The “Google Play authentication is required” error is a surprisingly common problem on Android devices. It makes you realize how much you trust Google products for the activity of your smartphone, especially the Play Store. The good news is that it is a very easy problem to solve. Let us show you how to fix this Google Play authentication error in just a few simple steps.
There are several different ways to solve this problem, from a simple erase of data to the most drastic factory reset as a last resort.
Uninstall updates from Play Store
Sometimes the problem is not with your credentials but with the Play Store itself. Go to the Play Store in Settings> Applications and press Uninstall updates (usually found by touching the 3-point menu in the upper right corner). This will take you back to the original version of the Play Store that was installed on your device.
Then, all you need to do to correct the error is to install the latest version of the Google Play Store and log in again.
Simply delete your Google account
The error can simply be a login problem, which sometimes occurs when the Play Store is updated. The first trick is to go to the main Settings menu of your phone and then to Accounts and simply delete the Google account you have registered (the one that receives the message “authentication is required”).
Once you have done this, you can add the account again and it should work fine. However, you may need to perform this step along with the second step below.
Try a new sync
It is possible that things are not synchronizing for some reason, and only need a little push. Go to your Settings, tap Accounts, then Google, your email address and Sync everything. Then you can go back to the Play Store and see if the authentication message is gone.
Clear data from the Google Play Store
To delete data from the Play Store, you must go to Settings and then Applications and find Google Play Store. Touch and then select Clear data. (You can try to clear the cache first if you wish, but deleting the data will also clear the cache).
If the previous step (the new synchronization) did not work for you, you may do so if you repeat it after performing this step.
Download an application using your mobile browser
This solution prevents the malfunction of the Play Store application completely. Go to your web browser and navigate to the Google Play Store website. Try downloading an application directly from there instead of through the Google Play Store application. Simply log in to your Google account through your browser and then install the chosen application.
If you still have problems after trying all these steps, rerun them in this order, restart your phone between the steps: delete the Google account, restart, uninstall updates, install the new Play Store, restart, add an account, etc. Keep trying until the error disappears.