Google Playstore: What To Do When You Can’t Download Or Update An App 

Due to compatibility issues and other restrictions, many mobile operating systems have failed in the past. Without apps, a phone or tablet’s functionality is incredibly constrained.

The same applies to bugs and errors that happen to your Android OS device. Even though the operating system supports a wide variety of applications, errors can still happen and, if left unattended, render your smartphone all but useless. So what can you do if your Android device won’t download or install apps?

This article will walk you through some fixes and steps for troubleshooting so that you can resume installing apps on your Android device right away.

Android Device Won’t Download or Install Apps

It’s rare to experience any significant issues with the Google Playstore because it’s generally dependable. However, if you are currently unable to download apps, something is wrong somewhere. Let’s review some things you should check before moving on to more logical solutions.

If you can’t download apps, start by crossing these off your list:

• Is your device charged? – You might not be able to download new apps on some devices until they are more than 15% or even 30% charged.

• Do you have a reliable internet connection? – It’s possible that you’re using cellular data or that you have a weak WiFi signal. If possible, try a different WiFi network.

• Have you restarted your device?– Most problems, including those involving the Google Play Store, can be resolved by quickly turning your phone off and on again.

• Is the Google Play Store experiencing a widespread issue? – Visit the website downdetector. Maybe there’s a major problem with Google, and all you can do is wait for the developers to fix it.

Try downloading a program from the Play Store now that the basic quick fixes have been covered. Here are some fixes you can try if your Android device is still unable to download or install apps.

Check Your Free Space

It pays to start with the basics whenever you’re troubleshooting a device. You must have space available for your download before you can start downloading. The majority of apps are only a few megabytes in size, but some are bigger. Is there enough space on your device? Do you have to spring clean before introducing new items?

Follow these steps to first check the storage on your devices:

Due to the fact that the Android interface varies depending on the manufacturer and version, our tutorial only covers general guidelines that ought to apply to everyone.

1. Use the magnifying glass to look for Storage in the Settings menu of your device.

2. In the list that appears, tap Storage.

3. Analyze the listed storage capacity.

4. If your storage is full, you can quickly remove rarely used apps by selecting the apps you want to remove from Apps, tapping on Uninstall, and then tapping on the desired app.

Return to the Google Play Store now and try to download the desired app once more. If you do have a lot of storage, keep reading for more suggestions.

Check Your Network

Your network connection has a lot to do with your ability to download apps, as we briefly mentioned above. Let’s look more closely at your internet connection to see if it could be the cause of your downloads being extremely slow or not happening at all.

Whether you choose to download your apps via WiFi or cellular data, make sure the network you’re using has sufficient strength to keep the connection open. You might want to postpone downloading your app until you’re in a better position if your WiFi is congested, you’re almost out of range, or you only have one or two bars of signal.

Also: How To Find Out Who Has Been Stealing Your WiFi

Websites and apps that won’t load properly are one of the first signs that you have network connectivity issues. To make sure the connection is strong, you can perform a speed test using the browser on your phone or the app, if you already have it.

Try switching to cellular data if you are currently using Wi-Fi. If another Wi-Fi network is available, you can also try it. If using cellular data is your only choice, make sure background data usage is enabled in the Android device’s settings.

To do so, navigate to Settings > Apps > Google Play Store > Mobile data & Wi-Fi and turn on the switch next to Background data. 

Restart Your Device 

A device restart is one of the simplest and most effective ways to resolve software issues. Perhaps your issues are the result of a simple bug. A reboot will cause the phone to discard all of the code it was processing and restart. New processes will be loaded into memory, and you may be able to download the app without encountering any problems.

Check Your Time & Date Settings

In order to authenticate your device with Google Play and the download server, you must use the correct time for mobile authentication. The majority of our phones automatically synchronize date and time with the network, but it is still important to double-check.

All you have to do is make sure your OS is set to the appropriate time zone. Continue if it is accurate. If it’s not, fix it or put it on automatic as follows:

1. Open Settings on your Android device and search for Date and Time.

2. Toggle the Automatic date and time switch to the on position.

3. Turn your phone off and on again to ensure that the time has been updated.

Clear the Google Play Store Cache

It might be worthwhile to clear the Store cache if your Android device still won’t download or install apps after following all of these steps. The Google Play Store saves all the data it utilizes or otherwise requires to operate in the cache, which serves as temporary storage. It is worth checking because it might become corrupted.

1. Select Settings and Apps & notifications.

2. Select Google Play Store.

3. Select Storage and Clear cache.

4. Repeat this process for Google Play services and Google Services Framework if present.

Change Your Google Play Store Permissions

There isn’t always a need to modify permissions because they are typically established automatically. If you’ve come this far and are still unable to download or install an app, it might be worth a shot.

1. Select Settings and Apps & notifications.

2. Select Google Play Store.

3. Select Permissions.

4. Ensure SMS and Phone are enabled. Contacts and Location are optional but turn them on to test.

5. Select Google Play Services and then Permissions. 

Make sure permissions are set to Allow for Body sensors, Call logs, Camera, Contacts, Files and Media, Location, Microphone, SMS and Phone.

Retest the app download

Some security apps may have an impact on these settings, making it difficult for the Google Play Store to function properly. After testing, you can disable any of these services if you don’t want them all available.

Uninstall Google Play Updates

It’s well known that software updates frequently cause new issues. You can uninstall the most recent version if the Play Store problem you’re experiencing started after a software update. Sometimes, all you need to do to solve a problem is roll back to an earlier version of the software.

How to uninstall a Google Play Store update is as follows:

1. Open the Settings on your phone and tap on Apps & notifications.

2. Scroll down and tap on Google Play Store.

3. Tap on the three vertical dots in the upper right-hand corner.

4. Tap on Uninstall updates.

5. Now restart the Play Store and try to download the app.

What should I do if I’m unable to update apps?

Among other problems with the Play Store, you may encounter an error that prevents you from updating applications. The majority of your applications for the Android operating system must be uploaded to the Google Play Store. Most of the solutions we’ve provided above work for both this issue and the inability to install apps. But as an additional step, you ought to attempt to force close the problematic app.

Here’s how to force stop an application on Android:

1. Open your device’s Settings and select Apps & notifications.

2. Tap on the app you’re having trouble with, and then on the right-hand side, tap on Force Stop. 

Now, try updating the application again. You can uninstall the problematic app and reinstall it if none of the steps we’ve listed work. However, there are times when app developers decide to stop supporting their products. Check for any developer updates at the Google Play Store.

If your Android device isn’t downloading or installing apps, one of the solutions listed above will undoubtedly help.