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Google Play Store App keeps getting disabled

XWAUForceflow
By XWAUForceflow
in Phones and Tablets
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Okay, this is a bit of a weird one. This is now the second time this has happened to my dads Android Phone (a Nokia 5.1) and I have no idea what it could be. I am fairly sure he doesn't do it (since he barely knows how to even get into the settings) but today again he called me saying that his banking app didn't work because it required an update but he didn't know how. After some fiddling around and remote-controlling him via phone I realized that the Google Play Store App was disabled. (For anybody not knowing how to do that: Settings --> Apps --> See all [n] apps --> scroll down to Google Play Store and click it. there you either see a DISABLE or ENABLE option depending on what state it is in)
Has this happened to anyone else before? I doubt his phone is infected with anything (he doesn't know how to browse the web with it and doesn't even know how to install an app) so I am really baffled by it.
Once he enabled it again it instantly downloaded all required updates and everything was fine again...

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10 minutes ago, XWAUForceflow said:

Okay, this is a bit of a weird one. This is now the second time this has happened to my dads Android Phone (a Nokia 5.1) and I have no idea what it could be. I am fairly sure he doesn't do it (since he barely knows how to even get into the settings) but today again he called me saying that his banking app didn't work because it required an update but he didn't know how. After some fiddling around and remote-controlling him via phone I realized that the Google Play Store App was disabled. (For anybody not knowing how to do that: Settings --> Apps --> See all [n] apps --> scroll down to Google Play Store and click it. there you either see a DISABLE or ENABLE option depending on what state it is in)
Has this happened to anyone else before? I doubt his phone is infected with anything (he doesn't know how to browse the web with it and doesn't even know how to install an app) so I am really baffled by it.
Once he enabled it again it instantly downloaded all required updates and everything was fine again...

This is a common issue that can happen when an app is disabled or uninstalled by mistake. It’s also possible that the app was disabled by an update or a third-party app. If it happens again, you can try clearing the cache and data of the Google Play Store App or uninstalling any recently installed apps that might be causing the issue. You can also try resetting the app preferences by going to Settings > Apps > Menu > Reset app preferences.

Have you tried turning it off and on again? Maybe Restart it? 

Please make sure to Mark the Solution as a Solution.

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I could be just about wrong as I am right.

 

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If you don't want to use the app store, you can visit

 

https://apkpure.com/

 

And when the app needs an update, manually download it (don't use the apkpure app, it is atrocious, too much data collection and connections) from the html webpage listed above and create a bookmark for the page to that program.

 

Then just download and open with package installer.

 

This way, google isn't in your business every time you download an app.

 

There is also the F-droid app store for open-source software, with a lot to choose from.  Go to the repository section, disable all but the main F-droid repository, then click on it, but not toggling, click the words instead.

 

Disable all but one mirror server.  If you have a dns log, you would see the continent where all these connections are going, the last one

 

.edu

 

is a U.S. based server, but if you are elsewhere, choose the one closest to you.  It will actually load all the servers if you leave them enabled, so only have one selected.

 

I suggest getting a firewall + dns redirector/filter to stop all the Google data collection via a cloud-based dns service called

 

https://nextdns.io/

 

This will allow you to manually add all the websites you want to block, and with a firewall+dns filter on the device, you can be aware of everything that is loading, and check the dns log either locally on the device, or remotely through the nextdns website to become aware of what is happening on your network and cellular.

 

Google knows way too much about your device, and disabling the app store is just one toe in the water to fully submersing your self in device privacy!

: JRE #1914 Siddarth Kara

How bad is e-waste?  Listen to that Joe Rogan episode.

 

"Now you get what you want, but do you want more?
- Bob Marley, Rastaman Vibration album 1976

 

Windows 11 will just force business to "recycle" "obscolete" hardware.  Microsoft definitely isn't bothered by this at all, and seems to want hardware produced just a few years ago to be considered obsolete.  They have also not shown any interest nor has any other company in a similar financial position, to help increase tech recycling whatsoever.  Windows 12 might be cloud-based and be a monthly or yearly fee.

 

Software suggestions


Just get f.lux [Link removed due to forum rules] so your screen isn't bright white at night, a golden orange in place of stark 6500K bluish white.

released in 2008 and still being improved.

 

Dark Reader addon for webpages.  Pick any color you want for both background and text (background and foreground page elements).  Enable the preview mode on desktop for Firefox and Chrome addon, by clicking the dark reader addon settings, Choose dev tools amd click preview mode.

 

NoScript or EFF's privacy badger addons can block many scripts and websites that would load and track you, possibly halving page load time!

 

F-droid is a place to install open-source software for android, Antennapod, RethinkDNS, Fennec which is Firefox with about:config, lots of performance and other changes available, mozilla KB has a huge database of what most of the settings do.  Most software in the repository only requires Android 5 and 6!

 

I recommend firewall apps (blocks apps) and dns filters (redirect all dns requests on android, to your choice of dns, even if overridden).  RethinkDNS is my pick and I set it to use pi-hole, installed inside Ubuntu/Debian, which is inside Virtualbox, until I go to a website, nothing at all connects to any other server.  I also use NextDNS.io to do the same when away from home wi-fi or even cellular!  I can even tether from cellular to any device sharing via wi-fi, and block anything with dns set to NextDNS, regardless if the device allows changing dns.  This style of network filtration is being overridden by software updates on some devices, forcing a backup dns provuder, such as google dns, when built in dns requests are not connecting.  Without a complete firewall setup, dns redirection itself is no longer always effective.

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