The built-in Phone app hangs and crashes, how to restore without resetting the phone?

iPhone 13 Pro Max running iOS 17.1.2. Starting several months ago, the Phone app began to hang noticeably when started. It would display a blank black page for ten seconds or so, then the app's interface would finally appear and everything would be good. Starting very recently, the Phone app no longer works at all. It displays the usual blank black screen when its icon is tapped, sits on it for about 30 seconds, then closes and returns to the home screen. (I will speculate that the app's behaviour has not changed, just the delay has gotten so long that the OS now kills the app before it has a chance to finally display the interface.) So, at this point, it's impossible to see who called you, and to dial a number that is not already saved in the contacts. The Phone app does still display the sticker with the number of the missed calls, but it will not let you see who that was. Online solutions for apps misbehaving in this way end up with the advice to delete the app and install it again. Unfortunately, the built-in Phone app cannot be deleted. **How would I diagnose and fix it without resetting the phone?** We don't want to do a reset because there are some apps on the phone that are no longer available in the store. There is a MacBook available if it can be of any use. E.g. I would consider deleting the entire calls history to see if that helps at all; can that be done with the help of a MacBook given that the Phone app will not do it?