Google Play Store is a straightforward, standard app for Android. It provides you with access to millions of apps and games that you can download with a few clicks. The app itself performs effectively well, and with its airtight security features, malware cannot enter your phone.
However, users may encounter issues or bugs that prevent them from opening, loading or downloading apps from the Play Store. If you find yourself in this situation frequently and are unsure how to resolve it, you’ve come to the right place.
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How to Fix Common Play Store App Problems
There are several troubleshooting options to try to fix common Play Store app problems. Follow the instructions below if your phone’s Google Play Store app is not working, won’t open or load, or if the Play Store app launches but you cannot download apps.
Check your Internet connection
To fix common Play Store app problems, first check that you have a strong and reliable internet connection. If you’re connected to Wi-Fi, you can check the strength of your connection in your device’s settings or by looking at the top status bar.
You may not be able to access the internet if your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network, but the status bar displays an exclamation point next to the Wi-Fi symbol. You can also use your mobile data to download apps. Once you’ve confirmed that your data connection is active and that downloads over mobile data are enabled, try downloading again.
Restart your gadget
If you continue to experience problems despite having a stable and reliable connection, you may need to restart your device. It may sound cliche, but a simple restart often solves most problems, so it’s worth a shot to see if it works to fix common Play Store app problems.
Clear the cache and data of the Play Store app
If none of the preceding steps work to fix common Play Store app problems, it might be time to try something different. Clearing the cache and data of apps works for most issues, especially if there are large files or multiple contents involved. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings
- Scroll down and select Apps.
- Scroll down, then tap Google Play Services. This option can be found in Settings > Apps & notifications in older operating systems
- Select Storage
- Click Clear cache
- Then tap Clear Data, then OK to confirm
Check if this fix resolves the issue. Note that you can repeat the above procedure for Google Play services, Google Services Framework, and Download Manager if it doesn’t resolve the problem. To see the last two entries, tap the three-dot Menu button at the top-right of the All apps screen and toggle the show system.
Check for System Updates
If you haven’t updated your Android OS in a while, this could be the cause of your phone’s inability to download new apps. Try checking for new updates, it might help to fix common Play Store app problems.
To install any new updates, navigate to Settings > Software Update and search for any available updates. To update the Play Store app,navigate to Settings > About > Update Play Store.
Uninstall and Reinstall Play Store Updates
Apps may not download on your phone if you recently installed a new Play Store update because it may not be compatible with your device. As such, to fix common Play Store app problems, you can uninstall the updates and wait for Google to release a patched update.
To uninstall updates, navigate to Settings > Apps & notification > Google Play Store. Select ‘Uninstall Updates’ from the three dots in the upper right corner of your screen.
Remove and re-add your Google account to your device
Another step to fix common Play Store app problems is to uninstall and reinstall your Google account on your device.
It is advised that you perform one final backup of your account before that to make sure everything is stored in the cloud. This will ensure that no data is lost during the process.
To delete your Google account, follow these steps:
- To begin, navigate to Settings > Accounts
- Choose the Google account that is having problems. If the problem affects multiple accounts, you must delete them all
- To delete an account on Android Pie, simply tap Remove account
- Tap the three-dot Menu button and select Remove account on older versions
- You can now download or update an app from the Google Play Store to see if it works again
Then, from the Accounts menu, you can Re-add your account. After re-adding your account, it’s a good idea to restart your phone. This might be the solution you need to fix common Play Store app problems.
In conclusion, it’s not impossible to fix common Play Store app problems, such as when apps won’t open, load, or download. If you follow the above guidelines, you will discover that what you need is a simple and straightforward fix. We hope that one of the solutions listed above works for you.