Samsung Galaxy S9 can’t download or update apps due to error 497

The Google Play Store error 497 may happen when you’re downloading a new app into your phone or updating one that’s already installed. While this article tackles on this error that occurs on a Samsung Galaxy S9, it could actually happen to other Android device since it’s not a device- or app-specific error but an issue with Google Play Store.

In this post, I will walk you through in troubleshooting your phone that’s bugged down by this error whenever you download or update an app. The actual error message goes like this “App can’t be downloaded or update. Try again, and if the problem continues, get help troubleshooting. (Error code: 497)”. It’s a very annoying problem because you can’t download or update any application unless it’s resolved. If you’re one of the owners of this device and are currently being bugged by this problem, continue reading as this post may be able to help you.

But before anything else, if you have another issue with your phone, drop by our troubleshooting page as we have already addressed hundreds of issues reported by the owners. Odds are that there are already existing solutions on our website or at least, there are similar problems we already fixed. So, try to find ones that are similar or related to your problem. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by filling up our Android issues questionnaire.

Now, here are the things you can do if your Galaxy S9 keeps showing the Play Store error 497…

1. Perform the forced reboot.
2. Clear cache and data of Google Play Store
3. Reset Network Settings
4. Remove Google account and add it again
5. Perform the Master Reset

Here are the reasons why you need to do these procedures.

Forced Reboot. It’s a simulated battery pull procedure which refreshes your phone’s memory as well as reloads all apps and services. It’s a very effective method in fixing minor software-related issues such glitches. You have to do this because it’s possible that the error is just a result of a glitch in the Play Store or even a minor glitch in the firmware. To do this on a Galaxy S9, you just need to press and hold the volume down button and the power key at the same time for 10 seconds. Your phone will restart like it normally does and once it becomes active, open Play Store and download or update the same app to see if the error still shows up.

Clear Play Store’s cache and data. It is a Play Store error so it’s imperative to troubleshoot it once the first procedure fails. The best thing you can do about the app is to reset it which will bring it back to its default settings and configuration. I’ve encountered similar cases in the past that were fixed by this method so it’s worth a try. Don’t worry, none of your apps would be deleted or uninstalled if you did this. After doing this procedure, open Play Store once again and download of update the same app to verify if the problem got fixed. If not, then move on to the next procedure.

Reset Network Settings. Another possibility we have to rule out is that the internet connection may have been interrupted while the app is being downloaded or updated. Any interruptions during this time will always result to an error since some files may not be properly downloaded or get corrupted. Regardless whether you’re on mobile data or Wifi, this procedure would work as it will refresh the connection of your phone to the network. This is 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.

After this, verify if the problem continues and if so, then move on to the next procedure.

Remove and re-add Google account. If there’s one thing that links your phone to Google servers, it’s your Google account. Removing it from your phone will dissociate your device from the servers and adding it again would refresh the connection. The reason why I want you to do this is because I’ve seen this method in action and it worked for some cases. Since we don’t know the reason why the error shows up, it’s better to exhaust all possible solutions. So, go into your phone’s Settings, Accounts and remove the Google account that has some issues downloading or updating apps. After that, reboot your phone and then add the account again. If the problem still occurs after this, then you have no other choice but to do the next procedure.

Perform the Master Reset. At this point, a Master Reset is already required since all other methods failed to fix the problem. Google Play Store is one of the core apps that come pre-installed on your device. The error might be due to a firmware issue so it’s better to just reset the device as it will fix almost all software-related problems. Before the reset though, make sure to backup your important files and data.

1. Back up data on the internal memory. If you have signed into a Samsung account on the device, you have activated Anti-theft and will need your Samsung 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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