Fix Unfortunately Google Play Services has stopped working

• Here we have a step-by-step guide on how to fix the Google Play store has stopped working error on Android.
• You will learn what does unfortunately Google Play store has stopped mean along with the methods to fix the error message on Android phone and tablet devices.
• There might be some corrupted data and temporary information stored in the form of cache under Google Play store/services, which usually causes issues.
• We can understand how annoying this issue gets as it completely stops you from doing anything on your phone or tablet because the errors keep popping again and again.
• Here we have tried and tested over 10 ways to help you fix the Google Play Store has stopped.

At one point or another, we all have experienced the Google Play has stopped error message that looks similar to, “Unfortunately, Google Play store has stopped working” or “Unfortunately, Google Play services has stopped working.”

The problem with this type of error is that the message continues to appear every 2 to 3 seconds, which doesn’t let you use your Android device and causes frustrations.

As a quick workaround, most Android users factory reset their phone or tablet device when the issue arises. Although the reset takes no more than five minutes but it removes all of your stored important data as well as the personalization you have made to your phone or tablet device.

But that is the last resort. And restoring your data after the reset procedure becomes time-consuming. So we at BestForAndroid always prefer to resolve the issue without losing any data.

We have created a list of 10 easiest and reliable solutions with proper steps that will help you fix the Google Play store has stopped working error message.

How to fix Google Play Store and Google Play services has stopped working

Before trying the mentioned fixes and solutions, we will suggest that you go through few obvious checks on your Android device i.e. make sure the Internet connection is in a working state, you may need to switch from a cellular data connection to Wi-Fi or the other way around.

This is suggested because sometimes there are connectivity issues with the Wi-Fi router that causes this problem with Google Play.

If the ones mentioned above didn’t solve Google Play has stopped working issue then try the following 10 solutions one by one to fix Google Play has stopped working error on Android:

#1. Clear Cache and Data of Google Play Store

Every Android app stores some part of data and files on your Android device for later usages like images, formatting, and other relevant files. These cache and other relevant data are stored on your device to save time and processing power when you reopen the app later because all of the cached data are served quickly.

Sometimes these cached data and app data are corrupted that causes certain apps to stop unexpectedly. But good thing is that we can easily clear cache and data with just a tap on the button.

IMPORTANT: Clearing Play Store data is like pressing a reset button as it removes your saved account information like Google account login details. After clearing data, Google Play will ask you to enter your Google username and password again so make sure you remember your login details before following the steps.

Here are the steps:

1. Go to Settings then tap on Apps.
2. In the list of apps, look for Google Play Store and tap on it.
3. Tap on Storage.
4. Tap on the Clear Cache and Clear Data button.

Now restart your device and see if the Google Play Store has stopped working error message reappears or not.

#2. Clear Data and Cache of Google Play Services

If clearing the Google Play Store cache and data did not fix the issue, then there are chances that clearing Google Play Services cache and data should help rectify the issue.

IMPORTANT: Clearing Play Services data will remove your saved account information like Google account login details. After clearing data, Google Play Services may ask you to enter your Google username and password again so make sure you remember your login details before following the steps.

Here are the steps:

1. Go to Settings then tap on Apps.
2. In the list of apps, look for Google Play Services and tap on it.
3. Tap on Storage.
4. Tap on the Clear Cache and Clear Data button.

Now restart your device and see if the Google Play store has stopped working error message reappears or not.

#3. Clear Cache and Data of Google Services Framework

The Google Play Store and Google Play Services depend on Google Services Framework to make sure your data is properly synced with your account and everything is running smoothly. The Services Framework takes care of Google Play Store Services, syncing your contacts, Google Backup, and managing your account.

If there is an issue with the Google Services Framework then your device will not be able to connect to the Google servers and will cause the Google Play to stop unexpectedly. Clearing the cached data of the app refreshes it and forces it to download new data.

Here are the steps to clear Google Services Framework cache:

1. Go to Settings then tap on Apps.
2. Tap on the menu button located at the top-right corner.
3. Tap on Show system to see system apps.
4. In the list of apps, look for Google Services Framework and tap on it.
5. Tap on Storage.
6. Tap on the Clear Cache and Clear Data button.
7. Restart your device.

After boot, the error message Google Play has stopped should no longer pop up. If it does, then there are plenty of methods to fix this issue. Don’t lose hope yet.

#4. Reset App Preferences

There are chances that you have accidentally disabled an important part of Android system (for example Download Manager) which sometimes causes the Google Play to stop. So for problems related to the app preferences, Android has provided us with a reset app preferences option.

It’s simple and easy. Here’s how to do that:

1. Go to Settings and tap on Apps.
2. On the top-right corner, there must be a menu button. Tap on it.
3. And you will see an option that says, Reset app preferences.
4. Tap it and then restart your device for the changes to take effect.

This will re-enable all the disabled apps which may be causing issues with the Google Play.

#5. Make Sure Download Manager Is Enabled

Android comes with native Download Manager app that is used by Google Play Store and Google Play Services to download updates for apps as well as the Google Play itself. But some apps with download option modify that functionality by disabling Download Manager, which causes Google Play to stop.

Don’t worry. The steps to enable Download Manager are simple. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings and under Devices section you will find Apps, tap on it.
2. Tap on the menu button located on the upper-right corner, and select Show system.
3. In the list of apps, you need to find the following two apps, tap on it, and make sure each one of them is enabled:
   • Download Manager, and
   • Downloads.

If both of the apps were already enabled then we will suggest that you try other solutions we have mentioned in this article as one of them should fix Google Play has stopped working issue.

#6. Allow Background Data Usage and Enable WiFi Data Access

While troubleshooting the problem and finding out why Play Store is being stopped frequently, we found out about an option (i.e. Background Data) located under Data Usage, which is once configured will not allow the app to use cellular data in the background. Another option is Disable All Wi-Fi Data Access, which once enabled will not allow the app to access the Internet via Wi-Fi networks.

In case both of these options are enabled on your device then Google Play Store as well as Google Play Services will not be able to synchronize your device with your account and will cause both of the apps to stop unexpectedly. Moreover, it will prevent Google Play Store from updating any app.

To fix this problem, we need to make sure that important apps are allowed background data usage and have Wi-Fi data access. Here is how you can do that:

1. Go to Settings and tap Apps.
2. Find and tap on Download Manager.
3. Tap on Data Usage.
4. Under Cellular data access, the toggle switch for Background data should be enabled.
5. And under the Wi-Fi data access, make sure the toggle switch for Disable all Wi-Fi data access is disabled.

Now, the above steps were for the Download Manager app. You need to perform similar steps for the following apps too:

• Downloads,
• Google Play Services,
• Google Play Store, and
• Google Services Framework.

Once you have verified all the above apps have background data access as well as Wi-Fi data access, then you need to restart your Android device. Once your device boots up, you will notice that the unfortunately, Google Play has stopped error message is gone.

#7. Check Date and Time Settings

Yes, incorrect date and time settings of your Android device can cause some serious issues with how the Google Play works. Mainly because the timestamp is used to synchronize your data and account information between your device and apps.

In most of the cases, date and time settings are automatically updated using your Internet connectivity or information provided by your network. So you first need to make sure automatic updates of date and time is enabled.

To check that, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings and under System section you will find Date & time.
2. Here you will see a toggle switch that tells you whether the automatic date and time is enabled or disabled.

Enabling automatic date and time will force your Android device to use the network-provided date & time, and will not allow you to manually modify it.

In case the automatic date & time is already enabled then we will recommend that you disable it and try to manually configure the time and date while being as precise as you possibly can.

#8. Force update Google Play to the latest version

Google frequently releases a new version of Google Play Store, which brings bug fixes and improvements along with increased compatibility with other Android apps. Sometimes devices are stuck on old Google Play version but dependent apps are updated, this is what causes force closes and errors.

This is where we need to force the Google Play Store to update to the latest version. It’s easy and here is how you can do that:

1. On your Android device, open Google Play Store app and tap on the menu button.
2. Tap on the Settings.
3. Then under the About section look for Play Store Version and tap on it.
4. A pop-up message box will appear that says, Downloading and installation of new Google Play Store will begin shortly.

Now, it will take some time to download and install the latest Google Play version on your device. Once the new version with all the bug fixes will be installed then you will no longer experience Google Play has stopped error message.

#9. Remove Google Account from Your Device and Add It Again

There have been several instances when the Google account fails to sync your data and causes Google Play Store and Google Play Services to stop unexpectedly. To fix this issue, Android allows you to remove your Google account from your device and then re-add it without any data loss.

This simple procedure refreshes the link between your Android device and Google account, which eliminates the Google Play has stopped error from popping up again and again. Before proceeding, please make sure you remember your Google login details as you need to enter them after removal.

First, we will perform the steps to remove Google account from your Android device:

1. Go to Settings and under the Personal section, you will find Accounts. Tap it.
2. You will now see a list of all the accounts added to your device. Tap on Google.
3. Tap on the email address you want to remove.
4. On the top-right corner you will see a menu button, tap it.
5. Then select Remove account.
6. Your account should be successfully removed now.

We will now add the Google account again:

1. Go to Settings -> Accounts.
2. Here you will see Add account option, tap on it.
3. From the list of options, select Google.
4. You will now be requested to enter your Google login details i.e. your email address and password.
5. The account should be added to your device and begin syncing your data.

That’s how simple it is.

#10. Uninstall Google Play and Then Update To The Latest Version

Unlike regular user apps on your Android device, Google Play Store and Google Play Services are system apps and cannot be removed or uninstalled like other apps because it is a part of Android system framework. Rather than letting you uninstall, Android allows you to uninstall their updates and rollback to the original factory default state.

This procedure is suggested because there are cases when Google Play is automatically updated to the latest version but then during the update process some bugs are left, which causes Google Play to stop repeatedly.

To fix this, we will go through the steps where we uninstall all the updates and then update it to the latest version.

First, we will remove updates for Google Play Services:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Under Device, you will find Apps. Tap it.
3. In the list of apps, find Google Play Services and tap on it.
4. Tap on the menu button located on the top-right corner and then tap on Uninstall updates.
5. A popup will appear asking you, Replace this app with the factory version? All data will be removed.
6. Tap on OK button to uninstall updates.

Second, we will remove updates for Google Play Store:

1. Go to Settings -> Apps
2. In the list of apps, find and tap on Google Play Store.
3. Tap on the menu button located on the top-right corner and then tap on “Uninstall updates”.
4. A popup box will appear asking you; Replace this app with the factory version? All data will be removed.
5. Tap on OK button to uninstall updates.

Once the updates are uninstalled successfully, it is recommended to restart your device. In most of the scenarios after restarting your phone/tablet, the error message: Unfortunately, Google Play has stopped does not appear anymore.

Anyways, we will now go through the steps of updating Google Play Services and Google Play Store to the latest version.

First, we will update Google Play Store by following these steps:

1. Launch Google Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap on the menu button that is located on the upper-left corner.
3. Tap on Settings.
4. Scroll down until you find an option that says, Build number. Tap it.
5. You will see a popup about the new Google Play Store version. Then downloading and installation will begin shortly.

Now, we will update Google Play Services to the latest version:

1. Launch any app that relies on Google Play Services like Gmail, Maps, or Hangouts.
2. Just after launching the app, you will see a notification about Get Google Play services along with an Install button.
3. Tap on install and the latest version of Google Play services will be automatically downloaded and installed on your device.
4. Now restart your device to apply the changes.

That’s it. The whole process is a little bit longer but it should fix unfortunately Google Play has stopped error message on Android.

Conclusion

These were the eleven methods to fix Google Play has stopped working error message with Google Play Store and Google Play Service. And we hope these steps have helped you in resolving the error.

In case none of the mentioned solutions fixed your problem and the problem continues then there are chances that the issue is non-generic and specifically related to your phone/tablet.

If that is the case then we will highly recommend you either post your problem along with your device model number in our official forums here or leave your comment below. Our Android expert team will get back to you shortly and resolve your issue. 🙂

Did you try any other solution that fixed the “Unfortunately, Google Play Store has stopped working” or “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped working” error message? Please share with us in the comments down below.