How to Fix Google Play Store Error 498
What error 498 means
Error 498 is a Google Play Store error that strikes in the middle of a download. Everything looks fine at first — you tap Install, the download starts, the progress bar inches forward — and then the whole thing dies with “App could not be downloaded due to an error. (498).” Retrying just repeats the same interruption, sometimes at the same point, sometimes somewhere different each time.
The error message is honest: this is literally an interrupted download. Something broke the transfer between Google’s servers and your phone before the app package arrived in one piece. That “something” usually falls into one of two camps. The first is the connection: weak Wi-Fi, a flaky mobile signal, switching networks mid-download, or a data-saving mode throttling the transfer. The second is storage: on older Android devices especially, app packages are first downloaded into the system cache partition, and if that partition is full or too small, the download dies with error 498. Newer phones with tight internal storage can hit a similar wall when there isn’t enough room for the incoming file.
The good news is that error 498 is one of the more fixable Play Store errors. It’s almost never an account problem, and the fixes below are all safe, reversible, and well proven — the cache-partition wipe has been the go-to fix for this specific error for years.
Common causes
- Unstable connection mid-download: weak Wi-Fi, dropping mobile signal, or switching between networks while the file is still transferring — the number one trigger.
- Full or too-small system cache partition: the classic cause on older phones, where the download package had nowhere to land and the transfer died with error 498.
- Corrupted Play Store or Download Manager cache: stale temporary files make the store mishandle the download handshake with Google’s servers.
- Nearly full internal storage: with little free space left, large app downloads get aborted before they can complete.
- Broken Google account session: a stale link between your phone and Google’s servers can cause downloads to fail partway through.
How to fix error 498 — step by step
Work through these fixes in order. Most people are fixed by step 5.
- Restart your phone and retry the download. Press and hold the Power button (or swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the power icon), then tap Restart. A reboot clears stalled download processes and lets the Play Store re-establish a clean connection to Google’s servers. Once the phone is back on, open the Play Store and try the download again — temporary connection hiccups are the simplest cause of error 498, and a retry after a restart resolves it more often than you’d expect.
- Switch to a stable Wi-Fi connection. Open Settings > Network & internet > Internet and connect to a reliable Wi-Fi network, then turn mobile data off temporarily while the app downloads. Error 498 is literally an interrupted download, and spotty mobile signal, weak Wi-Fi, or data-saving modes that throttle background downloads are prime suspects. If you only have mobile data, move somewhere with a stronger signal or wait until you’re on Wi-Fi — avoid switching networks mid-download.
- 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) and confirm. Corrupted temporary files can cause the store to mishandle the download handshake with Google’s servers. Reopen the Play Store, accept the terms again, and retry the download.
- Clear the cache of Download Manager and Google Play Services. Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps, tap the three-dot menu and choose Show system (on Samsung: Show system apps). Open Download Manager, tap Storage & cache, then Clear cache. Do the same for Google Play Services. On older devices, error 498 was famously tied to the system cache partition being too small to hold the download package, so clearing these download-related caches directly addresses the interruption point.
- Wipe the cache partition from recovery mode. This is the classic, most reliable fix for error 498, especially on older phones. Power off your phone completely, then hold Power + Volume Up together until the recovery menu appears (on Samsung phones, hold them while the phone is connected to a charger or computer). Use the volume buttons to highlight “Wipe cache partition,” press Power to select it, confirm, then choose “Reboot system now.” This clears stale system cache without deleting any personal data or installed apps.
- Free up internal storage space. Check Settings > Storage — if your phone is nearly full, the download may not have room to complete, which triggers error 498 partway through. Delete apps you don’t use, move photos and videos to cloud storage or an SD card, and clear the cache of storage-hungry apps like Chrome or social media. As a rule of thumb, keep at least 1–2 GB free before starting a large app download.
- Remove and re-add your Google account. Go to Settings > Passwords & accounts, tap your Google account, then Remove account. Restart the phone, go back to Settings > Passwords & accounts, tap Add account > Google, and sign in again with the same account. If nothing else has worked, a broken account session between your phone and Google’s servers may be aborting the download — refreshing that link is the final software-side fix before considering a factory reset.
Did this fix it? Quick checklist
- The app downloads completely without the 498 pop-up
- Other apps update normally without interruptions
- Downloads work over Wi-Fi and hold steady on mobile data
- The Play Store no longer restarts failed downloads
If error 498 still appears after all seven steps, try disabling any VPN or ad-blocker (they can interrupt download streams), and as a final measure, back up your data and consider a factory reset (Settings > System > Reset options > Erase all data).
Frequently asked questions
What does Google Play Store error 498 mean?
Error 498 means your app download was interrupted and could not be completed — you’ll see “App could not be downloaded due to an error. (498)” while the download is in progress. It’s a connection or storage problem rather than an account problem: either the download link broke mid-transfer or the phone ran out of room to hold the file.
Is error 498 caused by my phone’s cache partition being full?
On older Android phones, yes — that was the classic cause. Android downloads app packages into the system cache partition first, and when that partition was full or too small, downloads died with error 498. That’s why wiping the cache partition from recovery mode is the best-known fix for this error, and it deletes no personal data.
Will clearing Play Store data delete my apps or photos?
No. Clearing cache and storage for the Google Play Store only removes the store’s temporary files — your installed apps, photos, and personal files stay exactly where they are. You’ll just need to accept the Play Store terms again when you reopen it.
Why does error 498 keep happening on mobile data but not Wi-Fi?
Because error 498 is an interrupted download, anything that breaks the connection mid-transfer can trigger it — weak signal, switching between towers, or data-saving modes that throttle downloads. Large apps are the most affected. Downloading over a stable Wi-Fi connection with mobile data temporarily off is the simplest way around this.
Do I need a factory reset to fix error 498?
Almost never. Switching to stable Wi-Fi, clearing the Play Store and Download Manager caches, wiping the cache partition, or freeing up storage fixes error 498 in nearly every case. A factory reset is only worth considering if every other step has failed, and you should back up all your data first.