How to fix Google Play Store Error 406 on Samsung Galaxy S9

The Google Play Store error 406 usually shows up when a user tries to download and install an app. In fact, a lot of android users were complaining about this problem and they often don’t have an idea on how to get rid of it. But there’s nothing to worry about because this type of issue can be fixed through simple procedures without any help from the tech.

More often, the error 406 occurs if the Play Store’s cache and data are corrupt or there’s something wrong with the setup of your Google account. So, in this post, I will tackle this problem and consider every possibility and then rule them out one after another until we can determine what causes it and hopefully fix it. If you’re one of the owners of this phone and are currently getting the error when trying to download or install an app, continue reading as this post may be able to help you.

Before going further, if you found this post because you were trying to find a solution to your problem, then try to visit our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed most of the commonly reported issues with the phone. We’ve already provided solutions to some of the problems reported by our readers so try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you and if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit.

Troubleshooting Galaxy S9 with Play Store Error 406

Based on experience, Play Store errors, while they’re pretty annoying, are actually not that hard to fix. In fact, you may only need to do a couple of procedures to successfully get rid of it. With that said, here are the things you need to do on your phone…

  • Perform Soft Reset.
  • Delete Play Store Cache and Data.
  • Reset Network Settings.
  • Perform Factory Reset.

Now, let me explain briefly why you need to do these things…

First Solution: Perform Forced Restart

In troubleshooting this issue it is imperative to determine first if the issue is caused by a glitch in the system. Meaning, we will try to refresh your phone’s memory and reload all services and apps. Therefore, you just need to do the simulated battery removal or the so-called forced restart…

  1. Press and hold the volume down button and don’t release it yet.
  2. While holding down the volume button, press and hold the power key as well.
  3. Keep both keys held down together for 10 seconds or until the S9 logo shows.

Once your phone has successfully rebooted, open the Play Store, download an app and see if the error 406 still shows up. If it still does, it’s time to troubleshoot the Play Store itself.

ALSO READ: How to fix Google Play Store error 905 on Samsung Galaxy S9

Second Solution: Delete Play Store Cache and Data

If the app’s cache and data are corrupt or outdated there is a chance that it will function abnormally like showing some error messages on the screen. So, you need to delete those files so that they will be replaced with new ones. Here’s how it’s done on your Galaxy S9…

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  4. Select Show system apps.
  5. Find and tap Google Play Store.
  6. Tap Storage.
  7. Tap Clear Data button.
  8. Restart your phone and check for the problem.

After resetting the Play store, open it and try to download an app to see if the error 406 still shows up. If it still does, move on to the next solution.

Third solution: Remove you Google account and add it again

If the first two solutions failed to get rid of the Play Store error 406, the next thing you need to do is remove your Google account and add it back again. It’s a possible syncing problem and doing this procedure will make sure the sync is refreshed. Here’s how to remove your Google account from your phone:

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap cloud and accounts.
  4. Tap accounts.
  5. Select the Google account (if your multiple accounts, pick the one you’re using for Google Play Store).
  6. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.
  7. Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT to confirm.

And here’s how to add it back…

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Tap cloud and accounts.
  4. Tap accounts.
  5. Tap Add account at the bottom.
  6. Select Google.
  7. Provide the screen unlock if prompted
  8. Enter your Google account credentials.

After removing and re-adding your Google account, open Play Store and download an app to see if the error 406 would still show up. If it still does, try the next solution.

ALSO READ: How to fix Play Store error 961 on Samsung Galaxy S9

Fourth Solution: Reset Network Settings

Another thing that could have caused this problem to occur was an unstable internet. During the installation and the internet got interrupted, the error 406 may show up. To rule this out, you need to reset the network settings of your device. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > General Management > Reset > Reset network settings.
  3. Tap RESET SETTINGS.
  4. If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
  5. Tap RESET SETTINGS. Once complete, a confirmation window will appear.

You will have to enable WiFi and then reconnect your phone to it. Once connected to the network, open Play Store and try downloading an app. If the error 406 pops up, move on to the next solution.

Fifth Solution: Perform Factory Reset

If all previous procedures failed to fix the Play Store error 406, then your last resort is to reset your phone. Software problems can be fixed by this but you may lose some of your important files and data. Therefore, make sure to create a copy of files you don’t want to lose. After the backup, remove your Google and Samsung accounts so that you won’t be locked out of your device after the reset.  

Once everything is in order, follow these steps to perform the Master Reset on your Galaxy S9 to fix the Google Play Store error 406…

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  3. When the Galaxy S9 logo shows, release all keys.
  4. Your phone will continue the boot process until it reaches the recovery mode. When you see the black screen with blue and yellow text, that means you’re ready to proceed to the next step.
  5. Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
  6. Press Power button to select.
  7. Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
  8. Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
  9. When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
  10. Press the Power key to restart the device.

You will need to setup your phone after the reset and I am confident it’s the last thing you have to do to fix this problem. I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix your Galaxy S9 that’s bugged down by the Play Store error 406. We would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word so please share this post if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading!

Connect with us

We are always open to your problems, questions and suggestions, so feel free to contact us by filling up this form. This is a free service we offer and we won’t charge you a penny for it. But please note that we receive hundreds of emails every day and it’s impossible for us to respond to every single one of them. But rest assured we read every message we receive. For those whom we’ve helped, please spread the word by sharing our posts to your friends or by simply liking our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.


Posts You Might Like

Leave a Comment