Why Can't I Download Apps from the Google Play Store? How to Troubleshoot and Fix Your Issue

Last Updated: September 3, 2021 References

Is your Google Play Store app not cooperating? Play Store issues can be really frustrating, especially if your apps aren’t downloading correctly. Don’t worry—this is a pretty common issue that’s easy to fix. Keep reading to learn a few new tips, tricks, and hacks that you can use to get your Google Play Store app up and running again.

Question 1

Question 1 of 7:
Why can’t I download apps on my Android?

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Your internet connection might be bad. See if your device has good data coverage—if you only have 1 bar, your connection might not be strong enough to support a download. The official Google Play Help page recommends downloading apps while connected to WiFi, if possible.^{[1]
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- If you aren’t near a WiFi hotspot and you don’t have good data, ask a friend or relative if they can turn their phone into a personal hotspot.
2
You might not have enough room on your device for the new app. Open up your device’s “Settings” app, and then select the “Storage” button.^{[2]
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Research source} If your device is low on space, the app may stop downloading.^{[3]
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Research source} To fix this, tap on the “Free up space” option beneath the “Amount of space” section on your device.^{[4]
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The app might not be compatible with your phone. Is your phone on the older side? Unfortunately, outdated tech can’t support certain newer apps, which could be the root of your issue. You can work around this by downloading the app’s Android Application Package (APK) outside of the Google Play store, but you’ll likely still run into lots of incompatibility issues.^{[5]
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- An APK allows you to install a new app on your phone, and is quite similar to an EXE file on a Windows computer. Just keep in mind that downloading APKs from a separate website can be dangerous, and may put your phone at risk for ransomware or other types of malware.^{[6]
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Question 2

Question 2 of 7:
How do I fix Google Play connection errors on my phone?

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Reboot your phone. In some cases, a simple reboot is all you need to get your internet connection up and running again.^{[7]
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Check that your mobile data is working properly. Go to the “Wireless and networks” or “Connections” sections in your device’s settings. Switch on your mobile data—if you’ve had it on the whole time, reset it. Then, look for some kind of data abbreviation near the signal bars on your device, like 2G, 3G, or 4G. If you aren’t seeing an abbreviation, try moving somewhere else.^{[8]
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- You might have to switch off your WiFi to see the data abbreviation.
- You can also put your phone in airplane mode for 10 seconds to troubleshoot your data connection.
- If you're having trouble getting a stable connection, try switching between using mobile data and WiFi.
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Make sure that you’re properly connected to a WiFi network. Select the “Wireless and networks” or “Connections” option within your “Settings” app. Then, hit the Wi-Fi option on your screen. Make sure that your Wi-Fi is turned on, and that you can see the upside-down, rounded triangle near the top of your device.^{[9]
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- If your WiFi isn’t cooperating, try rebooting the WiFi router at your home.

Question 3

Question 3 of 7:
How do I force Google Play to update on your phone?

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Remove and reinstall your Google Play store updates. Double-check that you’re connected to Wi-Fi and go to your device’s settings app. Then, find the “Google Play Store” option in the “Apps and notifications” section. Select the 3 vertical dots icon along the top of your screen, which should generate the “Uninstall updates” option. Hit “OK” to reset your Play Store to its factory version, and then redownload your desired app.^{[10]
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Question 4

Question 4 of 7:
How do you know if Google Play is updated?

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Go to the “Apps and notifications” section in your settings. On some devices, this option might read as just “Apps.”^{[11]
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Hit the “See all apps” option, “Google Play services,” and “Advanced”. From the “Advanced” page, you should see either the “App details” option or the “App details in store” selection. Tap this box to get redirected to the Google Play Store.^{[12]
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See if your app says “Install,” “Update,” or “Deactivate”. Look at the top right corner of the screen, directly beneath “Google Play Services” and “Google LLC.” You should see a green “Install” or “Update” button if your app isn’t up-to-date. If your app is good to go, you’ll only be able to tap on the “Deactivate” box.^{[13]
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Question 5

Question 5 of 7:
What happens if I clear cache on Google Play Store?

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Your device and Google Play app may run a little more quickly. Whenever you download new apps, Google Play develops special background information, which goes directly into a secret cache. While this data helps optimize your Google Play app, too much collected data can make your app store lag or even freeze. Thankfully, clearing your Google Play Store cache can make it way quicker and easier for you to get new apps without the added headaches.^{[14]
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- The Google Play Help page doesn’t offer a specific tutorial for clearing the cache for your Google Play Store app on a Chromebook. However, you can clear your general cache via your Google Chrome browser.^{[15]
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Refresh your phone by clearing the data and cache of your Play Store app. Hit the “Apps” and “Google Play Store” options with your phone’s default “Settings” app. From there, hit the “Storage” button, along with the “Clear cache” and “Clear data” options.^{[16]
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- You can also clear your cache and data from both Download Manager and Google Play Services on your phone. In your settings app, hit "Apps and notifications” along with “App info” or “See all apps.” From there, tap the 3-dot icon and hit “Show system,” along with “Download manager” or “Google Play Services” Then, select “Storage” or “Storage and cache” and “Clear cache,” as well as “Clear storage,” “Clear all data,” and “OK.” Once everything is cleared, go back to Google Play Store and redownload your app.^{[17]
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Clear your Amazon Fire tablet's cache if you're running into issues. Tap “Apps and notifications” in the “Settings” app, along with “Manage All Applications” or “See all… apps.” Then, tap on “Google Play Store,” “Storage,” “Clear Data” or “Clear Storage,” along with “Clear Cache.”^{[18]
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Question 6

Question 6 of 7:
Why can’t I find certain apps in the app store?

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The app is region-locked. Region-locking happens for different reasons—sometimes the government limits apps to their country or the app developer doesn’t issue a global release. If this is the case, you’ll need to download the app’s APK outside of the Google Play Store and connect your phone to a Virtual Private Network (VPN).^{[19]
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- A VPN offers extra privacy and protection while you’re online, and can emulate an IP address from another country.^{[20]
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  Research source} For instance, if an app is region-locked to the UK, you’d need to connect to a UK server through a VPN.
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The app is manufacturer-specific. Certain apps are only designed to work with certain kinds of phones. Thankfully, you shouldn’t need these apps if your phone isn’t made by that manufacturer.^{[21]
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- For instance, Samsung creates a set of apps meant specifically for Samsung phones.

Question 7

Question 7 of 7:
What if Google Play still won’t work?

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Sideload the apps onto your device. “Sideloading” is a fancy term word for downloading apps without the Google Play Store. While this option offers a lot of flexibility and freedom, it also puts you and your device more at risk for malware. If you’d still like to give sideloading a try, go into your “Settings” app and hit “Apps and notifications,” “Advanced,” along with “Install unknown apps.”^{[22]
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Research source} Then, visit a credible site like APKMirror or F-Droid to start downloading your apps.^{[23]
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- To sideload on an Android TV, select the “Settings” app, along with “Security and restrictions.” Then, switch the “Unknown sources” option from off to on. From there, use an app like ES File Explorer Manager of X-plore File Manager, which help transfer APKs to your TV.
- On an Amazon Fire TV, select the “Device” option in your “Settings” app. From there, select “Developer Options” and toggle on the “Apps from Unknown Sources” setting.
- If you have an Amazon Fire tablet, open up the “Personal,” “Security,” and “Advanced” options in your “Settings” app.