How to fix Galaxy S9 error 963 in Google Play Store [troubleshooting guide]

Hello and welcome to another Galaxy S9 (#GalaxyS9) troubleshooting article. A lot of you guys have expressed frustrations about your Android device getting error 963 when updating or installing apps so here’s the post for that. Although the article’s title features the S9, the solutions we provide below can actually be applied to other Samsung and non-Samsung devices so be sure to adapt the exact steps as needed. Play Store error 963 is a minor bug that can easily be fixed. Be sure to follow our solutions below and you should be good.

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

How to fix Galaxy S9 error 963 in Google Play Store

Error 963 often occurs when trying to download or update an app. There’s a number of possible reasons why this error may come up on your device. If you happen to be having this problem, follow our suggestions below.

Solution #1 to fix error 963 in Google Play Store: Forced reboot

Many minor bugs are fixed by simply restarting a system. If you have a phone with a removable battery pack, you can refresh the system by disconnecting the battery for 10 seconds. If you have newer models with non-removable battery, you can force reboot it by doing these steps:

Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Wait for up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

Solution #2 to fix error 963 in Google Play Store: Uninstall update for the app

If you’re having trouble downloading an update for a particular app only, it’s a good idea to try clearing its latest updates and re-updating it. If you haven’t tried that yet, follow these steps:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
Select Show system apps.
Find and tap your app.
Tap Settings icon at the upper right.
Tap Uninstall updates.

Solution #3 to fix error 963 in Google Play Store: Move app to SD card or internal storage

Some users were able to successfully fix error 963 by moving a problematic app to the SD card or internal storage, whichever is applicable. Be sure to do so if the suggestions above has not helped.

Keep in mind that some apps may not be able to be moved to the SD card. If you have such app in question, then simply skip this troubleshooting step.

Solution #4 to fix error 963 in Google Play Store: Delete Play Store app data

Error 963 is usually tied to Play Store app. In case the bug lies in this app, make sure to clear the data of Play Store app. Here’s how:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
Select Show system apps.
Find and tap your app.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear Data button.
Restart your phone and check for the problem.

Solution #5 to fix error 963 in Google Play Store: Re-sign to your Google account

At times, Android bugs are tied to a Google account within the device. To see if you have an issue with your own Google account, try deleting your account from your S9, restart the phone, and sign back in.

To delete your Google account:

Open Settings app.
Tap Cloud and accounts.
Tap Accounts.
Select your Google account.
Tap Remove account.

To sign back in to your Google account afterwards:

Open Settings app.
Tap Cloud and accounts.
Tap Accounts.
Tap Add account.

Solution #6 to fix error 963 in Google Play Store: Factory reset

As a last resort, you want to try wiping the phone and returning all its software settings to their defaults. This may be a necessary solution should all the previous suggestions won’t work. Error 963 is not caused by a hardware-related issue so factory reset will most likely fix it.

To factory reset your S9:

Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.