Downloading apps from the Google Play Store, but suddenly they stop working with an “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped” message popping up? This is one of the most frequent problems associated with Android phones and can have multiple causes; fortunately there are various troubleshooting steps available that may help. These may include rebooting your device, clearing cache and data, updating Google Play Services app as well as checking for Android updates or performing a factory reset if nothing else seems to help.
Problems may arise because your Google Play Services are outdated, leading to compatibility issues between apps and services, or corrupted data or cache in an app leading to instability. You can check their status by going into Settings on your device and choosing “Apps,” where a list of installed apps with their versions will appear. Staying current with their update provides access to new features, bug fixes and security improvements as soon as they become available.
Another possibility could be an unstable network connection, whether Wi-Fi or cellular data. If this is the case for you, switching networks might help alleviate any problems; alternatively, you could try resetting configurations which might clear out existing app preferences that might be contributing to it; although be mindful that doing this will delete any current permissions and background data stored by those apps.
Thirdly, an error could be due to a malfunctioning system application such as the Google Service Framework app which stores device information and syncs it with Google servers. If this is your issue, head to your Settings menu on your device and choose the “See All X Apps” option – here, scroll through all installed apps until you locate Google Play Services app to open its info screen, as well as click Storage & Cache button for cache & storage management of this particular app.
Factory resets should always be the last resort when trying to fix an Android phone, if none of your other methods fail. Before initiating one, it is always wise to backup data as performing one will erase all apps and settings – make sure your battery is fully charged, the latest software update installed so your phone is up-to-date and functional properly!