The Google Play Store is the safest and fastest way to install apps on Android devices. Every Android user knows how to use the Play Store, but not everyone knows what to do when things go wrong with the store.
If the Play Store doesn’t download or upload apps on your device, refer to the solutions below to fix the problem. Before anything else, cancel the download(s) and try again. Closing and reopening the Play Store may also resolve the issue.
Table of Contents
1. Check your Internet connection
You need a strong Wi-Fi or mobile data connection to download apps from the Play Store. Do the app crashes at the “download pending” stage when you tap the Install or Update button? Confirm that your internet is working properly. Launch your browser and visit a random website. If the website doesn’t load, there’s most likely a problem with your internet connection. Turn on airplane mode and turn it off.
Switch to a Wi-Fi connection if you can’t download apps on mobile data. If the problem persists on Wi-Fi, restart or reset your router and try again. One VPN connection may also affect the performance of Google Play. Close or disable your VPN app (if you use one) and check if that fixes the problem.
2. Update date and time
Some system services and third-party apps may misbehave due to incorrect data settings. Go to the system settings menu (Setting > System > Date and time) and make sure your device is using date and time provided by the network. You should also turn it on and off Use the time zone provided by the network right to buy.
3. Turn off your device’s Bluetooth
This sounds odd, many Android users have experienced similar problem with the Google Play store has confirmed that turning off Bluetooth is an effective solution. Turn off Bluetooth on your device from the notification center or go to Setting > Connected devices > Connection options > Bluetooth and turn off Bluetooth.
4. Free up storage space
Some system functions will not be available when your device is running low on memory space. For example, the Play Store may not download new apps or update old apps. Some applications may also start to run slow and sometimes crash during use.
While Android shows a notification when your device’s internal storage is running low (or when it’s less than 1GB), go to Setting > Warehouse to find out if your device has enough storage space to accommodate new apps.
You should see how much memory you have used and how much is left. If your memory is running low, tap Free up space button to use Android Cleaner to remove junkDuplicate files and unused apps from your device.
5. Clear Play Store Cache and Data
Go Setting > Apps and notifications > Application Information (or View all apps) > Google Play Store > Memory and cache and press Clear cache.
Try downloading the app after clearing the Play Store cache. If the problem persists, return to the Play Store archive page and tap Clear storage Icon.
6. Reset Download Manager
The Google Play Store downloads apps on your device through the Android Download Manager. You cannot install or update apps if the built-in downloader is disabled or malfunctioning. Resetting the Download Manager can help resolve Play Store download errors. Follow the steps below to complete.
1. Go to Setting > Application Information (or View all apps) and tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner.
2. Select System display.
3. Scroll through the apps and tap Download Manager.
4. Select Memory and cache.
6. Press Clear cache and Clear storage.
7. Press ALRIGHT on the confirmation prompt to continue.
Launch Play Store and check if you can now download and update apps.
7. Reset Google Play Services
Google Play Services is the core Android system that powers all Google apps and services. If you’re having trouble downloading apps on the Play Store and everything you’ve tried has failed, resetting the Google Play services cache can get things back in order.
Go Setting > Apps and notifications > Application Information (or View all apps) > Google Play Services and press Clear cache. Then tap Clear storage and choose Erase all data on the next page.
Your device will download some system apps needed to run Google Play services. Once the setup is complete, open the Play Store and check if resetting Google Play services solves the problem.
8. Uninstall Play Store Updates
Android automatically updates the Google Play Store in the background. While some of these updates are bug-free, others sometimes have bugs that cause performance issues. Reverting the Play Store to its factory default version can eliminate these errors and restore the store to its normal state.
1. Long press the Play Store app icon and tap information icon (i).
2. Tap the three-dot menu icon.
3. Select Uninstall updates.
4. Press ALRIGHT on the prompt to continue.
You should then update the Google Play Store to the latest version. Launch the Play Store, tap the menu icon and go to Setting > Play Store Version.
Your device will download and install the latest version of the Google Play Store in the background.
9. Restart your device
Speeding up your device is another troubleshooting technique worth trying to work around when the Google Play store won’t download. Hold the power button and press Restart on the power options.
Connect to a strong Wi-Fi or mobile data connection and try downloading again.
10. Update your device
Installing the latest Android update can fix the problem that prevents the Play Store from processing updates and app downloads. Go Setting > System > Advanced > System update to check if there is a software update available for your device.
11. Re-add your Google account
This requires signing out of your Google account and signing back in. While this may fix problems with the Play Store, note that deleting your account may delete some data (contacts, messages, calendar events, etc.) with Google Account. So it’s important that you back up your Android device so you don’t lose any unsynced data.
To sign out of your Google account, go to Setting > Account and select the Google account connected to the Play Store. Then click Delete account to disconnect the account from your device.
On the Account menu, select More account and follow the prompts to re-add the account.
Download and update apps without problems
We’re pretty confident that at least one of these 11 troubleshooting techniques will work wonders on your device. You should also check out this Google Play troubleshooting guide for more solutions. If none of the suggestions in this article solve the problem, install apps from Trusted third-party APK sites.
