What is “Can’t install app” error code 504/505

Can’t install app message accompanied by error code 504/505 is encountered by some users when trying to install or update applications in Google Play Store. Eventually, users are left totally confused not knowing what should be done in order to resolve the issue. Here is the full message that users are likely to see when facing this error:

“App Name” can’t be installed. Try again, and if the problem continues, get help troubleshooting.
(Error code: -504/505)

Unfortunately, it is hard to tell the exact and universal reason why this problem occurs. The error can equally be related to connection issues, corrupted/overloaded Google Play cache, or various bugs within the smartphone itself. By following our guide below, you will most likely resolve the issue and get your Google Play Store back to working again. Simply try each solution as written below until one of them eventually rectifies the “Can’t install app” error code 504/505 problem.

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1. Check your Internet connection

Since error 504/505 has a relation to the network connection, it is important to ensure everything is alright with it. First, check if you have an Internet connection by trying to access other online resources (like websites). Then, you can try to reset your internet connection by restarting the router (modem). If you are at your own home, hold the power button at the back of the router for a couple of seconds until it turns off. Then, push the same button to power it back. Simply restarting your router helps deal with a variety of problems. Try and see if it helps before moving further to the other solutions below.

2. Clear Cache for Google Play Store

Various data like cache that gets accumulated over time can become junked and create problems in the work of certain applications. Thus, the solution here is to simply clear the cache and data for Google Play. Note that this will likely log you out of your Google account.

  1. Find and open Settings on your smartphone.
  2. Then go to Apps > App management. Note that this may slightly vary on other Android smartphones. What we need here is just to open the list of all installed applications.
  3. Once there, search for Google Play and tap on it.
  4. Then go to Storage or Storage usage and click Clear cache and then Clear data.

After this, go to Google Play Store and try to install an application again.

3. Unmount SD card

Some users suggest removing the SD card from the slot and putting it back. You can also try this method if you have an SD card installed. You can choose to do it either physically or simply in the Settings of your smartphone. Here is how to do it in Settings:

  1. Go to Settings and navigate to Storage. Once again note that the locations and names of certain sections may be different on your smartphone model. Sometimes Storage is called Memory on other devices.
  2. Then go to your SD card and find an option called Unmount. Once unmounted, find a button to Mount it back.

If you are not sure how to unmount the SD card in Settings on your smartphone, simply shut down your smartphone, physically remove the SD card, and put it back in. Once done, boot up your Android device and try to install apps in Google Play Store again.

4. Log out and Sign in your Google Account again

The next solution alternative is to remove and add your Google account again in settings. Doing so has helped some users stop receiving the “Can’t install app” message with error code 504/505. Here is how you can do it:

  1. Go to Settings and navigate to Accounts (or Users & accounts).
  2. Choose Google from the list and choose your account. After choosing, click on three vertical dots in the top right corner and tap on Remove account.
  3. Once done, go to the same section and choose Add account to log back into it.

5. Make sure your device is up-to-date

If there are any pending updates that can be installed on your device, we recommend you to do so. New updates can contain fixes that resolve some known bugs or flaws causing various issues. We thus advise you to check your smartphone for new updates and install them if any are found. You can do it the following way:

  1. Find and open Settings on your smartphone.
  2. Scroll down the list and open Software update or similar. Sometimes this setting is located in About phone section.
  3. Then, click on Check for update or similar option to search for updates.
  4. If found, Download & Install it to upgrade your system.
  5. Now you can check if new updates brought your smartphone back to normal user experience. If nothing has changed, proceed to the remaining solution down below.

6. Reset your smartphone to factory settings

The last resort option if none of the previous methods worked it out for you is to reset your Android device to factory settings. This action will erase all data and settings stored on your smartphone. In other words, your phone will be reinstalled from scratch. Thus, it is important to make sure you have a fresh backup of data to be able to restore it after a successful reset. Once you made a new backup, here are the steps to take in order to reset the device to its default configuration:

  1. Open Settings and go to About phone.
  2. Right there, you will see information about Android and UI versions, your CPU, RAM, Memory, and more.
  3. Somewhere at the bottom, you will see the Reset button. Click on it and choose Factory Reset to erase all data and get your smartphone back to default settings.
  4. Agree with everything promoted and wait until your device completes the reset. It might take up to 30 minutes.
  5. Also, if you do not have the same location of settings and are unable to find some of these steps, you can type Reset in the search bar in Settings and open it up.

Summary

Google Play Store is an important place for installing and updating apps. This is why errors 504 or 505 can be especially frustrating for users. However, we hope that our guide helped you forget about them and continue installing/updating your apps without similar problems. If there is any other error or issue that disrupts your Android or PC experience, feel free to search for a relevant article on our websites.

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James Kramer
Hello, I'm James. My website Bugsfighter.com, a culmination of a decade's journey in the realms of computer troubleshooting, software testing, and development. My mission here is to offer you comprehensive, yet user-friendly guides across a spectrum of topics in this niche. Should you encounter any challenges with the software or the methodologies I endorse, please know that I am readily accessible for assistance. For any inquiries or further communication, feel free to reach out through the 'Contacts' page. Your journey towards seamless computing starts here