How to Fix Google Play Store Error 24 on Android

By ErrorFix · Updated October 18, 2026 · 6 min read

What error 24 means

Error 24 appears when you try to install or update an app from the Google Play Store and Android kills the installation before it ever begins. The pop-up reads “Unknown error code during application installation: -24” (or simply “Error 24”), and the app never downloads — you are back at the app’s store page with nothing installed.

Unlike cache-corruption errors, this one has a specific mechanical cause. Every Android app keeps a private data folder in internal storage at /data/data/, named after the app’s package (something like com.example.app). When an app is uninstalled cleanly, that folder is deleted. But if the uninstall was interrupted — a crash, a forced stop, or a system problem mid-removal — the folder can survive as an orphan. The next time you try to install that app, Android’s installer finds a folder where it expects empty space and refuses to proceed, throwing error 24.

The confusing part is that the error looks like a Play Store problem, so most people keep retrying, switching networks, or clearing the download cache. Those steps can help in cases where the trigger is corrupted installer state rather than a genuine leftover folder, but if the orphaned folder is really there, no amount of retrying will get past it. The fixes below are ordered to rule out the easy causes first, then clear the leftover data that actually triggers the error.

Common causes

• Leftover app data after an incomplete uninstall: an interrupted uninstall leaves the app’s data folder in /data/data/, and the installer refuses to overwrite it.
• A failed or interrupted install: a previous install attempt that died halfway can leave a half-created data folder that blocks the next attempt.
• Corrupted Play Store cache: the store’s temporary files get damaged by interrupted downloads and confuse the installer.
• Stale Google Play Services state: the background service that performs installs can hold bad state that surfaces as error 24.
• Storage and filesystem problems: a nearly full phone or a misbehaving SD card can interrupt writes and leave orphaned folders behind.

How to fix error 24 — step by step

Work through these fixes in order. Most people are fixed by step 3.

1. Restart your phone and retry the install. Hold the Power button, tap Restart, and wait for the phone to fully boot back up. Open the Play Store and try installing the app again. A restart clears temporary installer states and occasionally lets the install complete, so this quick step rules out a transient glitch before you dig deeper.
2. Clear the Google Play Store’s cache and data. Open Settings, then go to Apps (or Apps & notifications), then See all apps. Tap Google Play Store, then Storage & cache. Tap Clear cache first, then Clear storage (or Clear data). This wipes the store’s temporary files without touching your installed apps or your Google account. Reopen the Play Store and retry the install.
3. Clear Google Play Services and the Services Framework. In Settings > Apps > See all apps, open Google Play Services and tap Storage & cache, then Clear cache. Do the same for Google Services Framework — tap Storage & cache, then Clear data on that one. These two background components share installer state with the Play Store, and stale data there is a common trigger for error 24. Restart the phone before you retry.
4. Delete the leftover data folder for the problem app. This is the root cause fix and needs a rooted phone. Install a root-capable file manager, navigate to /data/data, and find the folder named after the app’s package name (for example, the folder shown in the app’s Play Store page URL). Delete that folder completely, then restart your phone and install the app again from the Play Store.
5. Remove and re-add your Google account. Go to Settings > Passwords & accounts, tap your Google account, and choose Remove account. Restart the phone, then go back to Settings > Passwords & accounts > Add account > Google and sign in again. Open the Play Store and retry the install. This resets the account-linked installer state that error 24 can get stuck on.
6. Reset app preferences as a final cleanup. Open Settings > Apps (or System > Reset options) and look for Reset app preferences, then confirm. This restores disabled apps, default apps, and app permissions to their defaults without deleting any data. Reopen the Play Store and try the install one more time before considering a factory reset.

Did this fix it? Quick checklist

• The app installs without the error 24 (or -24) pop-up
• Other apps download and update normally from the Play Store
• The problem app opens and runs after installation
• No leftover data folder reappears in a root file manager

If error 24 still appears after all six steps, check whether your phone’s internal storage is nearly full (Settings > Storage) — installs need working space — and as a last resort back up your data and perform a factory reset (Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data). The reset deletes the orphaned folders, but so does deleting the folder directly, so only reset if your phone is not rooted.