How to fix Google Play Store error 963 on Samsung Galaxy S10

Some owners of the Samsung Galaxy S10 were complaining about the error message “App could not be downloaded due to error. (963),” or also known as error 963, that frequently showed up every time they tried to update and install an app from Play Store. Usually, S10 users encounter this type of issue if there’s something wrong with the firmware or the Play Store itself has an issue.

Most of the time this is just a minor issue which means that you can fix it on your own without having to bring the phone to the store. All you need to do is perform some basic troubleshooting procedures and you may continue using your phone without having to worry about the error 963 again. So, if you’re one of the owners of this device and are currently being bugged by a similar issue, continue reading as this article may be able to help you one way or another.

Before anything else, if you have other issues with your device, try to browse through our troubleshooting page as we’ve already addressed several issues with this device. Odds are that we’ve already published a post that tackles similar problems. Try finding issues that have similar symptoms with what you currently have and feel free to use the solutions we’ve suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, then fill up our questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Troubleshooting Galaxy S10 with Play Store error 963

The main purpose of doing these troubleshooting procedures is to determine the real issue and formulate a solution so that we can get rid of the error 963. We have already encountered similar issues several times in the past and I can assure you that one of the solutions in this post will be able to fix the problem. With that said, here’s what you need to do…

First Solution: Perform the forced restart

When you’re troubleshooting a possible app- or firmware-related issue, it’s best to start with a forced restart. It’s a simulated battery removal that refreshes your phone memory as well as reloads all apps and services. It’s very effective against any sort of minor firmware issues and this could save you from the trouble of backing up your files and data or taking a trip to the shop. Here’s how it’s done:

Press and hold the Volume Down button and don’t release it yet.
While holding down the volume button, press and hold the Power key as well.
Keep both keys held down together for 15 seconds or until the Galaxy S10 logo shows on the screen.

Once your phone has finished rebooting, launch the Play Store, try downloading any app to see if the error 963 still shows up. If it still does, then move on to the next solution.

ALSO READ: How to fix Galaxy S10 Samsung Pay popup | Samsung Pay popup keeps showing up

Second Solution: Reset your Play Store App

Another factor to consider that error code 963 occur on your phone is when app’s cache and data are corrupt. Resetting your Play Store means we have to bring back the app to its factory defaults by deleting all its cache and data. Don’t you worry, this method is very effective especially in dealing app-related issues. Here’s how:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap the More settings icon (three-dot icon, upper right).
Tap Show system apps.
Find and tap the Instagram app.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear cache button.
Tap Clear Data button.
Tap Ok.

When you’re done clearing the cache and data, launch your Play Store and try updating or downloading any app and see if the error 963 will show up during the process. If so, move on to the next procedure.

Third Solution: Remove your Google account and add it back in

You won’t be able to download an app from the Play Store without setting up your Google account properly first. It is also possible that this problem is due to account-related issues, although we really can’t pinpoint the cause. But the best way to rule this out is to remove your account from your phone. But before that, make sure to sync your phone first so that your important data will be backed up. After that, follow these steps to remove your account.

From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
Open Settings app.
Tap Accounts and backup.
Tap Accounts.
Select the appropriate Gmail address. If there are multiple accounts, make sure to pick the one you want to remove from the device.
Tap Remove account.
To confirm, review the notification then tap Remove account.
Restart your phone to refresh the memory.

Once your phone has successfully booted up, add your Google account again by following these steps:

From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
Open Settings app.
Tap Accounts and backup.
Tap Accounts.
Tap Add account.
Tap Google. If you set up a screen lock option such as PIN, Password, or Pattern, you should enter it here when prompted.
Enter the Gmail address then tap NEXT.
Enter the password then tap NEXT.
To continue, review the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy then tap I AGREE. To review the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, tap the appropriate link and language then tap Close (at the bottom) when finished.
If presented, tap the Back up to Google Drive switch to turn on, then tap Accept.

Once you’ve finished adding your Google account, launch the Play Store and try downloading an app to see if the error 963 still shows up. If it still does, then move on to the next solution.

ALSO READ: How to fix Google Play Store error 921 on Samsung Galaxy S10

Fourth solution: Wipe cache partition

A master reset will be able to fix this problem but before you actually do that, it’s best to try deleting the system cache so that it will be replaced with a new one. The thing is, when the system cache gets corrupted, which actually occurs from time to time, performance issues as well as various errors may emerge. That could be the case here. So, follow these steps first to wipe the cache partition:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Galaxy S10 logo shows, release all three keys.
Your Galaxy S10 will continue to boot up into the Recovery Mode. Once you see a black screen with blue and yellow texts, proceed to the next step.
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight wipe cache partition.
Press Power key to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight yes, them and press the Power key to select.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, Reboot system now is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

After the phone has finished rebooting, try downloading an app to see if the error 963 would still bother you. If it still does, then a reset is not necessary.

Fourth Solution: Create a backup and reset your phone

Doing a reset should be your last option if all procedures failed to resolve the issue. This will delete all your important files and data as well as bugs that might be causing the error 963 on your device. So, before the reset, make sure to create a copy of your important files and data. You may move them to your SD card or save them in the cloud. After the backup, make sure to remove your Google and Samsung accounts so that you won’t be locked out of your device after the reset. Once everything is set and ready, follow these steps to reset your phone:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Galaxy S10 logo shows, release all three keys.
Your Galaxy S10 will continue to boot up into the Recovery Mode. Once you see a black screen with blue and yellow texts, proceed to the next step.
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’ 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.

After the reset, setup your phone as a new device. I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix your Samsung Galaxy S10 that’s bugged by the Play Store error 963. 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!

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