Errors occurring on your device are one of the worst things that can happen in a technologically-driven world.
For a society that depends on quite a lot on connecting to each other through smartphones and laptops and tablets, experiencing an error that prohibits you from that connection can frustrate you and even keep you from taking care of important business.
One such type of error found on Android devices when interacting with the Google Play Store is Error RH-01.
On the screen, you might just be presented with a typical dialogue box saying “Error retrieving information from server,” check here for a related article I’d written about that more generic error.
You can see lots of people on Twitter are experiencing the error:
Google play failure in Emulator: error retrieving information from server RH-01
— Axelle Ap. (@cryptax) January 18, 2013
Quick Video Fix:
The most frequent victims of this error are the ones who use custom ROM installed Android phones, those brave enough to alter some sensitive settings on their devices. You might face this error when downloading an application or simply updating the Google Play Store.
Being one of the most common and despised errors, RH-01 can be pretty annoying when you really need to complete a task but your phone refuses to respond to your touch. It can make you feel completely helpless when you can’t figure out what’s going on. But don’t panic! I’ve got the answers for you.
This error is relatively easy to solve, so don’t worry about not being able to fix it yourself. We’ll walk you through the steps to getting your Android device back into ship-shape in no time- and without having to do any heavy-duty surgery!
It can be easy to accidentally set something ablaze on Android because of all the accessibility to the inner workings that are provided. So if you want to keep yourself from making a complete mess of your device, turn off debugging mode – unless you need to connect your device with your computer. Here is a list of common Android errors along with their solutions you might face, just in case you’ve been encountering other problems.
So What Exactly Causes This Error?
So far we’ve learned that RH-01 appears during installation or update of an application through the Google Play Store.
Even though the error codes are set to identify and report specific types of error, this error itself is pretty misleading. This error tells you that your device is having troubles with receiving information from the server- which, contrary to what it sounds like, does not mean the server is having issues…it’s your phone that’s having trouble connecting.
Great. Now, How Do I Fix This? I Need My Android!!!
Life is always easier when there’re multiple avenues for you to take. The more options you have, the better, and this is true for technology just as much as it’s true for what you’re having for dinner (because leftovers are horrid after night two, am I right?).
Well, it just so happens that there are many simple options available to get rid of Error RH-01. Here I’ll give you four ways to solve your problem. The solution to this problem does not involve any coding or resetting of your phone so even those of you who aren’t technologically savvy should be able to get this fixed!
Method 1: Refresh Google Play Store
First, off you should be naturally trying the refresh method. This is the easiest and least invasive way to fix your problem, so naturally, you should start here first. Sometimes all you need to do is turn it off and back on again…the techies were right! Here’s what to do:
- Go to “Settings” on your phone or Android device.
- Now click on the “Application Manager”. Here you will find a list of apps that your phone uses.
- Locate the Google Play Store App.
- Select “Force Stop” to…well, stop all the running process related to this app.
- Clear the data and then clear the cache of the app.
- Reboot your device after clearing the cache.
This should be able to sort out any basic error that you face while running Google Play Store. If you’re still having issues connecting to your server, move on to the next method.
Method 2: Clear Data and Cache
Yes, you just cleared the data and cache for your app on the last method! Why should you do it again?
Check here for a detailed explanation of memory, data, and cache – on Android and other devices – I’d written.
Besides simply making sure you’re doing it right, you need to ensure you’re clearing out the data both for Google Play Store and Google Play Services. Clearing out both will give Google Play a clean slate of sorts and allow it to reattempt to connect to the server that’s been evading you for so long.
But what exactly is the use of the cache on your device, anyway, you may be asking.
It’s simple. Remember clearing out the cache on Google Search back in the day? It’s the same idea here. There is a list of many files like cookies on your device; the cache is one of them, and it exists to help your device perform faster and better by holding onto little packets of information.
Sometimes, however, the cache can hold onto things that aren’t necessarily needed anymore, and may actually slow down the process entirely. When this happens, clearing the cache will free it up for any unwanted items and should help whatever you’re trying to do work a little bit faster and smoother. Clearing cache tames down even the most misbehaving apps so don’t be afraid to clear cache every once in a while.
Here are a few steps that will guide you to clearing up cache and data. Mind you, clearing cache does not do much to your app data, but actually clearing the app data might refresh the app itself and solve the issue here. A word to the wise: don’t clear app data for games, as that’s how all your progress is stored.
Here’s how to clear the data and cache:
- Go to Settings.
- From there onwards go to Applications.
- Locate and select All.
- There among the list, you will find Google Play Store listed- click on it!
- Next select Clear Cache.
- After that clear out your Google Play Services data.
- To do that, go to Settings.
- Go back to Apps.
- Select All.
- Find Google Play Services.
- Now select Clear Data
It’s as simple as that! If clearing out your data and cache solved the problem, then good for you! If you’re still experiencing issues, though, go to the next step.
Method 3: Remove and Then Re-Add your Google Account
If clearing your cache and data didn’t solve your problem, try disconnecting entirely from Google Play Store and then signing back in. I know, I know, remembering passwords is one of the hardest things about interacting on the internet, but this is a crucial step. I hope you wrote that secret code down somewhere!
- Same old drill, go to the Settings.
- From here on go to Accounts.
- Tap on your Google Account.
- Long press it and remove the account. This essentially logs you out of Google and all of its services, so don’t try to access anything else Google related before you log back on- it just won’t work.
- Now reboot your device to refresh the settings.
- Add back your account by going through the same process.
If the problem was regarding your account with Google Play, you should be good to go. Login back to your Play Store app and thank me later.
Method 4: Correct Date and Time
This sounds silly…but check if the date and time on your phone are correct. Most people generally rely on their phones to stay updated and wristwatches these days are nothing but a fashion statement for most.
Even if you do rely on your wristwatch to tell you the time thankyouverymuch, your phone still needs an optimized time and date in order to work its basic functionalities such as the WhatsApp Application, System Updates, etc.
If you haven’t noticed yet, the Google Play Store heavily depends on the correct date and time setting on your phone; therefore, it is crucial to correct that. To do that follow the steps given below:
- Open Settings and go to Date and Time.
- See if the Date and Time are correct and if not deactivate the Automatic mode.
- Now manually set the Date and Time.
- If you’d rather keep Automatic mode on, double check the region your phone is connecting with- this might be the issue too, though with automatic location detection settings being more and more commonplace, it’s a long shot.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve been able to solve your problem regarding Error RH-01, and if you have, congrats! Now you’re free to connect with anyone and everyone in the world. Still having issues with the error? Don’t worry, I’ve got some last-minute tips that just might save you and your sanity.
Pro Tips Galore
- Contact Android and let them know about the error. If these common ways to fix the problem aren’t working, then there might be something bigger going on behind the scenes, and Android needs to know about it.
- …That’s the only Pro Tip. If those steps didn’t help, then you really should contact Android, and even your device’s provider, and let them know you’ve been experiencing errors.
Having another issue related to Google Play Store? Head on to this link about Error Code 927 if you think you’re facing another issue related to a corrupted device. This article will provide you with insights about the issue as well as devise the perfect solution to whatever is causing your problems.
Interested, maybe, instead about errors you may face in other areas, that you might have illuminated by this Ultimate HTTP Error Codes List while browsing the internet, or Ultimate Windows Error Code List while using your favorite Windows device?
