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Is anybody else having trouble downloading apps or updates from the Google Play Store?

I am in the Tampa Bay area and have tried (with the help of friends and co-workers) about 20 different phones on the T-mobile network and none of them will download apps or updates from the playstore. If I connect the phone to a non T-mobile wifi then it works fine. Is there some issue between T-mobile and Google? Not sure what’s going on here.

I’m in the Tampa metro area too. I’m an old hand at android phones and networking, but brand-new to using T-Mobile. My case is a bit atypical: I just signed up for the $20/mo. DATA sim (e.g. intended for a hotspot) but am using the SIM in a well-used mobile (BLU S91). The phone activated perfectly. I can use the phone's internet features (e.g. Firefox, stream audio music, etc.) and hotspot worked as expected. My connected laptop works normallly so far as I could tell (web browsing, play music) but here is the weird thing: just like you, I cannot get any app to complete a download or to update from the Google Play Store. I’ve tried the usual tricks, clear data and cache, force stop etc. all to no avail.

Anyway, I’m replying here because I seem to be having the same problem as you.


I’m in the Fort Lauderdale area, and I have been having intermittent issues with Google Play Store for the past couple of weeks. It usually occurs when I’m trying to update apps.


Do you have download apps over data turned on in the PlayStore settings?  T-Mobile's Home Internet uses cell towers to provide the service so it might be misinterpreted as a data connection download. 


Yes, on the “hotspot” phone, I cannot successfully download apps from network. To reiterate, I’m NOT using Home Internet, I’m using a data sim in a mobile phone.

I have the download issue with a e-reader (Boyue T80D) running Android 8.1. I’ve sent a bug report to Google for whatever value it might have. Other data use of the hotspot works normally. I suspect Google Play Store has problems with latency. I ran a Oogla Speedtest to Tampa (USF) server:

Download 6.7 Mb/sec, Upload 0.80.

Ping: Idle tatency 99, download 295, upload 100 msec. Test was done at 08:40 AM local.

For comparison, I swapped to my phone that uses AT&*T network and turned on its hotspot. Here are the Speedtest numbers:

Download 23.2, up 0.20.
Ping 998, 426, 466.

On the "T-mobile" phone, turned off mobile data, wi-fi on, and was able to update 4 apps via the Google Play Store. So likely it’s not the latency.

 


Yes, on the “hotspot” phone, I cannot successfully download apps from network. To reiterate, I’m NOT using Home Internet, I’m using a data sim in a mobile phone.

I have the download issue with a e-reader (Boyue T80D) running Android 8.1. I’ve sent a bug report to Google for whatever value it might have. Other data use of the hotspot works normally. I suspect Google Play Store has problems with latency. I ran a Oogla Speedtest to Tampa (USF) server:

Download 6.7 Mb/sec, Upload 0.80.

Ping: Idle tatency 99, download 295, upload 100 msec. Test was done at 08:40 AM local.

For comparison, I swapped to my phone that uses AT&*T network and turned on its hotspot. Here are the Speedtest numbers:

Download 23.2, up 0.20.
Ping 998, 426, 466.

On the "T-mobile" phone, turned off mobile data, wi-fi on, and was able to update 4 apps via the Google Play Store. So likely it’s not the latency.

 

Android 8.1 is well beyond end of life.  The current version of Android is 14 with 15 just around the corner.  Your device might not be compatible with the apps you are trying to download any longer.  


Problem solved -- partially. I took my “new” phone (Blu S91) to a local business and used their wi-fi just to verify I could download and install apps via wi-fi. Yes. During this time, on my phone under Settings->Security I noted an option “Google Play system update.” I selected this and downloaded an update. After the restart I checked again and there was another update. Now my “device is up to date.” Once i got home, using the T-mobile hotspot’s wi-fi, I was able to successfully download and install an app via Play Store.

Odd that a phone has a specific menu choice just to update Play Store.

My “old” S91 (acting as the wi-fi hotspot) is updated to the latest “Security” and “Google Play” updates -- I just checked. Curiously, it still has Play Store issues. I tried twice to downoad the Wal-Mart app; it appeared to download most of the data but ends up with the “Can’t install xxxx” message that’s wonderfully uninformative.


Does anyone know how to fix this issue I have done everything even factory reset been to the store many times and been on phone with tech from tmobile and samsung support and I keep getting the run around and google says there is no issue with the app but we can't download anything or update anything on Google playstore.


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