Why my Google Play Music is not working?

Google Play Music is a media player and music streaming service developed by Google. It allows users to upload, store, and play their personal music collection online as well as stream curated playlists and radio stations. However, some users have reported issues getting Google Play Music to work properly on their devices. This article will explore some common reasons why Google Play Music may not be functioning and provide troubleshooting tips to help get it working again.

Check Your Internet Connection

One of the most common reasons Google Play Music may not be working is an issue with your internet connectivity. Google Play Music relies on an active internet connection to stream music. So before troubleshooting the app itself, it’s important to ensure you have a stable connection.

First, check that other internet-connected apps like web browsers or social media are working properly. If they are having issues too, it likely points to a broader connectivity problem. Try toggling airplane mode on and off on your device to reset the connection. Or restart your router if the issues persist.

Problems like network outages, poor signal strength, or data caps can disrupt streaming services. Run a speed test to check for slow speeds. Contact your internet service provider if speeds are consistently below the rate you pay for. Data caps may throttle speeds too. Consider upgrading to an unlimited data plan if available.

Switching wireless networks or trying on a different device can help determine if the problems are isolated or widespread. Pay attention to the strength of your WiFi signal as well – connection issues may simply be due to distance from the router. If using a mobile network, low signal areas or network congestion may be to blame.

Satellite internet users may experience more frequent disruption due to weather interference or high network usage. Seek options to boost reliability such as upgrading to NBN Sky Muster if eligible.

By troubleshooting connectivity first, you can determine whether the issues lie with your network or with Google Play Music itself before wasting time investigating the app.

Update the App

One common reason Google Play Music may stop working properly is if you don’t have the latest version of the app installed. Google frequently releases updates to fix bugs and improve features in Google Play Music. To ensure you have the most recent version, check for updates in the Google Play Store:

1. Open the Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap the menu icon in the top left corner.
3. Go to “My apps & games.”
4. Scroll through the list of installed apps and look for “Google Play Music.”
5. If an “Update” button is shown, tap it to download and install the latest version.

Installing any available updates can often resolve general issues with playback, streaming, and other features not working correctly in Google Play Music. Keeping apps up-to-date is always recommended to have access to the most recent bug fixes and features.

You can also try fully uninstalling Google Play Music and re-downloading it fresh from the Play Store. This will guarantee you have the newest available version.

Restart Your Device

Restarting your device is one of the easiest troubleshooting steps to try when Google Play Music is not working properly. A simple reboot can often clear up software glitches and get Google Play Music functioning again. Restarting your Android phone or tablet will refresh the operating system and reload all the apps and services, including Google Play Music.

To restart an Android device, hold down the power button for a few seconds until the power off option appears. Tap power off and wait for the phone to fully shut down. Then press and hold the power button again to turn the phone back on. The restart process may take a couple of minutes as the device reboots.

After restarting, launch the Google Play Music app again and see if the issues persist. Many users have found that a basic restart resolves problems like freezing, crashing, or errors with Google Play Music [1]. If you are still experiencing problems, you may need to try other troubleshooting methods.

Check Account Settings

One common reason for Google Play Music not working properly is an issue with your account settings or subscription status. Double check that your account is active and in good standing by going to the Google Play Music website and clicking on Settings ^[1]. Under Account Settings, confirm that you still have an active subscription or valid upload allowance. If your subscription has expired or you’ve reached your upload limit, you’ll need to renew or upgrade in order to continue using the full functionality of Google Play Music.

Also check under Settings > Account settings that Google Play Music is still listed under “Your Memberships & Subscriptions.” If you no longer see it listed there, you may need to restore your subscription. Lastly, under Settings > Account settings, scroll down and make sure under “Apps with account access” that Google Play Music is still connected to your account with access permissions.

Clear the App Cache

Clearing the cache and data for the Google Play Music app is one troubleshooting step that can potentially fix issues with the app not working properly. Over time, cached data builds up and can cause performance problems or freeze ups within apps.

To clear the Google Play Music app cache on Android, open your Settings app and go to Apps. Tap on Google Play Music and select Storage & Cache. Then tap on Clear Cache to delete any temporary data stored by the app. You can also tap Clear Data to delete any stored app data and settings, but be aware this will reset the app.

As recommended in an article on Chrome Unboxed, clearing the Google Play Music cache and data is an important last step when transitioning your library over to YouTube Music. This ensures no old data gets transferred over that could cause conflicts.

After clearing the cache and data, open Google Play Music again to see if the issues are resolved. Resetting the app’s data can often fix problems with freezing, crashing, or general sluggishness in the app. Just keep in mind it will reset any custom settings.

Uninstall and Reinstall

If you have tried all the other troubleshooting steps and Google Play Music is still not working, the last resort is to completely uninstall and reinstall the app. This can often resolve underlying issues by wiping the app data and cache and starting fresh. According to a Quora post, reinstalling the app is recommended if nothing else works.

To uninstall Google Play Music, go to your device’s Settings app and find the Apps or Application Manager section. Locate Google Play Music in the list and tap Uninstall. Confirm that you want to uninstall. This will completely remove the app and all associated data from your device.

Next, open the Play Store app and search for “Google Play Music.” Download and install it again. Log in to your Google account when prompted. With any luck, this should resolve any software bugs or conflicts that were preventing the app from working properly before. Give it another try and see if Google Play Music now works as expected after the reinstall.

As a last resort, try installing an older version of Google Play Music, as recommended on Reddit. While not ideal, an older version may be more stable if you are having issues with the latest release.

Contact Google Support

If troubleshooting does not resolve the issue, contact Google Play Music support directly for additional help. This is the best way to get personalized assistance from Google’s customer support team.

To contact Google Play Music support:

• Open the Google Play Music app on your Android device or visit play.google.com/music on your computer.
• Click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
• Select Help & Feedback.
• Choose the issue you are contacting them about, such as “Trouble playing music.”
• Select Contact Us and fill out the form with your issue.

You can also contact Google Play Music support by visiting the Google Play Help Forum and posting about your issue or searching for related threads. A Google employee will typically respond to help troubleshoot.

When contacting Google support, provide as many details as possible, including the specific error messages you are getting, what troubleshooting steps you’ve tried, and the device and app version you are using. This will help them quickly identify the issue and provide solutions.

Use an Alternative

If you have tried all the troubleshooting steps and are still unable to get Google Play Music working, it may be time to switch to an alternative music streaming service. Some popular alternatives to consider include:

Spotify (https://www.spotify.com/) – Spotify is one of the most widely used music streaming services, with a large song catalog, custom playlists, and social features. It offers ad-supported and premium subscription options.

Apple Music (https://www.apple.com/apple-music/) – Apple’s music streaming service seamlessly integrates with iOS devices and offers 50 million songs, radio stations, and the ability to store music offline. There are individual and family subscription plans.

YouTube Music (https://music.youtube.com/) – YouTube’s music streaming app gives you access to official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and artist radio stations. The free, ad-supported version has limited functionality.

Amazon Music (https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited) – Amazon Music offers 50 million songs in their catalog and the ability to buy digital music. Subscription plans include Amazon Prime membership, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Amazon Music HD.

Research the features and pricing of each alternative service to determine if they fit your needs. While not an identical replacement, these robust music apps can help fill the void left by Google Play Music.

Summary

If you are still experiencing issues with Google Play Music after trying the troubleshooting steps outlined in this article, it’s recommended that you contact Google support directly for additional assistance. Here’s a quick recap of the troubleshooting steps covered:

• Check your internet connection and try connecting to a different network
• Update the Google Play Music app to the latest version
• Restart your device
• Check your Google account settings
• Clear the app’s cache and data
• Try uninstalling and reinstalling the app

The Google Play Music app can sometimes stop working for unclear reasons. Following the basic troubleshooting steps here will resolve many common issues. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Google support if problems persist after trying these fixes. They should be able to provide customized support to get Google Play Music working again.