Tired of Google Play services that stop messages appearing every time you try to download or update? Here's what you need to know about Google Play services and how to address the dreaded mistakes that accompany it.
You do not have to be a genius on your Android to find bugs and bugs occasionally. The open-source nature of the Android OS along with dozens of OEM brands makes Android great for freedom of use. However, similar traits from Android also cause it to malfunction every now and then, raising errors such as Google Play services have stopped when using various apps.
Although there are no apps you've accidentally downloaded from the Google Play Store, it's this Google Play services app that keeps all your Google apps in line. This basically serves as a manager of software updates for all your Google apps. This includes your favorites like Google Photos, Android Device Manager, Gmail, Google Play Music, and dozens more.
We've been discussing Google Play services topics for a long time, explaining what the app actually does. There is no practical way to use any Google app without Google Play services. Therefore, Google Play services have stopped the error message is one that you can not just ignore.
Here is a quick preview of the 6 ways we'll use to troubleshoot Google Play service issues that have stopped errors:
- Rebooting Android to fix the error
- Updating the Google Play services app
- Clear the Google Play services app cache
- Disable Google Play services
- Uninstall and reinstall Google Play services updates
- Wipe device cache
- Using Play Services Fix Info app
Now let's dive in to a solution that can be used to get rid of Google Play's annoying service issues one by one.
How to fix Google Play services has stopped errors
While you can do this by uninstalling apps that bring up the error, Google Play services are not one of them. Not only an error message that appears each time you open the Google Play Store, it will definitely appear every time you use the Google app. Since one solution may not work, we have tested the most popular way to fix this Google Play service error.
Solution No. 1: Reboot your device
"Have you tried turning it off and turn it on again?" It looks like a technical support question or even an internet meme. However, it does not make this simple and effective technique less useful. Whether errors start popping up after a particular application crashes or a background service decides to become corrupted, a simple restart may be just all you need.
- Press and hold the Power button on your Android until the boot pop-up window is displayed on the screen.
- Depending on your device, select the Restart or Reboot button and wait for the process to finish.
- Once your device reboots, check to see if the Google app that returned the error has been resolved.
However, if you've tried this method and Google Play service has stopped, errors still keep appearing, continue to the next step.
Solution No. 2: Update the Google Play services app
If you survive in this world with a unlimited mobile data plan with 1MB at a time, the Google Play Store update set to manual is acceptable. However, doing this can leave your Android device with an outdated application, one of which can be a Google Play service.
Whether you experience Google Play services errors in the Google Play Store itself or other Google apps, the most common solution is to make sure your app is up-to-date
- From the main screen of your Android device, open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
- Press the three-line menu button in the upper-left corner of the screen and select My Apps from the slide-out menu.
- This menu screen will display all installed applications, along with apps with deleted updates at the top.
- Press the Update All button in the upper-right corner of the screen and wait while the app update is installed.
- Reboot your Android device and check to see if the Google Play service error has been fixed.
Setting up automatic updates is always a good idea
Google is known to regularly update Google Play services apps to ensure that these types of errors do not show up frequently. If you are not limited by monthly data plans or have access to a wireless network at work or at home, we urge you to set up Google Play Store to update apps automatically.
- Open the Google Play Store app on your device and hit the three-line menu in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Scroll down to find the Settings button in the side menu, then tap the Auto update app
- Here you will be able to choose from three options - Do not update apps automatically, Update apps automatically at specific times, and Update apps automatically over Wi-Fi only.
Once you've chosen the option to update apps automatically based on your preferences, you're most likely not to worry about app errors and other annoying errors.
Solution No. 3: Clear cache of Google Play services app
Google Play services is a framework that controls all your Google apps and itself consists of an app. Just like any other winning app, you can easily reset the Google Play services app to its default state by using a clear cache option whose service is automatically fetched.
- Open the Settings app on your Android using the app drawer or the gear icon in the notification window.
- Scroll down to find the Applications menu in Settings. The menu can be named Application Manager on a particular device.
- With the entire list of apps on your phone in front of you, scroll down to find Google Play services.
- Press the Clear Cache button and confirm your action.
- Go back to the main screen and reboot your device to make changes you just made.
With the app cache removed, Google Play services will run again in the background and fix any related issues. This should help remove all damaged elements from the app cache and get rid of Google Play services that have stopped errors from popping up
Solution No. 4: Disable Google Play services
Considering that Google Play services is the heart and soul of all Google apps, most recent versions of Android do not allow you to completely remove Google Play services. In fact, when you disable Google Play services, it makes apps like Play Store and Gmail stop working.
Although you can not delete the Google Play services app unless your Android device is rooted, you can disable the app and create a stop error message. However, this is only a hotfix to create a stop error message and does not solve the problem completely. To disable the Google Play services app, you must disable Android Device Manager from Settings first:
- Head to the Settings app and scroll down to find Security - Device administrator.
- Android Device Manager will be enabled by default, so uncheck the box and confirm your action
After you remove Android Device Manager from Device administrator, you will be able to disable Google Play services. However, we recommend that you do not disable the Google Play services app as it may clutter the list of other Google apps with it.
Solution No. 5: Remove and reinstall Google Play services updates
Google Play services take precedence over other Android apps in the case of battery / data usage, and this extends to automatic updates. However, Android gives you the ability to remove installed updates and reinstall updates from the Google Play Store.
- Open the Settings app on your Android using the app drawer or the gear icon in the notification window.
- Scroll down to find the Applications menu in Settings. The menu can be named Application Manager on a particular device.
- With a list of apps on your phone in front of you, scroll down to find Google Play services.
- Press the Remove Update button and if you can not see it on the screen, press the three dot menu icon in the upper right corner to find it.
After you remove the latest updates, the Google Play services app will be restored to the stock version. You can now continue and re-install the latest updates for Google Play services directly from the app manager menu.
- On the app Info screen of Google Play services, scroll down to find App details.
- You will be redirected to the Google Play Store app on the Google Play services app page.
- Press the Update button and wait while the latest version of Google Play services is installed.
Return to the home screen on your Android device and delete all background data. We recommend that you reboot your phone just to make sure that all new changes are set. With apps refreshed with the latest updates, you most likely do not have to worry about Google Play services that have stopped errors from appearing.
Solution No. 6: Clear the device cache
Because Google Play services is a framework for dozens of other Google apps to run, an issue with one of these apps may cause Google Play services to stop appearing. The easiest way to clear the cache for all applications at once is to place the Android recovery mode. Inventory recovery mode comes with the ability to use the "wipe device cache" option.
- Press and hold the Power button to turn off your Android device.
- After the device is turned off, simultaneously hold the Power button and Volume Up key until the screen turns on.
- This will launch stock recovery mode on Android giving you the ability to clear the device cache.
- Using the Volume keys for navigation, swipe down to select Clear device cache and wait for the device to reset it.
- After the device cache is cleared, restart your Android device.
This option will not remove apps on your device, but this will clear up temporary files and saved settings. With damaged or corrupted files with the device cache cleared, Google Play services must work optimally.
Bonus: Play Service Fix Info
Because Google Play services have stopped the error is a common annoyance, there is a great application called Play Services Fix Info that has been created for the purpose of fixing this problem. This third-party app is designed to help you see details of Google Play services and the latest release versions of apps.
Keeping things simple, this app helps you fix the most common Google Play Services issues by clearing your cache and uninstalling / reinstalling updates. Additionally, if you are somehow unable to officially update the Google Play services app
