Fix ‘Error Checking for Updates’ on Google Play Store

I will explain to you How to fix the error “Error checking for updates” in Google Play Store

The “Error checking for updates” error on Google Play Store means that the app is unable to get all the latest updates from the installed apps. This error usually occurs due to some corrupt cache data from Play Store or a server connection issue. It is usually caused by data cache corruption in Play Store or Google Play Services.

How to fix the error “Error checking for updates” in Google Play Store

Fixing “Error checking for updates” error on Play Store

Incorrect device settings or connection issues can also play a role.

In this article, we will discuss different ways to fix this error.

1. Clear data and cache

Cache or data corruption in Play Store can prevent it from accessing updates properly. Clearing this cache and data fixes these issues, allowing the app to reconnect to Google servers and start checking for and downloading updates without any issues.

Pull down the notification panel and tap the settings icon. Click on the settings gear
Scroll down and tap on Apps. Click on the “Apps” option
Select Apps and look for Google Play Store in the list. Select Google Play Store from the list

Note: If Google Play Store is not visible, tap the three dots in the top right corner and choose “Show system apps.”

Tap on Storage and select “Clear cache” and “Clear data.” Click on the “Clear cache” button
Wait for the cache to be cleared and determine if the error still persists.

2. Remove updates

Reverting Play Store to its defaults can resolve recent issues. This step removes faulty data that would help the app start working as expected in the first place.

Expand the notification drawer and tap the settings icon.
Scroll down and tap Apps.
Select Apps and look for Google Play Store in the list. Select Google Play Store from the list

Note: If Google Play Store is not visible, tap the three dots in the top right corner and select “Show system apps.”

Tap the three dots in the top right corner and choose “Uninstall updates.” Click the three dots in the top right corner and select “Uninstall updates”
Check if the problem persists.

3. Update your device’s OS to the latest version

Updating your device to the latest OS version improves compatibility with Google Play services and fixes bugs. An updated OS ensures smoother interactions with apps, prevents conflicts, and improves app performance.

Open Settings on your phone and go to About phone. Tap About phone in Settings
Select System update and tap Check for updates. Check for updates on your Android phone
If an OS update is available, apply it and restart your phone.
After restarting, check if the Google Play update issue is resolved.

4. Allow Google Play Store to update over any network

Allowing Play Store to update over any network and not just Wi-Fi can help when Wi-Fi is unstable or unavailable. This allows updates to happen over mobile data, ensuring that Play Store can check for updates without any issues and reducing connectivity errors.

Open Google Play Store and tap the menu icon (hamburger menu) in the top left corner.
Scroll to the bottom, open Settings and select Auto-update apps.Open Google Play Store Settings
Select On any network and tap Done. Set Google Play to update apps on any network
Check if this resolves the Google Play update error.

5. Adjust your device's date and time

Set your device's date and time correctly so that Play Store syncs with Google servers. Wrong settings can cause it to frequently drop connection attempts, and get errors before updating. Entering these correct settings allows Play Store to check for updates without any issues.

Go into phone settings, check date and time
Enable Automatic date and time and Automatic time zone.
Disable the 24-hour format option and restart your mobile phone. Turn on automatic date and time and turn off 24-hour format
After restart, check if Google Play is updating apps correctly

6. Grant all necessary permissions to Google Play Store and services.

Make sure that Google Play Store and Google Play services have all necessary permissions for updates to be installedThey help updates to happen properly.

Clear the cache and data of both Google Play Store and Google Play services—which are under Manage Space—together, Google Services Framework, and Google App. Delete the cache and data of Google Play services. Restart your device. Then, go to Settings and open Apps.
Select Google Play Store, choose Permissions, and make sure they are all enabled. Enable Google Play Store permissions
Do the same for Google Play services.
Open Google Play Store and configure it if necessary.
Install a new app like Zoom or Skype and check if the update issue is resolved. Install Zoom from Play Store

7. Manually update some apps in Play Store

Manually updating specific apps can refresh the Play Store update process and remove stagnant updates. This method focuses on individual apps, avoiding issues with automatic updates and allowing new apps to install smoothly.

Open Play Store and search for an installed app, such as Chrome, using the search bar.
It's important to update the app if it's available. Repeat the process for other apps, especially Google apps. You can update alphabetically or use a third-party app like Update Software Fast Update for All Android. Update Google Chrome from Play Store
After updating the apps, check if the Play Store update issue is resolved.

8. Delete some of the apps on your device

Uninstalling unnecessary apps can fix Play Store errors because limited storage can negatively affect updates. When storage is almost full, Play Store may fail to download and check for updates, resulting in an error. Deleting unused apps makes room for updates, so Play Store can perform better and reduce errors.

8.1. Uninstall problematic apps

Open Google Play Store and access its menu.
Go to My apps & games and select the Installed tab. Open My apps and games
Select Reviews and uninstall non-essential apps (such as Alexa, OnePlus Notes, or AdClear) to resolve the issue. Open Reviews in the Installed tab
Check if the update issue is resolved.

8.2. Uninstall apps that haven't been updated for a long time

If the problem persists, goto the "Installed" tab of My apps and games in Play Store.
Sort by "Last updated" and scroll down. Sort installed applications by last update
Remove the applications which have not been updated for a long time and check if the problem is solved.

8.3 Removing incompatible applications

If the problem persists, open all the installed apps one by one (you can try a third-party app like Update Software List or List My Apps and export the list of apps with hyperlinks to their Play Store page as HTML. You can then use that HTML in your phone's Chrome browser to check the apps one by one) in Play Store and check if the app shows Open, Update, Enable, or No longer supported on device. Open the exported HTML file of your apps in Chrome
If Enable is displayed, enable the app. If No longer supported on device is displayed, delete the app and then check if the update issue is resolved.This device is no longer supported on your device

8.4. Uninstall apps that were removed from Play Store

If the problem persists, open Settings and go to Apps.Open Apps in your phone's Settings
Go through your installed apps and tap App details to open the app's Play Store page. If the app has been removed from the Play Store, uninstall it and check if that fixes the update issue. Open App Details in the App Settings

9. Remove some of the Google accounts from your phone

If you have multiple Google accounts on your device, they can sometimes conflict and cause Play Store update issues. Removing one or more accounts can reduce sync errors and network conflicts, helping the Play Store check for updates more smoothly. This action simplifies account management and often quickly resolves update errors.

9.1. Enable sync for the Google Play Store

Open Settings and go to Accounts (you may need to check More settings). Open Accounts in Phone Settings
Select Google and make sure all accounts are syncing correctly. Open Google under Accounts in Phone Settingsphone
If an account won't sync, tap on it.
Check and enable sync options, especially for Google Play, to see if that fixes the update issue. Enable sync for Google Play in Accounts

9.2. Remove some of the accounts

If necessary, tap the Google account in Settings > Accounts > Google and tap More.
Select Remove account and confirm. Remove the problematic Google account
Restart your device and check if the update issue is fixed.

9.3. Remove all Google accounts

Remove all Google accounts and restart your device.
After the restart, create a new Gmail account on the device and sign in with it to see if the issue is resolved. If you prefer to use your old accounts, update their passwords before adding them back to the device.

How to Fix ‘Error Checking for Updates’ on Google Play Store