The Android Error Code 194 is an error that stops you from downloading and installing apps on Google Play Store. You are likely to experience it regardless of your Android version. This error could occur as a result of several reasons and can ruin your experience on the Google play store app.
However, depending on the cause of this error, there are several operations that you can perform to fix this error. In this guide, we will look at what this error is, what causes it and list different solutions to fix it.
Quick Navigation
What is Android Error Code 194?
Android error code 194 is a common error on 2.1 Eclair, 3.0 Honeycomb, 4.1 Jellybean, 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread, Android 4.4 Kitkat, 5.0, 5.1 Lollipop, and 6.0 Marshmallow + Android versions. This error only affects Google Play.
The error message reads; “Application could not be downloaded due to an error. (194).”
Once this error message pops up on your screen, you need to look for a solution immediately.
What causes Android Error Code 194?
The Android error code 194 may happen due to the following reasons below:
- The Cache folder on your android device contains some corrupt files.
- The data on the SD card cannot be accessed.
- Google Play Store is not allowing the update to complete.
- The SD card on your Android device contains some corrupt data.
How to Fix the Android Error Code 194
Fixing the Android error code 194 is not difficult. All you have to do is perform a few operations on your Android device. Therefore, I have arranged some potential solutions below to help you fix the error.
Solution 1: Clearing the Cache of the Google Play Store
You may be encountering Android Error Code 194 due to some badly cached data in the installation folder. In most cases, this is the only solution you need to conquer this error. You can clear the cache and application data of the Google Play Store app by following the below-given steps.
- Step 1: On the home screen of your Android device, tap on the Settings menu. In the Settings menu, tap on Apps & notifications and click on Apps or App List.
- Step 2: Go through the apps list and find Google Play Store. Tap on the app to open it.
- Step 3: From the Info menu of Google Play Store, tap on Storage to reach the clearing data option.
- Step 4: In the Storage option, click on Clear Cache. Once this process is complete, click on Clear Data.
- Step 5: When you’ve cleared the data of Google Play Store, restart your PC and try to update or re-download the app that was causing the error.
Solution 2: Remove your Google account and log back in
You may encounter the android error code 194 if you are dealing with a corrupted Google account. In this case, you would fix it by signing out and in of your Google account.
- Step 1: Open your Settings app and access the Accounts menu.
- Step 2: In the User & accounts screen, locate your Google account, and tap on it.
- Step 3: Scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap Remove.
- Step 4: When you have removed the Google account, return to the User & accounts screen, go to the bottom of your screen, and tap Add account.
- Step 5: In the Add, an account window, tap Google, and follow the on-screen instructions to re-add your Google account.
- Step 6: Reboot your device and try to update or download the app at the next startup.
Solution 3: Moving the app from SD to Internal
You may encounter the error code 194 if you are using an SD card for extra memory. When this happens, you will fix the issue by moving the app to the internal storage and updating it there.
- Step 1: Access the Settings menu and go to Apps & Notifications. Tap on Apps to see all your installed applications.
- Step 2: In the list of installed applications, find the app that refuses to install and tap on it to expand its menu.
- Step 3: Tap on Storage, then tap on Change storage location and move the app to Internal Storage.
- Step 4: Once the app has been moved to internal storage, update the application again, and see if it completes without issues. If you’re still encountering the error code 194, jump to solution 4.
- Step 5: If you updated the app while it’s moved to the Internal Storage, you could take it back to the SD card when the process is complete.
Solution 3: Uninstalling Updates and Clearing Cache
Sometimes uninstalling updates and clearing cache is what you need to do to fix this error. To do this, you will have to follow the steps below.
- Step 1: Go to Settings on your Android device and tap Manage Applications.
- Step 2: Now, access ALL Scroll and find “Google Play Store,” When you see it, clear cache and clear data for the app.
- Step 4: Tap Force Stop Select.
- Step 5: Finally, uninstall updates and reboot your phone.
Solution 4: Performing Factory Hard Reset
Performing a factory reset is also a way to go if the error code 194 occurred as a result of some settings on your device. Ensure that you backup all your data before doing this on your Android Phone.
- Step 1: Go to the settings menu and locate Backup & reset
- Step 2: Tap Factory reset
- Step 3: Enter your password and erase all data on your device.
- Step 4: Reboot your device and restore all the data.
How Do I fix Google Sign in Error in Android?
Sometimes you may encounter problems with Google sign-in due to some reasons. It could be file corruption or cache issues. If you are having issues signing into your Google account on your android device, you should be able to fix it with the steps below.
- Step 1: Clone the repository and open the SignIn App (under Android)
- Step 2: Click on SignInActivity
- Step 3: Click on Google Sign In button.
- Step 4: Select your Google Account
Once you perform the steps above and still can’t sign in, you need to update and reboot your android device. When you are dealing with Android updates, the adoption rate is not so spectacular. Most times, Google updates this chart frequently, and the results are controversial. Some android users still have marshmallows on their phones.
However, these OS updates come with new features and important patches and fixes for this bug. Now, to reboot your android device, you can follow the steps below.
- Step 1: Go to Settings and tap on Apps.
- Step 2: Scroll down the “All” tab and tap on the Google App
- Step 3: Tap on Force stop, and clear the cache.
- Step 4: Switch off your device and turn it back on.
- Step 5: Check if you have resolved the error.
If you are using a custom ROM, it may be the culprit for this issue if Google Apps does not flash with ROM. But the solution above should work for you. If not, you can try uninstalling Play Store updates. To uninstall play store updates, you can follow the steps in solution three above. You can also try removing your Google account.
The error may be simply a sign-in problem that sometimes occurs when updating the Play Store.
The first thing to do is to go into your phone’s main Settings menu and then accounts and sync and simply remove the Google Account that shows the “Authentication Required” error. Once you have done that, you can re-add your account, and it should just work fine. You can also restart your phone before reconnecting if necessary.
However, while removing your Google account, you may also need to try new sync. Something might not be syncing for some reason and just need a little push. To do this, follow the below-given steps.
- Step 1: Go to the “Settings” option and click on “Accounts.”
- Step 2: Click on Google and your email address. Click on “Sync everything.”
- Step 3: Now, you can return to the Play Store and see if the authentication message is missing
Check your Internet Connection
Check your Internet connection with the Quick Search feature to ensure that you have a connection with the correct speed. It is also good to check your ISP plan. If possible, you can try connecting to other Wi-Fi and then try again. Check out this guide for more information on using the Play Store along with mobile data.
Check your Data Usage
You may have a strong internet connection, and other programs are working smoothly. But, this does not mean that the Play Store can access the Internet. You can control your internet-based internet access. To check your data usage, go to Settings, and tap Manage programs or if you have a different UI, search for a list of installed programs and systems.
Ensure that it can access the Internet on both mobile data and Wi-Fi on your phone under Restrict data usage. Repeat this same process for Play Services this time.
Conclusion
Android Error Code 194 is a common error experienced by many Android users. Most times, you will not have to spend much time fixing it. Clearing the cache on the Google Play store may be the only solution you need to fix it. In this article, I have provided you with possible solutions for this error. Now it’s your turn to perform these solutions and tackle it.