELinux status:

getenforce

If Enforcing, switch to Permissive mode (root required):

setenforce 0

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Fixing Custom Shell Configuration Not Loading

Issue: .bashrc or .zshrc changes are not applied.
Solution:

Manually reload shell configuration:

source ~/.bashrc

For Zsh users, use:

source ~/.zshrc

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Fix Termux Issues and Take Control of Your Mobile Terminal

No more frustration, no more dead ends—Termux issues don’t have to slow you down. Whether it’s fixing package errors, restoring storage access, or troubleshooting crashes, the right solutions are now at your fingertips.

Now it’s time to put this knowledge to work. Bookmark this guide, share it with fellow Termux users, and keep exploring the power of this mobile-first terminal. Want to dive deeper? Check out our other Termux guides for advanced tips and optimizations!

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