Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge keeps showing “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped” error [Troubleshooting Guide]
While many Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge owners have been anticipating for the roll out of the Android Nougat update, a lot of them got frustrated because they encountered new issues shortly after installing the new firmware. Among the most common are apps- and services-related error messages like “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped.”
In this post, I will tackle this specific error with the S7 Edge being the subject of our troubleshooting. There are three problems you can find here so try to see if one of them applies to you. One thing I want you to remember is that Google Play Services is one of the core processes that run in the background making your phone work perfectly. Needless to say, if it crashes, it might be a problem with the service itself or it could be an issue with the firmware.
Here are the problems I tackled here. Click on the link to jump directly to the issue…
- Galaxy S7 Edge pops up “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped” error
- Galaxy S7 Edge core services keep crashing after an update
- Nougat update caused Galaxy S7 Edge to shows “Google Play Services has stopped” error
However, if you are trying to find a solution to a different issue, then visit our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed hundreds of problems with this device since it was released. Try to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions and troubleshooting guides we suggested. If they don’t work, however, contact us by filling up our Android problems questionnaire. Just give us information and we’ll help you find a solution.
Galaxy S7 Edge pops up “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped” error
Problem: I have the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge that I bought 3 months ago. It has been an amazing experience ever since until recently when an error keeps disrupting me when I’m using the device. The error says “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped.” I’m not really sure why this message keeps showing because it just started on its own without apparently reason. Can you help?
Troubleshooting: Apparently, one of the core services on your Galaxy S7 Edge is crashing and we are yet to know the reason why. This kind of error has also been happening to several Galaxy S3 and S5 owners, needless to say, we’ve already addressed this problem before.
The standard operating procedure when troubleshooting app-related problems is to first reset the app that’s explicitly mentioned in the error and if the problem remains, you will have to find out if one of the apps you installed is causing the problem. We won’t be blaming third-party apps for this because apparently, the problem is tied with the firmware or it’s the firmware itself having issues. But before we go there, let us first try to reset this service. Here’s what needs to be done…
Step 1: Clear the cache and data of Google Play Services
This will reset Google Play Services, although the Google ID attached to your phone will remain. Clearing the cache and data will force Android to create new caches that are compatible with the system and are not corrupt while the data and other files will be deleted and replaced when you continue using your phone.
- From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Find and tap on Settings.
- Touch Applications and then Application manager.
- Swipe to ALL tab.
- Find and touch Google Play Services.
- Tap Storage.
- Tap Clear cache and then Clear data, Delete.
After doing this and the problem still occurs, then move on to the second and final step.
Step 2: Perform the Master reset
After clearing the cache and data of Google Play Services and the problem still remains, proceed with the master reset as it’s clear it’s a firmware issue. However, before you do that, make a backup of your important files and data as they will be deleted and can no longer be restored. Also, turn off the anti-theft feature so you won’t be locked out of your phone after the reset.
This is how you disable anti-theft…
- From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Cloud and accounts.
- Tap Accounts.
- Tap Google.
- Tap your Google ID email address. If you have multiple accounts setup, you will need to repeat these steps for each account.
- Tap Menu.
- Tap Remove account.
- Tap REMOVE ACCOUNT.
And this is how you do the master reset…
- Turn off your Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
- Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key. NOTE: It doesn’t matter how long you press and hold the Home and Volume Up keys, it won’t affect the phone but by the time you press and hold the Power key, that’s when the phone starts to respond.
- When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
- When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds. NOTE: The “Installing system update” message may show on the screen for several seconds before displaying the Android system recovery menu. This is just the first phase of the entire process.
- Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset.’
- Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
- Now highlight the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
- Wait until your phone is finished doing the Master Reset. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
- The phone will now reboot longer than usual.
Based on our experience, a reset will most likely to resolve this problem but if it keeps happening after that, then you need to have the firmware re-installed. You may do it yourself or have a technician do it for you.
Galaxy S7 Edge core services keep crashing after an update
Problem: I’m getting quite several errors showing up one after another. Among the things it says stopped working are Settings, Google Play Services, Gallery, etc. There has been an update or a notification that an update is available. Downloaded it and then this problem started. The most annoying part is that whenever any of the errors show up, the phone lags and freezes. It’s very expensive phone so I just want it to work perfectly without a hitch. What shall I do? Thanks.
Troubleshooting: When there’s more than two apps that crash almost simultaneously, it’s a sign of a complex firmware issue and considering it’s the core services and built-in apps that crash, we can almost be certain the firmware update didn’t go so well. However, we still need to troubleshoot your phone so as to know what the real problem is. That said, here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Reboot your phone in safe mode to know if third-party apps are among the causes
Apps your sideloaded or downloaded from the Play Store may cause built-in apps to crash. It may even leave core services to lag, freeze and also crash when they’re creating too many conflicts in the system. Therefore, it’s imperative that try to rule this possibility out by booting your phone in safe mode:
- Press and hold the Power key.
- As soon as you can see the ‘Samsung Galaxy S7 EDGE’ on the screen, release the Power key and immediately hold the Volume Down key.
- Continue holding the Volume Down button until the device finishes rebooting.
- You may release it when you can see ‘Safe mode’ in the bottom left corner of the screen.
While in this mode, try to see if the errors still show up because if so, then it might be a problem with the firmware itself. Otherwise, one or some of the apps you installed might be causing the problem. Find the culprit and uninstall it.
Step 2: Delete the system cache so it will be replaced
Considering the fact that the problem started after the Nougat update, there’s a possibility that some of the caches became obsolete since the phone is now running a new firmware or they may have been corrupted due to the update.
You cannot delete single cache nor be able to pinpoint which one is obsolete and which one is corrupt. So, to go about deleting them, you need to wipe the entire content of the directory where they are saved. Don’t worry though, the new firmware will replace them after a reboot.
- Turn off the phone.
- Press and then hold the Home and Volume UP keys, then press and hold the Power key.
- When the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge shows on the screen, release the Power key but continue holding the Home and Volume Up keys.
- When the Android logo shows, you may release both keys and leave the phone be for about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Using the Volume Down key, navigate through the options and highlight ‘wipe cache partition.’
- Once highlighted, you may press the Power key to select it.
- Now highlight the option ‘Yes’ using the Volume Down key and press the Power button to select it.
- Wait until your phone is finished wiping the cache partition. Once completed, highlight ‘Reboot system now’ and press the Power key.
- The phone will now reboot longer than usual.
Step 3: Reset your Galaxy S7 Edge
After doing the first two steps and the errors remained, you have no other choice but to reset your device. But first, do everything you to backup your files and data. You may move them to your SD card if you have one mounted on your device, or you can copy them over to your computer by connecting your device to it. After which, follow these steps to reset your phone:
- From any Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Cloud and accounts.
- Tap Backup and reset.
- If desired, tap Back up my data to move the slider to ON or OFF.
- If desired, tap Restore to move the slider to ON or OFF.
- Tap the back key twice to return to the Settings menu, then tap General Management.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Factory data reset.
- Tap Reset device.
- If you have screen lock turned on, enter your PIN or password.
- Tap Continue.
- Tap Delete all.
It might be the last thing you need to do to fix this problem but if it remains, then you need help from a technician to have the firmware reinstalled.
Nougat update caused Galaxy S7 Edge to shows “Google Play Services has stopped” error
Problem: A box with text “Unfortunately, Google Play Services has stopped” keeps showing on my phone and I don’t know what’s causing it or what happened to my device why it shows. Oh, my phone is a Galaxy S7 Edge. I bought it brand new in January and it has worked perfectly ever since. In the past couple of months, I think I received notifications about firmware updates 3 or 4 times but all of them were installed successfully. The recent one, however, seemed to have messed up my phone but I’m not really sure of that. Can you please look into this issue? Thanks a lot!
Troubleshooting: Maybe it’s Nougat that caused the phone to show this error message, maybe it’s not. We don’t know for sure what happened during and after the update so we really just can’t draw out a conclusion without doing something. For your case, here’s what I suggest you do:
- Clear the cache and data of Google Play Services – this is to reset the service and force the firmware to create a new cache and replace possibly corrupt files and data. This is an effective procedure for this problem but there’s no guarantee the problem will be fixed, however, it’s worth a try. After all, many reported to have fixed similar issues with their phones by doing this. Please see steps in the first issue.
- Wipe cache partition – in this case, it’s important you wipe the cache partition so that all system caches will be deleted and replaced. The problem, according to you, started after the Nougat update so there’s a possibility some caches got corrupted or are already obsolete. See the second issue on how to wipe the cache partition.
- Perform the Master reset – after doing the first two steps and the problem still occurs, it’s time you reset your device. However, make a backup of your files and data first as they, too, will be deleted when you reset your device. After which, if you’re doing the master reset, disable the anti-theft feature of your phone so you won’t be locked out. Follow the steps in the first problem.
I hope this troubleshooting guide can help you.
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