If you have run into problems while downloading larger apps on your Android smartphone, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at this common issue and present some helpful solutions for getting around it.
Oftentimes, the “Error 504” message appears when you try to download apps of a large size on a slower internet connection, preventing you from continuing your download. This can be quite troublesome when you can’t get the app that you need on your smartphone.
If you’re tired of seeing the Error 504, you’re going to want to stick around. It took some time, but I believe I have targeted the best fixes for the Error code 504 issue. I hope that you will find success in my research and be able to download that much-needed app to your Android.
What Does Error Code 504 Mean?
Error 504 means that servers are experiencing difficulty when trying to connect. You’ve likely seen this countless times upon clicking on certain websites. But about Android downloads, there’s a problem somewhere in the connection between your smartphone and the server from which the download is coming.
The biggest hurdle when trying to crack this code was the many different reasons behind the error message. You see, not everyone experiences the same issues when they receive this error. This made finding a solution especially challenging.
However, I’m confident in what I’ve discovered, so read on to see if the solution to your trouble is listed below.
More often than not, Error 504 is associated with the server timing out on the other end. This means that it is taking longer than usual to establish a solid connection. It could be due to a genuine problem with Google Playstore or your internet connection is not supporting the size of the download.
But if you’re having trouble downloading an app, there’s a good chance that there is a bad connection on your device. Eliminating the underlying issue will almost always result in the download going through as it’s supposed to.
How to fix the Problem While Downloading apps:
Let’s explore a few of the steps you can take to fix the Error 504 message and get that download working on your smartphone. Every step you are about to learn has solved the downloading issue for many people. Hopefully, you are one of them.
1. Try Downloading Other Apps
First things first. Try downloading different apps to test and see if the Error 504 is isolated to a single app for several. Knowing what you’re dealing with will help identify the problem. If you can download others without issue, it’s a pretty safe bet that there’s a problem with the app in question.
Maybe your phone isn’t compatible with the app you’re download and installing. Whatever the case may be, you should start looking into alternative apps instead. The great thing about the Google Play Store is that there are usually similar apps available that mimic the one you’re needing.
If you’ve established that the problem is within the app, you shouldn’t need to try any of the remaining fixes in this guide.
2. Verify that You Have a Functional Internet Connection:
Many people experience connection issues through their Wi-Fi. A quick and easy way to see if it’s your Wi-Fi connection causing the issue is to shut it off and switch over to your device’s mobile data. If you can download the app just fine using your network plan, you know that your Wi-Fi is at fault.
Don’t have mobile data? No problem. Get out of the app store and open your smartphone’s web browser. If you can load websites without issue, you’ll know that your Wi-Fi is functioning properly.
Conversely, you may be having connection issues with your carrier. This is uncommon and can be tested by connecting to Wi-Fi and resuming your download that way. Or, you can shut off your mobile data and turn it back on. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to tap “Airplane Mode” on and then off.
This will re-establish your network data and allow you to test its performance.
3. Turn Data On and Then Off:
If you’re trying to complete your download through your wireless carrier’s data connection, it’s possible that there’s an issue with your data connection. Try switching the data connection off and back on again to see if this corrects the issue. One of the fastest ways to do this reliably is to turn Airplane mode on and turn it back off.
- Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the command center
- Tap the data symbol to turn data off and tap it again to turn it back on.
- You can also do the same with the Airplane symbol if it is present in your menu at the top of your smartphone
- Try to download the app once again.
4. Free up Space on Your Device:
This is a big one that gives a lot of people trouble. Your device can only hold so much data. You may be having trouble downloading an app due to the limited storage on your device. While it’s unlikely that you’ll see the Error 504 message in this instance, it doesn’t hurt to free up space and see if your download goes through.
Getting to this one is pretty straightforward. Navigate to settings and tap on “Storage”. Internal storage is what you’re interested in. The key is to ensure that your internal storage is larger than the app you wish to download.
If it isn’t, it may be time to consider deleting apps you rarely use.
Follow the below steps to check and clear up application data on your smartphone:
- Open “Settings”
- Tap on “Storage”
- Check the available “Internal Storage” – The Internal Storage amount should be larger than the application you want to download. If it is not you will have to remove some content or applications to clear your device.
- To remove applications back out of the “Internal Storage” menu and open “Apps & notifications”
- Tap “Apps” or “Application Manager” at the top of the menu
- Choose unnecessary apps with a quick tap.
- Select “Uninstall” to remove the app and clear up the amount of “Storage” space that it’s using.
- Do this repeatedly until you clear out the necessary space.
If you don’t want to remove applications, you may be able to clear up storage by deleting files or media on your smartphone. Back up your photos or videos or remove other large files on your device if possible.
5. Clear Google Play Store and Services Data and Cache:
The Google Play Store is just like any other app. It isn’t perfect and is susceptible to experiencing issues. As such, you may need to clear both its cache and data to get to working properly again.
Navigate to settings and tap on “Apps/Application Manager”, With “All” selected that the top, find the Google Play Store app among the listing and select it.
Next, find “Storage”, You should see options to clear either the data or the cache. Start with the cache first and see if this resolves your issue. If not, return to here and wipe out both cache and data this time.
Follow these steps to clear out local data and the cache file for the Google Play Store:
- Open “Settings”
- Select “Apps” or “Application Manager”, whichever you have.
- Make sure that “All” is selected at the top of the screen.
- Locate the “Google Play Store” on the menu and
- Select “Storage”
- Press the “Clear Data” and “Clear Cache” buttons
- Go back up two menus
- Select “Google Play services” from the apps screen
- Choose “Storage”
- Select “Manage Data” and “Clear All Data”
- Go back up a single menu
- Tap “Clear Cache”
- Now exit Settings entirely and check to see if you can download the application now.
6. Remove and Add Your Google Account:
Navigate to the settings menu on your smartphone and tap on your Google account. You should see an option to delete it. Do this and then type in the same Google account when prompted. Sometimes, issues within the account itself can cause problems with downloads.
To test this problem, follow the below steps:
- Open “Settings” on your phone.
- Choose the “Accounts” tab.
- Select “Google”
- Click on the “Remove” button shaped like a garbage can at the bottom.
- Confirm your selection and wait for your Google account to be removed.
- Go back a single menu.
- Tap on the “Add account” button.
- Enter the details for your Google account.
- Leave settings and test out the app download once again.
Sometimes simply clearing out your Google account and putting it back in is all it takes to take care of any account issues you have on your Android smartphone. Hopefully, once you complete the steps, you’ll be able to go through the app download process.
7. Perform a Hard Restart on Your Smartphone:
If all else fails, you may need to perform a reset. Keep in mind that unless you backup all of your device’s data (pictures, music, videos, etc.), you’re going to lose everything and have to start from scratch.
Take the time to ensure that you’ve made copies of the files you want to keep, whether on your computer or your smartphone’s SD card. Just be sure not to delete the contents of your SD card when performing the reset.
If you don’t want to risk losing anything, you may also try a hard reset. This won’t wipe anything and will shut your phone down and turn it back on. To perform a hard reset, hold the power button, and follow the prompts to reset.
Don’t let the Error 504 message frustrate you. With a little diligence, you can try all the above solutions and hopefully narrow down the step that works best for your smartphone. If one doesn’t work, don’t give up!
Try all that apply to you for a better chance of finding success. Be sure to check back for other updates that may be discovered moving forward.