Why won’t Google recognize my device?
You’ve got a Google phone, tablet, or other device, and you want to use it with your Google account. But when you try to download apps or make purchases on the Play Store, you get an error message saying that Google can’t recognize your device. Or maybe you’re trying to set up an Android phone for the first time and wondering why the setup process is so difficult. The good news is that there are several easy steps that can get your new device talking with Google’s servers again in no time:
Try these steps.
Make sure you have the right Google account on the device.
Try another Gmail account.
Use a different browser (for example, Chrome or Firefox).
Try logging in with a different account on the same browser (for example, if you’re used to logging into gmail through your personal email address but now need to log in through work).
If all else fails, try another network or even another device!
Restart your phone.
If you’re having trouble signing in to your Google Account, try the following steps:
Restart your phone. Turn off and then turn on your phone. If you have any apps that sync with Google, make sure that they are up-to-date. For example, if you use Gmail or Calendar on iOS or Android devices, make sure that those apps have been updated recently by going to Settings > General > Software Update (for iOS) or System Settings > About Phone (for Android).
Check for service issues with [service provider]. For example, if you’re using an iPhone and experiencing issues with Siri not working properly after updating iOS 12–or any other issue involving Siri–you could try resetting it by going into Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and tapping Reset Now at the bottom of this screen as shown in Figure 1 below:
Check to see if you have a backup of your old device.
If you have a backup of your old device, you can restore it to your new phone. If not, it’s time to start from scratch on the new one.
Backing up is easy: Go to Settings > Backup & reset > Back up my data and then follow the prompts until everything has been backed up. You’ll see a list of apps that have been backed up (a list that may include Gmail and Google Photos) as well as any photos saved in Google Photos or videos saved in YouTube Music.
When restoring from an older device using an Android phone: Open Settings > Accounts & Sync > Restore from factory settings; then follow the prompts onscreen until all data has been restored onto your new device
Find your device in the Play Store app.
If you’re having trouble finding your device in the Play Store app, try these steps:
Sign in to the correct Google account on your phone or tablet.
Check that you have an internet connection and that it’s working properly.
Check for available storage space on your device (for example, using this tool). If there isn’t enough room for updates or downloads from the Play Store, delete some files from your device until there is enough space available for them to complete without error messages appearing on screen when trying to download updates from Google servers through WiFi connections only (don’t use 3G or 4G networks unless absolutely necessary).
Check that you’re using the right account.
The first thing you should check is that you’re using the right Google account. If you have multiple accounts on your phone, make sure to sign in with the one that corresponds with your device’s operating system (e.g., Android).
If this doesn’t help, try logging out and then logging back in again:
Try resetting your network settings.
If you’re having trouble connecting to a Wi-Fi network, you can try resetting your network settings. To do this:
Go to Settings > General > Reset.
Tap Reset Network Settings, then confirm by tapping Reset Local Area Network (LAN). This will reset all Wi-Fi passwords on your device and remove them from the list of available networks when available; however, it won’t affect other settings such as Bluetooth or cellular data usage.
Your phone will reboot after performing this action and will prompt you to sign in again with the same Google account that was previously synced with Android Auto before restoring any previous settings for location services, language preferences, calendars etc..
Check that Google Play is up to date on your phone or tablet.
Check that Google Play is up to date on your phone or tablet.
Go to the Google Play Store app, and tap Menu > My apps & games. If any updates are available for apps on your device, they’ll appear here. If not, try restarting the device by holding down the power button until it turns off completely; then turn it back on again and see if this resolves the issue.
Google devices don’t work alone.
Google devices don’t work alone. They’re part of the Google ecosystem, which means they rely on your account to work. This is why you need to verify your device with Google and link it to an active Gmail account.
If you’ve already signed into a different device (or used another person’s device), but haven’t been able to sign in on this one yet, try signing out of all other devices first by following these steps:
On your computer browser go to https://www.google.com/settings/manageaccounts/ and select Remove Account(s).
Follow the instructions provided by Google when prompted for more information about removing each account listed under Remove Account(s).
If you’re still having problems, contact Google Support.
For more information, visit: Why won’t Google recognize my device? — ITMlab