"Unfortunately, Google Play Store has stopped."

[Tikatika]

On my Galaxy S4, I am getting this message repeatedly and app refuses to load. I've tried clearing the cache and restarting the phone. That didnt help. Anybody else experiencing this problem and have a suggestion for a fix.

Accessing Google Play Store on the Internet on the phone is flaky, and most time won't load. Doesn't matter what browser I use.

As bad as the iOS App Store can be, I miss it

 

[pcmxa]

I have manually linked Google's file and cache folders to my external SD card. I have had this happen when the links get messed with. On your phone will it allow you to specify where downloaded files or the cache is located? If so you might toggle the location and see if that addresses the issue

 

[Assault]

On my Galaxy S4, I am getting this message repeatedly and app refuses to load. I've tried clearing the cache and restarting the phone. That didnt help. Anybody else experiencing this problem and have a suggestion for a fix.

Accessing Google Play Store on the Internet on the phone is flaky, and most time won't load. Doesn't matter what browser I use.

As bad as the iOS App Store can be, I miss it

Rooted or not rooted? Recently upgraded the OS? Need more info.

What I can tell you, is that this is a GAPPS (Google Apps) failure. Usually, if one puts a new ROM on there and forgets to add GAPPS or loads a GAPPS package for an older version of the OS, this can happen. Or if you updated the OS recently and there was an issue with the update during dl and corrupted or failed to load GAPPS properly.

A restore or reloading of the OS should fix your issue. Others that actually have the S4 and more experience with this issue may be able to give you more advice.

 

[daveathall]

Try deleting your Google account from your phone, then clear cache on you play store app, then reinstall your Google account. Hope that helps.

 

[Tikatika]

Sorry for not providing more info. Phone is not rooted. No ROM installed. I never received the AT&T update OTA so I manually installed it just now. Made no difference, error still occurring.

Phone won't allow me to choose where downloads and cache are located.

Thanks for your responses, I'll keep searching for a solution.

 

[MRU]

Go into app management page in Settings and choose to 'uninstall updates' on the Google Play Store application. This will revert you back to a previous version of Google Play Store and hopefully fix the issue.

 

[unlinked]

I saw this on another forum and it seemed to help some people there.

"Go to Settings
application manager
then touch menu button (on phone left of Home Button, it looks like a page..)
then click on reset app preferences"

If you don't have a physical menu button just click the 3 dots in the action bar.

 

[Shanghaichica]

This happened to me on my galaxy tab 2 once. The way I solved it was by uninstalling the play store and then reinstalling it. I went to applications and then clicked un uninstall updates (as you can't remove it completly).

Edit: I see Macrumouruser has already posted this.

 

[kdarling]

I get that message on my lab devices when my communications are turned off.

It's almost like it's talking to the mothership for updates, and when comms fail in the middle, it crashes.

 

[Tikatika]

Go into app management page in Settings and choose to 'uninstall updates' on the Google Play Store application. This will revert you back to a previous version of Google Play Store and hopefully fix the issue.

Sad face. I tried your suggestion and same old error message came up. I have watched every You Tube video on this exact same problem, tried every suggestion multiple times and nothing has fixed it.

Love everything about the phone but this is driving me mad and I don't consider it a little thing. One should be able use this app with no problems.

 

[Tikatika]

Well, more perplexed than ever. Was in Best Buy yesterday and asked phone people for help. They connected my phone to their wifi hotspot. Clicked on Play Store. Voila, worked. Has been fine all day today until I restarted my phone and now Store is coming up with same old error.

Thoughts?