Google Play Store Keeps Stopping? 11 Fixes That Work

You tap the Play Store, it flashes open for half a second, and: “Google Play Store keeps stopping.” Tap again, same thing. Suddenly you can’t install anything, can’t update anything, and one of the most essential apps on the phone is unusable.

The Play Store doesn’t work alone — it depends on Google Play Services, Google Services Framework, and Android System WebView, and a fault in any of them takes the store down with it. That’s why “clear the Play Store cache” alone often fails: you have to treat the whole family. The eleven fixes below do exactly that, in the order most likely to work.

Find Your Situation

How to Fix “Google Play Store Keeps Stopping”

Fix 1: The Workaround That Keeps You Running

Do this first — it restores most of the Play Store’s usefulness in five seconds, even while the crash persists.

1. Long-press the Play Store icon on your home screen.
2. Tap My Apps (or “Manage apps & device” on some versions) from the shortcut menu.
3. This view usually opens without crashing — because it skips the main screen that’s actually broken. From here you can update apps, check installs, and use search.
4. Keep this in your pocket while you work through the real fixes below.

Fix 2: Force Stop, Then Clear the Cache

The standard first move — and it must include Play Services, not just the store.

1. Settings → Apps → See all apps → Google Play Store → Force stop.
2. Same screen → Storage & cache → Clear cache.
3. Repeat both steps for Google Play Services.
4. Restart the phone and open the Play Store.

Fix 3: Clear Data for Play Store, Play Services, and Services Framework

If clearing cache wasn’t enough, clear data — it resets these apps to a clean state without touching your installed apps or account.

1. Google Play Store → Storage & cache → Clear storage / Clear data.
2. Google Play Services → Storage & cache → Manage space → Clear all data.
3. Google Services Framework → Storage → Clear storage (find it via Settings → Apps → ⋮ → Show system apps).
4. Restart the phone afterwards — this step matters, because the framework rebuilds its identifiers on boot.

Fix 4: Uninstall Play Store Updates

The fix for “it broke yesterday and nothing changed.” A bad Play Store version rolls out, your phone gets it, and the store starts crashing.

1. Long-press the Play Store icon → App info.
2. Top right ⋮ menu → Uninstall updates → OK.
3. The store reverts to its factory version — open it and it works, then quietly updates itself again later.

Fix 5: Check Date, Time, and Connection

Google’s servers reject connections from devices with a wrong clock, and the store crashes rather than explaining.

1. Settings → System → Date & time → turn on Set time automatically and automatic time zone.
2. Confirm the internet actually works by loading a website.
3. Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data and retry — this alone clears a surprising number of Play Store errors.

Fix 6: Update or Roll Back Android System WebView

A confirmed cause of mass Android app crashes in the past — WebView renders content inside other apps, including parts of the Play Store.

1. In the Play Store (via the My Apps workaround if needed), update Android System WebView and Google Chrome.
2. If the crashes began right after a WebView update: Settings → Apps → show system apps → Android System WebView → ⋮ → Uninstall updates.
3. Restart and test.

Fix 7: Free Up Storage and RAM

1. Settings → Storage — the Play Store misbehaves badly below 1 GB free. Clear space by removing large files and unused apps.
2. Close background apps; on low-RAM phones, the store gets killed the moment memory runs short, which reads as a crash.

Fix 8: Remove and Re-Add Your Google Account

Account-token corruption produces persistent crashes that survive every cache clear.

1. Settings → Passwords & accounts (or Accounts) → your Google account → Remove account.
2. Restart the phone.
3. Add the account back (Settings → Accounts → Add account → Google) and sign in.
4. Make sure you know your password before starting — this is the step people regret rushing.

Fix 9: Turn On Background Data

1. Long-press Play Store → App info → Mobile data & Wi-Fi → enable Background data and unrestricted data usage.
2. App info → Battery → set to Unrestricted; on Samsung, remove it from Sleeping apps too.

Fix 10: Reset App Preferences

A safe, underused reset that restores every app’s default permissions and background settings without deleting data.

1. Settings → Apps → ⋮ → Reset app preferences → confirm.
2. Nothing is uninstalled; disabled system apps are re-enabled and restrictions cleared — often enough to revive the Play Store.
3. Restart afterwards.

Fix 11: Update Android, Then Consider a Factory Reset

1. Settings → System → Software update — install anything pending; Google patches Play-side crashes through system updates too.
2. A factory reset is the genuine last resort. Back everything up first, and know that on very old phones the Play Store may simply have outgrown the Android version — a reset won’t change that.

Still Crashing?

• Sometimes it’s Google’s end. Play Store crash waves have hit millions of phones at once and been fixed server-side within a day or two. If a quick search shows others reporting it the same day, waiting is genuinely the best move.
• Don’t sideload a Play Store APK from a random site to “fix” this. It’s the most commonly suggested bad advice on this problem — you’d be installing the single most security-sensitive app on your phone from an unverified source. Uninstalling updates (Fix 4) achieves the same rollback safely.
• Other Google apps crashing too? That points at Play Services rather than the store — our Google Play Services keeps stopping guide covers that side in detail.
• Store opens but downloads fail? Different problem entirely — see our can’t install apps from Play Store guide.

More Android fixes on MozPK

• How to restart a Samsung phone
• Error Code Finder — look up any error code
• Google Play Services keeps stopping
• Can’t install apps from Google Play Store
• Google Play “Item not found” error
• Play Store apps not updating
• Android battery draining fast after update
• App Fixes Hub

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Google Play Store keep stopping?

Usually corrupted cache or data in the Play Store, Google Play Services, or Google Services Framework — or a bad Play Store update. Wrong date and time settings, very low storage, and Android System WebView bugs cause it too.

Does clearing Play Store data delete my apps?

No — your installed apps, purchases, and Google account stay. Clearing data only resets the store app itself, so you’ll see its first-run screens again.

How do I use the Play Store while it keeps crashing?

Long-press the Play Store icon and choose “My Apps” from the shortcut menu. That view typically opens even when the main screen crashes, so you can still update and install apps.

Should I install a Play Store APK to fix it?

No. Sideloading the Play Store from an unofficial source is a serious security risk. Uninstalling updates from App info rolls it back to a working version safely and it re-updates itself later.

Will a factory reset fix Play Store crashes?

Usually, but it’s the last resort — back up first. On very old devices, the underlying cause can be an Android version the current Play Store no longer supports well, which a reset won’t solve.