When you find Google Play Store not working on your device, the message that displays usually reads, “Unfortunately, Google Play Service Has Stopped”.
Most Google Play has stopped working errors are caused by network issues or bad software. The exception is that Play Store is hard-wired for particular gadgets so Google may roll out the wrong version sometimes for your device.
However, if your Android device is modified with a custom ROM, the fixes in this guide won’t apply.
What to Do When You Find Google Play Store Not Working
Perform a restart
As obvious as this step sounds, it actually helps fix most Google Play Store issues.
Hold down the power button and choose power down or power off icon when the shutdown menu appears. Wait a few seconds after it shuts off and start it again by holding down the power button. Open Play Store and check if it works again.
Update Google Play Store and Google Services
- Open Google Play Store and tap Menu
- Tap My apps & games and check for the latest version of Google Services Framework
- Now tap Settings and tap Play Store version
- Restart your device
- Launch Play Store again
Switch between Mobile Data and Wi-Fi
Poor internet connection may cause Play Store not to work, sometimes it may not even show the error message or the app refuses to download apps altogether. You can switch between Wi-Fi and mobile/cellular data and see if it gets Play Store to work again.
Change Date and Time
If your date and time settings are wrong, you’ll find Google Play Store not working. To correct it, open Settings>System>Date & Time>Automatic date and time, and restart your device to try Play Store again.
Clear cache
Wipe the data on both Google Play and Google services and restart your phone. Wipe data wipes cache as well, so you can go to Settings>Apps and Notifications>See all X apps and look for Google Play Store.
Open the app’s page and select Storage>Clear storage (or Clear Data). Do the same for Google Play Services and restart your phone.
Roll back to an older version of Google Play Store
Rolling back to an older version resolves glitches in the current version. To do this:
- Open Settings>Apps and notifications
- Tap See all X apps
- Find Google Play Store and select Disable (this won’t uninstall system apps; it just replaces with the original version your phone came with)
- Restart your device and update to the latest Play Store version again
If none of these work, try removing and adding your Google account again, using a third-party copy of Play Store, or perform a factory reset on your device.
Elsier is an avid tech writer, who loves mobile apps, games, music, and cars. When she’s not catching up on the latest in tech, she’s binging on reruns of her favorite series.