[dementiritas]

HI all, thank you for reading my question.
Yesterday, I noticed that I didn't have access to my "Play Store",
On the help forum of Google, it said to clear the cache, and if that didn't work, to remove the account, restart the phone and add the account again.

Everything sounded right, and easy enough for me to give it a try.
Guess what!, now it's worse, I could've lived without new games, but not without my trusted calendar and of course not without my contacts.

When I try to add a Google account, it gives me this message:

Couldn't sign in - There was a problem communicating with Google servers.... Try again later.

I did try later... I million times I try... but nothing...

Always the same message...
Please, I could do with a bit of hope and directions before I give up and commit my sorry self to a life without google.

Thank you all,

[SpookDroid]

Is this happening on WiFi or mobile? Have you tried going to a Google webpage? What about adding a different Google account? Can you log in to your account on a computer or maybe even try adding it to a different phone?

[dementiritas]

Hi Spook,
My trouble is from my cell, phone, on the web I can get into my Gmail, account, keep, calendar and more... but not from my phone.
It won't allow me to even try to put an address, it just tells me that it won't connect to the server.
I was going to try from a different phone, but chances are that I'm going to lose my chats on whatapp as i noticed that my last backup was one week ago, same goes if I try to factory reset.
If I understand right, since my phone is not conected any longer to google, whatever i do on my my phone i will lose it, meanning that i'd better figure it out something soon, or rip the bandage off quickley so I don't loose as much.
:/
Is that right?

[SpookDroid]

Not exactly... You are just not syncing anything to Google, but your stuff is still on the phone. Unfortunately Whatsapp on Android only includes chat back up directly to Google Drive, so while you don't lose your conversations unless you uninstall the app or change your number to another device, yes, transferring those to another device (since there is no back up) without the Google account is not possible.

So let's try to debug this. Start with your phone. On a web browser, can you log into GMail or open Google.com or Calendar? Not the apps, on a browser.

[dementiritas]

I'm using the browser on my phone

gmail.com
takes me to my email.

yes, I can see all .. youtube, calendar, drive, photos..etc etc..

[SpookDroid]

OK, so Google's servers aren't blocked on your network or by the network settings of your phone. Now, let's try a few things.
1) Before we start, log into your Google account on a computer and make sure that 2-factor authentication is not active (just in case that's 'borking' the login).
2) Just for 'baseline' results, go to your phone's Settings, Accounts, Add Account (Google) and try to re-add your account. Does it let you?
3) If not, now open the GMail app (in theory, no account should be there). Try to add an account there.
4) Didn't work so far? OK, let's try booting up into safe mode and try to add the account there. Does it let you?
5) If the above didn't work, can you try a different Google Account (friend, partner, second e-mail...)? Just trying to figure out if the problem is with the phone overall or if it's just your account.

[dementiritas]

1. two step verification is off
2. NO
3. welcome message,
set up email - I choose google,
gives me a message: "couldn't sign in- there was a problem
communicating with google serves.. try again later
(Didn't even give me a chance to write the name of my account.).
4. Safe mode on- same message/ didn't give me a
chance to write my account name
5. It doesn't even give me a chance of adding a name,
as soon as I
choose I want to add a new account on google- it
gives me the message

:/

[SpookDroid]

Did you by any chance disable or uninstall Play Services at any point? Can you check if it's present in your app list (you might have to select to show System Apps) and that it's not disabled/force-stopped?

Does it happen on both mobile data and WiFi? Try a different WiFi network?

[dementiritas]

No, I've not disabled Play Services. It is present in my app list. I can see the google play store, and I don't have mobile data

should I get out of the safe mode from now on?

[SpookDroid]

Have you tried a different WiFi Network? Make sure there are no VPN active on your phone?

[dementiritas]

No VPN active,
I'll have to wait till tomorrow to try a different WIFI Network.
I change between my regular one and G5

should I get off the safe mode?

[SpookDroid]

If it didn't help, yeah, it doesn't really matter if you're on Safe Mode or not.

[methodman89]

Make sure you are trying to sign in with the same Google account that you used to activate the phone when new.

[dementiritas]

Nope, couldn't do it either.

But I noticed that I was able to create an gmail account with my yahho
email address.
But of course it didn't let me do it with my gmail address.

When trying to access the plat store with my yahho account, it wouldn't let me.

[Rukbat]

But I noticed that I was able to create an gmail account with my yahho
email address.
But of course it didn't let me do it with my gmail address.

Just so everyone doesn't get confused, you can create a yahoo account using your GMail app. You can't create a gmail.com address with the GMail app. You aren't creating a gmail.com address with a yahoo email address - the GMail app is connecting to the Yahoo email server and creating an account. (Sometimes these threads go around in circles for days because two people understand the same words to mean different things. I don't think SpookDroid will get confused by your wording, but in case anyone else has a similar problem and is following the thread.)

Have you tried just installing another email app for the time being, so you can handle your google.com address on your phone? (And checking Play to make sure that there's no update for the GMail app?)

[methodman89]

When you said nope, couldn't do it either, did you mean that the previous attempts were with other Gmail accounts also? Or has it always just been the 1?

[dementiritas]

I was asked to try to connect to google server while on a different WiFi network, not only my homes WiFi. To that is a no. Didn't make a difference.
I still can't connect my phone to google. Is it possible to upload a video on this forum so I could show you?

[dementiritas]

@Rukbat,
when I go to Gmail application on my phone, I can see my yahoo emails, but not my gmail account.

I didn't understand about installing a different email application.. you mean like Yahoo app? , I do have it installed. but all my information like contacts are linked to my gmail account, and my phone doesn't seem to be able to conect with google.

did I understand right?


----------------------------

@methodman89,
I only have one Gmail account since ever, I only tried with that one.

----------------------------

To all,
Sorry, my knowledge is very limited, I do appreciate all your help.
thanks... please don't give up on me yet.

[methodman89]

I think that whatever you did when you lost the playstore, you lost some credential file needed to set up the phone. I think this is a case where diagnostic software is needed. It seems you've done everything right, except whatever it is that eliminated the store. I'd try 611 just to see if the carrier settings are correct too. Good luck.

[dementiritas]

611 takes me to my carrier..

OK..I'm going to factory reset it... Cross your fingers...
But first I'll have a strong drink...haha..
Thank you all.

[SpookDroid]

Hopefully that'll fix it, but please let us know if it did!

[dementiritas]

Well,I did factory reset it and everything is ok.
Pity, I didn't ask you if there was anything I could do not to lose my text messages.

thank you all.
D.

[SpookDroid]

Bit too late now, but yeah, there are back up options available... unfortunately if the phone's been wiped, that's pretty much gone now.