There are quite a few factors that could possibly affect the Play Store service. We'll run through the troubleshooting methodsbeginning with simple solutions down to the more complicated ones. Show
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1. How to pinpoint the problemFirst of all, you'll want to make sure the problem is on your end and not a wider problem with Google. Check the Play Store status ona service like downdetector, for example. If a lot of users are reporting a similar problem, then chances are it's on Google's side, and you'll need to wait for them to fix it. If you suspect the problem is on the user end, you'll first want to restart your phone. It seems obvious, but this can bea quick solution to many issues. If your problem repeats, then it's time to get to work. No Ad to show (Please note: We have separate articles for when you're getting a specificGoogle Play Store error codeor a"Google Play authentication is required" error) To start off, we want tocheck a couple of simple things outside of Google Play that might be affecting its performance. Check your Internet connectionIt may seem too simple or easy, but checking your Internet connection could solve the problems you're having. Try switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or vice versa, and see if the problem persists. You should also try switching your phone to "airplane mode" and back again. Finally, you can restart your router to make absolutely sure you have a good connection. No Ad to show Check your date and time settingsGoogle periodically checks your smartphone's date and time for the Play Store. In case there is a discrepancy between the actual time and what is displayed on your phone, Google's servers could have a tough time syncing with your device and cause Google Play Store to act up. To fix this issue, you need to go into the Settings on your Android device and follow the steps below:
If your device is onautomatic and your Google Play Store is still not working, then you should manually set the date and time. You first need to turn Set time automatically off. Then start by entering the date and time with as much accuracy as possible. If this doesn't work, don't worry, there are still many more solutions for getting your Google Play Store up and running again. No Ad to show 2. Check your Google appsIf the Play Store is frozen or glitching, force close it by swiping it away or going to Settings > Apps> See all appsselectthe Google Play Store, and hit Force stop. Then, you'll want to make sure that Google Play itself is up to date and clean. This involves making sure you havethe latest version ofGoogle Playinstalled, especially when the Google Play Store keeps stopping. If you still have problems, you'll want to do some housekeeping. This meansclearing the Google Play Store cacheand, if this doesn't solve things, going further andclearing out your Play Store data. No Ad to show If there's still an issue after the Play Store has been cleaned up, we'll have to go a little deeper and clear data and cache onGoogle Play Services, as well as make sure toinstall the latest version of Google Play Services. If the issue persists, the next step (make sure to record your passwords, etc.) is toreset your Google account on your device. Install the latest version ofGoogle Play StoreIt's silly, but sometimes a Google Play Store update is available but won't automatically download until days after being released. If you get the APK, you can have the newest version immediately, though. Read this article to find out how. No Ad to show Make sure you have the latest version of Google Play Store / © NextPit Clear the Google Play Store cacheIn some cases, you can get the Play Store going again by just clearing the cache. The cache is a storage area that temporarily holds data so it can be quickly retrieved without needing to be reloaded. This could solve your problem, and emptying it is easy.
Clear Storage on the Google Play StoreAs mentioned earlier,if the issue isn't fixed by simply clearing the cache, you can try the other option called Clear storage. The steps are identical as given above, but this step erases quite a bit more. It sets the app back to square one and gets rid of your saved information, hopefully including whatever glitchy data was causing the problem. No Ad to show Remember, when you do this, your files, settings, accounts, databases, and other information will be erased. You should make sure you have the log-in information for the account as it will be taken off the Google Play Store account. Clear data and cache onGoogle Play ServicesIf Google Play Store is the heart of your Android device, then Google Play Services is its soul. Play Services is the mysterious background process that allows apps to communicate with different parts of your device, enabling them to sync, send push notifications, and so on. If clearing the cache and data in your Google Play Store didnt work, then you may need to go into your Google Play Services and clear the data and cache there. Doing this is easy. No Ad to show
Install the latest version of Google Play ServicesAnother thing that may help is to download and install the latest version of Google Play Services and the Google Play Store. The most current version of the software is likely to be the most stable, so it's useful to keep it updated. First, you need to make sure your Google Play Store is up-to-date. Here's how you can do this:
In case this option doesn't work, read our tutorial here for a detailed explanation on how to get the latest version. No Ad to show Google Play Store can be updated using a slightly hidden setting / © NextPit Reset your Google account on your deviceWe're now coming to slightly more drastic solutions. If your Play Store app still isn't working, then you may need to refresh your Google account on your Android device. This will mean your Google account on your entire phone will be reset and not just in the Google Play Store. Make sure you know the account(s) and passwords before you start this. You could lose the entire account if youre not careful. To do this, remove your account, then add it again. Its pretty simple to do. No Ad to show
Now you need to re-enter your Google account. Go back into your Settings and tap on Password & account again. The only thing you should see is Add Account. If you see an account, then you forgot to remove one. Tap Add Account and follow the on-screen steps to re-add your account. Removing your Google account then re-adding it could help / © NextPitCheck third party appsThe steps above should confirm whether the issue lies with the Google Play system itself, but sometimes the problem can originate from a different, related app that can be interfering with the Play Store. First,check your disabled apps, and make sure that youenable Download Manager. You should alsodisable your VPNif you have one. No Ad to show Check your disabled appsMany apps need other apps in order to function properly. This is especially truewhen you're dealing with system apps such as theGoogle Play Store. If you recently disabled an app, that could be your problem. Luckily, this is easy to fix.
Disable your VPNHaving a VPN is a great way to get all your favorite media outside your geographic location. You can even use a VPN to install an app in the Play Store of another country. But your VPNcould be causing you problems with your Google Play Store in the region you're currently in. No Ad to show If you have a VPNenabled on your Android device, you should disable it. Go into your Settings and tap Network and internet. Check if you have enabled a VPN. In case you have installed a third-party app for VPN. You will need to disable that separately. Make sure the VPN option is disabled / © NextPitEnable Download Manager (applicable only for older Android phones)There is a chance that the Play Store will stop working if your download manager is disabled. If this is the case, the solution is simple. Note that this is no longer an option on devices running Android 10and above. No Ad to show Go into your Settings and tap either Apps/Application manager (depending on your device). You should either see all of your apps, or you might have to choose All. From there, find Downloads or Download manager and hit this. You should be able to see if Download manager is disabled. If it is, then you'll see a button markedEnable. Simply tap this button to switch Download manager back on. If all you see are buttons for Force Stop and Disable (possibly grayed-out, as seen below), then Download manager is not disabled, and you can rule this possibility out. No Ad to show Disabling the Android Download Manager wreaks havoc on your system / © NextPit 3. Go for the drastic solutionNow, we're getting to some more technical solutions that need to be done with care, so make sure you've tried the above methods first. Now, if you've rooted your device, then we recommenddeleting the file "hosts.txt"in your system directory. If this doesn't work or if you don't want to root your phone, thenreturn to the Play Store anduninstall previous updates. Finally, as a last resort, you can alwaysperform a factory data reset on your smartphone. This will erase all your data, so make sure to back up first. No Ad to show Delete the file "hosts.txt" (requires root)For advanced users who have already rooted their device, open your root-privileged file explorer of choice. Then go to your root/system directoryand search for "hosts.txt" and delete the file. Note: do not touch any of the other system files! Uninstall updates on Google PlayGenerally, when you have a problem with an app, you can just uninstall it and then reinstall it. Well, that works for some apps, but the Google Play Store is a system app on your Android device. What you can do instead is uninstall previous updates to the app, and this might help your problem, depending on the Android version your mobile is running. Here's how you can do it. No Ad to show
If your Google Play Store is still not working, then you need to go back and reinstall the updates. From there, head down to our last solution. Perform a factory data reset on your smartphoneIf you're still facing problems after having tried all of the above, then you may have little choice but to do a factory reset. This is a drastic measure, and there are consequences. All of your data will be lost.So you shouldperform a complete backup beforehand. Yourdata will be restored when you log back into your Google account. No Ad to show Here's how you can factory reset a phone running stock Android.
Did these solutions work for you? Do you have any other advice to get the Google Play Store working again? Let us know in the comments. This article was comprehensively updated in November 2021. Older comments have been retained. |