What you need to know
- The Google Play Store is encountering an annoying crash seemingly without cause on Android.
- Reports claim the app is delivering a "keeps stopping" error message, a classic popup when an app unexpectedly closes, on phones and tablets.
- While Google has yet to formally acknowledge this issue, the most recent update for the Play Store involves Verified badges for VPNs.
Google's app store is encountering an issue on Android devices that's hampering user experiences.
Spotted by 9to5Google, the publication reports that the Google Play Store is encountering an annoying wave of crashes on Android. The crash doesn't appear to have vastly negative effects on the system's overall software (like a lockout/system freeze). What's been reported is an app error message, which states the following: "Google Play Store keeps stopping."
Anyone who's experienced an app crash on their Android device will recognize this quick message. Users are left with no choice but to close the app and re-open it in hopes that it doesn't become too frequent.
Google has yet to formally acknowledge these issues, likely because it's not affecting a vast majority of its users — not yet, anyway.
The post adds that the crash has happened on smartphones and tablets, such as the Pixel Tablet. The publication also reports that it's encountered the Play Store's crash "several times" in the "past 24 hours."
At the time of writing, we've not encountered an app error with the Play Store in testing via a Moto Edge Plus 2023 or a base Motor Razr 2023. Fortunately, the crashes don't impact the core functions of the store like downloading/installing. For now, if this is happening you and your device, waiting for a backend fix is likely your next course of action.
The Play Store hasn't had any major updates recently, aside from Google's introduction of Verified badges for "trusted" VPNs. The company detailed in a press release yesterday (Jan 28) that these badges are for companies with VPNs that have undergone an independent security review alongside displaying a committment to securing a user's data safely. These badges are arriving first for NordVPN, hide.me, and Aloha.
Others can begin taking the necessary steps for such verification.
Also, toward the end of last year, Google ditched the "Share Apps" feature from the Play Store. The function worked thanks to Android's Nearby Share protocol, which lets users send an app over the air to a friend or family member's device for download. With it gone, we're back to sharing links — which isn't too bad.
