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How to fix Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with Google Play Store error 961

ByHarjie Hisona

The Google Play Store error 961 that’s bugging some owners of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is an installation error. It means that it would only occur if the app in question is being installed unlike other errors that may also occur even during the download process. The thing about this error is that if it occurs, the installation will be halted and you may have to download the app over again only to be greeted by the same error after that.

It’s a very annoying problem and needs to be addressed immediately so you can continue using your phone and download apps you want to use. In this post, I will share with you the solutions we’ve been using to address this kind of problem. So, if you’re one of the owners of this device and are currently being bugged by the error 961 while trying to install an application, continue reading as this article may be able to help you one way or another.

Now, before anything else, if you have other issues with your phone, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already provided solutions to hundreds of problems reported by our readers. Odds are that we may have already provided a solution to the problem you currently have so try to find issues that are similar with yours on that page and feel free to use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need further assistance, fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

How to fix the Google Play Store error 961 on Galaxy Note 9

Based on experience, this kind of error is actually a minor issue and you can fix it on your own. The actual error message goes like this “Unknown error code during application install: -961” and it often shows up when the installation is almost complete. Depending on the size of the app you’re installing, you may wait for several minutes only to be greeted by this error. When this happens to you, here’s what you can do about it…

Perform the forced restart procedure first. Issues like this may occur out of the blue due to minor glitches. That could be the case with your phone right now and while it may seem like a very serious problem, it’s actually temporary. A normal reboot can fix glitches but it’s better to perform the forced reboot as it’s more effective.

Press and hold the volume down and power keys at the same time for 10 seconds or more. Your Note 9 will reboot like it normally does but its memory is refreshed and all its apps and services reloaded. After doing this, open Play Store and then try to install the app you were having issues with. If it was just due a glitch, the app will successfully be installed but if the same error occurs, then move on to the next procedure.

Clear Google Play Store’s cache and data. Another possibility is that the error could be just due to some corrupt cache and data files of the app store. Doing this procedure will reset the Play Store as well as delete and replace all its cache and data. Here’s how it’s done on your Note 9:

  1. From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
  2. Tap Settings > Apps.
  3. Tap the 3 dots icon > Show system apps to display preinstalled apps.
  4. Find and tap Google Play Store.
  5. Tap Storage.
  6. Tap Clear data and then tap OK.
  7. Tap Clear cache.

After doing this, open Play Store and try to download the same app or any other apps just to see if the error still shows up. If it still does, then try the next procedure.

Reset network settings. By resetting the network settings in your phone, you are ruling out the possibility that this problem is due to a connection interruption while the app is being installed. By doing this, you’re refreshing all wireless or network connections of your device. Thus, you will to reconnect to the same wifi after doing it and you may have to disable the mobile data if you’re not using it. Here’s how to reset network settings on your Note 9:

  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.

After doing this, try to download the same app to know if the error still shows up. If it still does, then you have no other choice but to reset your phone.

Perform the Master Reset. The factory reset will fix issues like this simply because the Play store is embedded in the firmware as it’s one of the core applications or services. After doing the previous procedures and the problem isn’t fixed, the issue could be with the firmware already and that’s the reason why you need to do this procedure. However, before you actually reset your phone, make sure that you backup important files and data as they will be deleted during the process. Once everything is set and ready, follow these steps to reset your phone:

  1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Google account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Google credentials to finish the Master reset.
  2. Turn off the device.
  3. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
  4. 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).
  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.

I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix the problem with your device. 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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