Are you getting the “Unfortunately Google Play Services has stopped” error notifications on your Android device? Is this hindering the smooth performance of your device? If your answer to either or both of these questions is YES, then follow this article religiously. In this article, we are going to be outlining all necessary steps (including alternatives) you can follow to fix the error of Unfortunately Google Play services has stopped.
Ways to Fix “Unfortunately Google Play Services Has Stopped” Error
1) Update Your Google Play Services
The most notorious cause of this error is using an “outdated version” of the Google Play services app. In this case, all you need to do is to update the Google Play services to the latest version.
Normally, Google Play services regularly auto-updates itself (provided you have a stable internet connection and your device is running on a recent Android version). However, you can manually update the Google Play services app on your Android device by following the steps below:
Ensure you have a stable internet connection.
Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.
Navigate to the “My Apps and Games” section on Play Store. This will bring up all the apps installed on your device.
Select the Google Play Services and click on the “Update” icon. This action will update the app to the latest version.
By following the above-outlined steps and updating the app, the “unfortunately, Google Play services has stopped” error message will stop displaying on your phone. However, if the problem persists, then you can attempt the second set of procedures.
2) Clear the Google Play Services Cache
Google Play services act as an organised setup for all the Google Play apps installed on your Android device. Hence, if any of apps develop any form of problem, it might affect the performance of the Google Play service app. In this case, you can attempt “clearing the cache/data” of the Google Play services. To do this, simply follow the steps below:
Navigate to the “Settings” on your phone.
Scroll down and select “All apps”
Click on “Google Play services”. This will display the app’s properties.
Click on the “Force Stop” icon.
Select the “Clear Cache” option.
These steps should fix the problem. If the problem still persists, then try the next option.
3) Reinstall the Google Play Services App
This is another method you can try. To reinstall the app, follow the steps below:
Navigate to the ‘Settings’ on your Android device.
Under the “Settings”, select the “Security” option.
Under “Security”, select “Device Administrator”.
Deactivate the Android “Device Manager”.
Go back to “Settings” and select “Application Manager”.
Under the Application Manager, tap “Google Play Services” and select the “Uninstall updates” option.
Reactivate the Android “Device Manager”.
After this, the apps running on Google Play services will give you an update, upon which the upgraded version of Google Play Services will then be reinstalled.
The above-outlined steps, under normal circumstances, should clear up the “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped” issue. You can try the next method if the problem persists.
4) Remove and Re-add Your Device’s Google Account
This method could be the magic formula to fixing the “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped” error. To “remove” and “re-add” your Google account, kindly follow the steps below:
Navigate to “Settings” on your device.
Scroll down and tap on “Accounts”.
Under “Accounts”, you will see your registered (added) account(s). Select the account (your G-mail user ID/username).
Under your displayed account, tap on the menu button, at the right-hand corner of your screen.
Select the “Remove Account” option.
To re-add your account, follow these steps:
Tap on the “Add Account” option.
Fill in your email details (username and password) and Save it. Your Google account will be “re-added” after a few minutes.
This action should fix the highlighted error. If the problem still persists, then you might have to reset your device to default.
5) Reset Device to Factory Settings
This method should be the “last option” in trying to solve the nagging error of “Unfortunately Google Play Services has stopped “. Factory reset of Android device completely wipes off all the data on the device (except external storage). To reset your device to factory setting, kindly follow the steps below:
Navigate to your Android device’s “Settings”.
Locate the “Back-up and Reset” option and click on it.
A confirmation message will pop up; “Reset/Restore to Factory Settings”. Click on it to proceed.
Your Android device will reset in a matter of a minute.
Note: This action will automatically restart your device.
We have highlighted five tested and trusted methods to try, if you are getting the “Unfortunately Google Play Services has stopped” error on your Android device. One of the above methods would definitely resolve this issue for you.
