How To Fix “Looks Like Another App Is Blocking Access To Google Play” [9 Ways To Do It]

Does Google Play Store show you “It seems that another app is blocking access to Google Play” when you try to download any new app?

Does this problem also occur when you try to update the existing one?

What does it mean when another app is blocking access to Google Play?

This means that an app on your mobile phone is preventing you from accessing Google Play.

With a multitude of apps on your phone, pinpointing the exact culprit will be challenging.

However, rest assured—through my expertise, I’ve devised a reliable method to resolve this problem and identify the problematic app.

Why is another app blocking google play?

These are some of the known causes of the Google play blocking issue:

• Running of the background apps on your mobile phone.
• Some apps may be blocking your process of installing the app.
• Overload of updates or apps or any storage issues in the mobile phone.

How to know which app is blocking access to google play?

In my extensive experience, I’ve encountered situations where many mobile apps hinder access to Google Play.

To know which app is blocking access to Google Play, you should know the list of apps that have permission to appear on top of another app.

Apps that have permission to appear top on another app will block access to Google Play.

You will have to disable each of those apps one by one and check which app is blocking access to Google Play.

Alternatively, you should disable all the apps at once and check whether the issue is fixed or not.

For detailed step-by-step instructions, refer here.

How to fix “Looks like another app is blocking access to Google Play”?

Since there are many reasons causing this,  there are many ways to fix these issues.  You should try any or all of the following methods.

• Restart your device
• Turn off apps blocking Google Play
• Uninstall updates
• Sync the Google accounts
• Clear all data and cache from Google Play Store
• Clear the cache data from Google Play Services
• Clear the data from Downloads
• Update iOS/Android
• Contact Google Play Store Support

We will cover each of these in detail below.

1. Restart your device

As a first step, try restarting your mobile phone. Restarting your device will fix most Google Play related problems.

Follow the below steps to restart your Android device:

• Hold down the power button until the shutdown menu appears.
• Choose the Power off icon.
• Once the device completely shuts off, start it back up by holding the power button.

Open the Google Play Store and see if your issue is fixed.

2. Turn off apps blocking Google Play

You have to turn off any apps that might be drawing over the screen to fix this issue.

Disabling a few apps may fix this issue.

Follow the below steps to disable other apps.

• Go to “Settings” on your phone.
• Click on the “Apps”.

• Click on the 3 vertical dots seen on the side of the page.

• Select “Special access” from that option.

• Select “Appear on top” from the page. 

• It shows the list of apps that will appear on top of another app. In some cases, this will cause the Google Play blocking issue.
• To get rid of this error, you need to disable all the apps and check whether Google Play is working.
• You will also be able to disable all the apps one by one and check. This will help you to know which app is blocking the functioning of Google Play.

• Go to “Google Play Store”, and search for the app you need to install or update.
• Click on the “Install” or “Update”.

3. Uninstall updates

Sometimes a recent update of the Google Play Store might have caused this issue. In this case, follow the below steps to uninstall Google Play Store updates.

• Go to “Settings” on your phone.
• Click on the “Apps
• Select “Google Play Store” from the options or Type “Google Play Store” on the search bar to easily find that.
• When the “Google Play Store” page opens up, click on the 3 vertical dots on the top right side.

• Select “Uninstall updates” from that. 
• Go to “Google Play Store”, and search for the app you need to install or update.
• Click on the “Install” or “Update”.

4. Sync the Google accounts

You might have multiple email accounts on your mobile. It is important that you sync the account which you used to register your Google Play account.

Follow the below steps to sync different accounts.

• Go to Settings on your mobile phone.
• Go to Settings on your mobile phone.
• Click on the “Account & Sync” option.

• Turn on the Auto-sync data. If it is on auto-sync mode, then you should stop it here and try the next method.

• Select “Google” from the below options.
• Select the corresponding mail account which was used for operating the Google Play Store.
• Come back to the sync page.
• Click on the “More” option seen at the end of the page.
• Click on “Sync now” to sync your account.

Restart the phone and check whether you are able to download the app now from Google Play Store.

5. Clear all data and cache from Google Play Store 

Follow the below steps to clear all data and cache from Google Play Store.

• Go to Settings on your mobile phone
• Click on the “Apps” option
• Click on “Manage Apps”

• Search for “Google Play Store “ and select it.
• Select the “Google Play Store”

• Click the “Force stop” at the bottom of the page.
• Select “Storage” on that same page.

• Click on “Clear all Data” and “Clear Cache”.

Restart the phone and check whether you are able to download the app now.

6. Clear data and cache from Google Play Services

Follow the below steps to clear all data and cache from Google Play Services.

• Go to Settings on your mobile phone
• Click on “App” from the settings.
• Select “Manage Apps”
• Search for “Google Play Services” in the search bar.
• Select the “Google Play Services”
• Click the “Force stop” at the bottom of the page.
• Select “Storage” in that same page.
• Click on “Clear Data” from the bottom.
• Click on “Clear all Data” and “Clear Cache”
• Restart the phone and check whether you are able to download the app now from Google Play Store.

7. Clear data from Downloads

Follow the below steps to clear all data from Downloads.

• Go to Settings on your mobile phone.
• Click on “App” from the settings.
• Select “Manage Apps”
• Search for “Downloads” in the search bar.
• Select the “Downloads”.

• Select the “Force Stop” at the bottom of the page.
• Select “Storage” on that same page.
• Click on “Clear Data” from the bottom.
• Click on “Clear all Data” and “Clear Cache”.

Restart the phone and check whether you are able to download the app now from Google Play Store.

8. Update Android

Follow the below steps to update the Android OS on your iPhone.

• Open the Phone Settings.
• Click on Software Update.
• Click on “Download and Install.”

Restart the phone and check whether you are able to download the app now from Google Play Store.

9. Contact Google Play Store Support

If you still face the issue, then it is better to report the issue on the “Google Play Store”. Follow the below steps to report your issue.

• Go to the “ Google Play Store” on your mobile phone.
• Either on the top left or right side, you will find your account photo.
• Click on your account.

• Click on the “Help and feedback” option. It will direct to another support page.
• Scroll downward and click on “Contact us“. 

• It will direct you to another page where you must specify your exact issue.

• Click on the “Next Step”.
• Select the options in the confirm issue and the specific area for which the support is required. 
• Then it will direct to the next step “Contact Options”.
• When you look at the “show hours” you will get the time at which they are available for a chat. You could just mail them the issue as well. 

If that is active time, then there will be an option for the chat.

Need More Help?

If you still have queries, shoot a mail to heyhowtodoit@gmail.com . We will respond to your queries.

Sources

Hey, How to do it ? uses only high-quality sources, including user reports, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we research and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.