Top 7 Ways to Fix Google Play Store Error Checking for Updates

Google Play Store is the official store for downloading apps and games on Android. Play Store is confusing to navigate and sometimes the app fails to download apps and games. Google Play Store occasionally shows errors when checking for updates in the Manage apps and device menu. You can fix this.

Over the years, Google has revamped the Play Store with a new user interface. But the underlying problems are still intact. As a result, users often find that Play Store gets errors while checking for apps and game updates. If you are among the affected, it is time to fix the problem and install the latest apps and games on Android phone.

1. Check Internet Connection

The biggest culprit behind Play Store not checking for updates is a sloppy internet connection. Make sure your Android phone has good enough internet speed.

Try opening a few browser tabs in Chrome or Firefox and observe the speed. If you are connected to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi frequency, try connecting to the 5.0 GHz frequency; this will increase internet speed on your phone.

2. Check App Updates Preference

Google Play Store allows you to update apps automatically in the background. This can be useful if you keep getting errors to manually check for updates.

With automatic update applications, you can leave the update problem to Google. Here’s how to set up auto-update apps in the Google Play Store.

Stage 1: Open Google Play Store on your Android phone.

Step 2: Tap the account profile icon in the top right corner and go to Settings.

Stage 3: Go to Network preferences > Auto-update apps.

Step 4: Set apps to auto-update over any network or Wi-Fi only.

3. Clear Play Store Cache and Data

Google Play Store collects cache data in the background to quickly open frequently visited app pages. A large cache and storage data can cause errors when checking for new app updates in the Play Store.

You need to clear the Play Store cache and storage from the settings menu. Here’s how.

Stage 1: Find the Play Store app icon in the app drawer or home screen menu.

Step 2: Long press the Play Store icon and tap the little info button in the context menu.

Stage 3: Go to storage and cache.

Step 4: Clear Storage and Clear Cache from the menu below.

Step 5: Open the Play Store app and try updating the apps again.

Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Apps & notifications > See all apps and select Google Play Store from the menu below.

4. Give Unlimited Data Usage to Google Play Store

With unlimited data usage, Google Play Store can automatically update apps in the background even with Data Saver turned on.

Stage 1: Find the Play Store app icon in the app drawer or home screen menu.

Step 2: Long press the Play Store icon and tap the little info button in the context menu.

Stage 3: Go to mobile data and Wi-Fi.

Step 4: Enable the Unlimited data usage toggle from the menu below.

5. Disable Google Play Store

Sometimes disabling and enabling Play Store from the Settings menu can fix annoying issues.

The option to disable Google Play Store is in the same app info menu. Open Settings and go to Apps & notifications > Google Play Store and disable the app from the menu below. You can enable it again from the same menu.

Open Play Store and try to update the apps again.

6. Reset App Preferences

Normally we do not recommend using this trick unless necessary. Reset app preferences button resets all preferences for disabled apps, disabled app notifications, background app restrictions for apps and resets all permission restrictions.

All your custom app preferences will be lost and you will have to set them again. So, use this method only if the error checking for updates has not been resolved by now.

Stage 1: Open the Settings app on your Android phone.

Step 2: Go to Apps & notifications > See all apps.

Stage 3: Tap on the three-dot menu at the top and select Reset app preferences.

7. Uninstall Play Store Updates

Unlike the App Store on iOS, the Google Play Store runs as a separate app on Android. That is, it is not dependent on Android OS updates and Google may release frequent Play Store updates to add new features and change the UI.

The latest Google Play Store update may have broken the app updates function on the phone. You can uninstall these updates and revert to the factory version. Follow the steps below.

Stage 1: Long press the Google Play Store icon and open the info menu.

Step 2: From the Play Store app info menu, tap the three-dot menu at the top and select Uninstall updates.

Stage 3: Confirm your decision and Play Store will revert to factory version.

Start Updating Apps Again

Google Play Store showing errors to check for updates can cause you to sideload APK files from the web. On Android, installing apps from other sources than Google Play Store is inefficient and unsafe. The methods mentioned above should fix things for you. Let us know which trick fixed the Play Store error for you in the comments below.

Next: Auto-update apps not working in Play Store? Read the post below to learn the top nine fixes for Google Play Store not updating apps automatically in the background.