Have this ever happened to you that you just installed an app on your Android phone, but when you try to open it, you get an “App not installed” message? This is a common error many people face when installing new apps, especially from untrusted sources.
So what does this error mean? Why isn’t the app being installed? And how to fix this issue?
That’s all that we discuss in this guide. For the tutorial, we will be using a Samsung device. But the fixes we show should work for any other device.
Alright, let’s get started!
Possible Reasons Why Apps May Fail to Install
Before moving to the solution, you should know why an app may not get installed on your phone. It could be a hardware problem or a software(i.e., Internal System) problem. Finding out the real cause behind this will allow you to fix the problem quickly and install the app.
Some of the common reasons why you’re getting the “App not installed” error are:
- There’s not enough space in your phone.
- The app or APK is corrupted.
- Installing the app from an untrusted source.
- Installing the app in the wrong location (an SD card instead of the phone’s memory).
- The installation location is corrupted
- Correct permissions not given for installation
- Conflict with other installed apps or device settings on your phone
- The app version doesn’t match the OS version of your phone
- Malware on your phone
There could be other problems as well but in most cases, these are the reasons preventing the app from getting installed.
7 Fixes to “App not installed”
Now that you have a good idea about this error let’s dive into the fixing methods.
Fix #1: Clear Data and Cache on Google Play Services
Google Play Services is usually not listed in the app drawer. We need to find it from the apps list. Go to Settings. Then find Apps. Go to the Apps list.
On the top right corner, tap on the search button. Then type “Google Play Services”.
If you don’t have a search button, keep scrolling down until you find it. Now, tap on Storage.
At the bottom, tap the Clear cache button.
Fix #2: Clear Play Store Data and Cache
This method is pretty much the same as the previous one. Instead of deleting the cache in Google Play Services, you delete the Play Store Cache.
Go to Settings → Apps. Now search for “Play Store”.
An alternative way to do this is from the app drawer. Tap and hold on Play Store until a window pops up. Then press the ‘i’ button. It may appear a bit different on your device.
Tap on Storage.
Then press the Clear cache button.
Fix #3: Disable Play Protect
Go to Play Store. Tap on your profile in the top right corner. A window about your account should appear. Go to Play Protect.
Now tap the settings button. It should be in the top right corner.
Lastly, turn off “Scan apps with Play Protect” by pressing the slider.
You may receive a warning that Play Protect won’t be able to scan apps from outside Play. Press Turn off.
When this is done, go back to your home screen. Restart your phone and see if you can install the app now.
Note: While this is one method of installing apps that don’t want to get installed, we don’t recommend it. This is because turning off Play Protect will let harmful apps bypass the scan and get installed, which in turn would cause more damage to your device.
Fix #4: Make Some Storage
Does your phone have sufficient storage for the app? This can happen when an app is initially small-sized, but while installing, more additional files are required that take up a lot of space, ultimately exceeding the current space in your phone.
This happens mostly with games as many games seem to be under 100 MB in size, but then start downloading more files on your phone. So if this is the case, you need to clear up some storage to make enough space for the app to be installed.
You can delete unused apps, images, videos, files, and things that take up much space. Clearing the cache can also give you some additional space. Adding extra storage like an SD card is the easiest way to increment your current storage space.
Fix #5: Install From a Trusted Source
It’s always a good practice to download and install apps from only trustworthy places such as the Play Store. However, sometimes apps are region locked or don’t have compatible versions in the Play Store. And that leads to getting the app from alternative sources.
And here’s the big issue. A lot of shady sites disguise themselves as a source of APKs, but in reality, those APKs only contain viruses. So when you try to install them, either they get blocked by your phone’s security system, or they get installed in the background and show a fake message that app was not installed.
So only download apps from trusted sites like APKMirror, APKPure, APK Downloader, Aptoide, etc.
Fix #6: Update Your Phone
If the issue is related to your phone’s Operating System or other internal software, it may be time for your phone to get an update.
Some apps require your phone to have one of the latest OS versions. This allows developers to easily identify and fix bugs, which would be counterproductive for very old OSes.
To check whether your phone has a pending update, go to Settings. Go to Software update. You may have to go through some more windows, depending on your device.
Press Download and install.
Your phone will start looking for an update.
If there’s an update pending, install it. Then try installing the app on your phone and see if it works.
Fix #7: Install From Phone Memory
Sometimes an app installation can fail due to trying to install it from external memory such as an SD card. If that’s what you’re trying to do, copy the app file to your phone’s memory. Now try to install it from there. Your memory card may often get accidentally unmounted, so the installation fails.
While we’re on this topic, another reason you see the app not installed may be that you installed it or moved it to your SD card, but somehow the card got detached from your phone. You get an error message when you’re trying to open the app. If so, mount your SD card back to your phone.
Final Thoughts
This article goes in-depth about the common “App not installed” error many Android users face. We’ve listed why this problem may occur and shown you the best solutions to fix it. These are all tried and tested methods from real users who successfully fixed the problem. You can try any or multiple methods depending on your case.
So which method fixed the problem for you? Let us know in the comments below.
