Home Android GuidesAndroid Guide: How To Fix Android Market Issues
25
Oct

Android Guide: How To Fix Android Market Issues

Written by Rachid Otsmane-Elhaou. Posted in Android Guides

One of the more common issues you will find with android is to do with the market. Google have not quite got the market to the top of it’s game just yet (but it is getting better for sure), and one of the occasional complaints is to do with market apps just not downloading. You can search, read comments and screenshots, but the damn thing just sits there initialising the download, sometimes (eventually) giving you a download unsuccessful message.

Sometimes this error is on googles side, and there is little you can do to fix it yourself except waiting it out, howeve there are some things you can do that in most cases will fix the issue straight away!

snap20101025_160408

1: Turn It Off, Then On Again

Brings back some horrible memories for me this one, especially with regards to family/friend PC issues. Anyway, the simplest solution is normally the best! Just restart your phone, 9 out of 10 times as soon as the phone starts back up again the downloads will just start on their own.

Step 2 awaits if this didn’t work..

2: Google Talk

The market has a dependency on the Google Talk app service. If you are not signed into Google Talk, then you are unlikely to be able to download any apps, they will just sit there as in the screenshot above. So, first things first, open up the Talk app on your phone and ensure you are signed in. Now go back to the market and check if the apps have begun downloading. You may also have to cancel, then restart the downloads to see if this has worked correctly.

If that didn’t work, or you were already signed into Talk, then carry on to step 3!

3: Clear Market Data/Cache

Clearing the market data and cache can force the market app to essentially start again. Any temporary data that may be causing the downloads to stall will be wiped and the process will begin again, hopefully fixing the issue. This step tends to work just after you have either updated the market app, or have installed an android update or installed a new ROM. The instructions below will show you how to do this, bear in mine the instructions are for vanilla froyo android, so some of the menu names may be slightly different for you, but you should find your way (if not please feel free to ask in the comments)

  1. Press Menu
  2. Select Settings
  3. Select Applications
  4. Select Manage Applications
  5. Select All
  6. Select Market
  7. Click Clear cache
  8. Click Clear data and select Ok in the popup
  9. Restart your phone

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Now re-enter the market, hopefully this should fix your issues.

 

If none of the above worked, then most likely its an issue on the Google side, and you may just have to sit and wait it out!

Rachid Otsmane-Elhaou

Rachid Otsmane-Elhaou (26) is a Business Analyst by day, but his real passion is technology, and in particular android (how can you not love the little green guy?). Rachid runs the Droid-Den website, that came about with a mission to help and inform android users about the great device(s) they have in their grasp.

Find me on Twitter (Le3ky) and Google+.

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  • http://twitter.com/TonyP_UK Tony P

    Another possible reason for Market problems is phone storage. I get “Starting download…” endlessly if my Desire is showing the warning icon in the notification bar (usually 133/147mb or more). Sometimes the same result when phone storage is just under the warning limit, say 132.5mb. Solution is to delete some unwanted apps, works every time for me.

    @TonyP_UK

  • Ste

    I have this issue when I am signed in on iGoogle on my computer and trying to download apps on my phone at the same time. It started happening after I was asked to update my profile with my name for Picasa for whatever reason, I did this but not with my full name (one initial) as suggested by Google when I did it. After that my apps stopped downloading. I got them working again when I changed to my full name and also closing my browser on my comp, but I don’t need to sign out in my browser first. Strange, guess it could be to do with gtalk like you say, although I have always been signed out on both my comp and my phone

  • IanK

    I had this issue and none of these worked for me. As I was able to access all other online services just fine I thought it must be a phone/google link or sync issue..

    I solved my problem by clearing the Google user data, the next time you run the market it will prompt you for your google account credentials again, after that my downloads all started and I haven’t had a problem since

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Jared-Elick/100000649334420 Jared Elick

    Thank you, that worked =D

  • Rksastry1957

    I have followed steps 1&2 but no use. I do not have market application on my Samsung Galaxy Tab (GT-P1000). I tried all that suggested by google help sites. My tab is not recognized as an android device by google’s 2 step verification and I can’t generate application specific passwords.

  • Rksastry1957

    I have followed steps 1&2 but no use. I do not have market application on my Samsung Galaxy Tab (GT-P1000). I tried all that suggested by google help sites. My tab is not recognized as an android device by google’s 2 step verification and I can’t generate application specific passwords.

  • http://www.droid-den.com Rachid

    You don’t have the market application? Why don’t you install it then?

  • Anonymous

    hi i was wondering u would know anout about the LG-C660R phone it has an android system and i’ve been having the same issue as most people when it comes to using the market app.  What usually happens when i attempt to use it before being able to get to the home page of the app a message will appear saying…”attention an error has occur. please try again later and i have no idea of how to fix it so that that message won’t appear.  Ive even tried doing it through the website itself on my phone and i keep getting the same message any suggestions as to how to fix this problem?

    thanks

  • Anonymous

    hi i was wondering u would know anout about the LG-C660R phone it has an android system and i’ve been having the same issue as most people when it comes to using the market app.  What usually happens when i attempt to use it before being able to get to the home page of the app a message will appear saying…”attention an error has occur. please try again later and i have no idea of how to fix it so that that message won’t appear.  Ive even tried doing it through the website itself on my phone and i keep getting the same message any suggestions as to how to fix this problem?

    thanks

  • lonelydroid

    Help help,i have a Gingerbread Droid ,im new at this type of phone and really new at the issues that come along,well here goes,i wanted to place a some easy access apps to my launcher,i mean the section were the phone,browser application tabs are,it all worked well,until i tried placing the market app were the phone should be,now when i push the phone tab the Market opens,plus i just noticed it says Market were it use to say phone,i dont know what to do,please let me know,thank you in advance.

  • http://www.droid-den.com Rachid

    Hi, Have you tried restarting your phone?

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