How to fix ''Google Play authentication is required'' error: 3 tricks

This is a surprisingly common problem on Android devices and it makes you realize just how much you rely on Google products for your smartphone activity, especially the Play Store. The good news is that it's a super easy problem to fix, so much so that's it's not a problem at all!

                            The Play Store is your friend, but sometimes your frenemy too.

1. Simply remove your Google account

The first trick is to go into your settings and then accounts and simply remove the Google account you have registered (the one that's getting the ''authentication is required'' message). Once you've done this you can re-add the account and you should be fine if it's simply a sign-in issue (this sometimes happen when the Play Store is updated). However, you may need to do this step in connection with the second step below.

2. Clear data from the Google Play Store

For this step you simply need to go into settings and then apps and find the Google Play Store. Tap it and clear the data for the app (you can also clear the cache first and try the Play Store again, but clearing data will clear the cache as well). If the previous step didn't work for you, simply remove your Google account, clear the data for the Google Play Store, and re-add your Google account. You can also add reboots in between each step of this process if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy.

3. Uninstall Play Store updates

Perhaps the problem is not your credentials but the Play Store. If this happens you can simply go to the Play Store in settings and apps and ''remove updates''. This will take you back to the original version of the Play Store installed on your device. Then, all you need to do is install the latest version of the Google Play Store and sign in once again.

You can, of course, mix these steps up a bit too if you're still having problems: remove Google account, reboot, uninstall updates, install new Play Store, reboot, add account, etc. Just keep trying until you get the result you're looking for. Unfortunately there's no science to dealing with simple bugs like these, just mixing up the known ingredients until you get something resembling what you wanted.