Recently, millions of Android users faced disruptions due to a significant Google app malfunction, which caused widespread inconvenience. From search queries to Google Maps, this unexpected outage affected several key services.
Timeline of the Outage
The outage began late on Saturday, September 14, 2024, when Android users worldwide reported repeated crashes upon opening the Google app. By 11 p.m. Pacific Time, the issue was widespread, with users encountering the error message, “Google keeps stopping.” At around 11:30 p.m. PT, Google acknowledged the problem, marking the beginning of an ongoing disruption to its core “serving” component — the backend system responsible for delivering search results and other services.
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While users were able to access Google through browsers like Chrome, the app itself remained unusable for several hours. Google’s status page indicated that they were investigating the root cause, and provided users with temporary workarounds, such as clearing the app’s cache and data.
Global Impact
According to data from Downdetector, the problem was far-reaching, with over 7,000 problem reports flooding in from users around the world. Around 67% of these reports involved Google Search crashes, while others struggled with Google Maps and related services. Major markets like the United States, India, the United Kingdom, and Australia were among the worst hit.
Despite the outage, other Google services like Gmail, YouTube, and Google Drive were unaffected. This outage was confined primarily to Android devices, with Google Search on web browsers continuing to function normally.
Google’s Response and Workarounds
Google responded promptly, keeping users updated via its Google Search status dashboard. The company assured that they were “working on identifying the root cause” and would provide a comprehensive fix within 12 hours. In the meantime, Google suggested that Android users clear the cache and data of their Google app, a temporary workaround that helped some users access the app again.
For those still struggling, Google advised using the web version of Google Search or alternative search engines like Bing and DuckDuckGo. Other services like Google Assistant and Google Lens continued to function normally, providing partial relief to users.
User Reactions and Future Outlook
The reaction to the outage has been mixed. While some users expressed frustration over the downtime, others were more patient, understanding that Google was working on a fix. Many took to social media platforms like Reddit to discuss potential solutions, with a significant number of users successfully mitigating the problem by clearing their app data.
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Although the issue has begun to stabilize, a comprehensive solution is still in the works. Google has not provided a detailed explanation for the outage but hinted that it could be linked to a serving-related bug. Comparisons have been drawn to the 2021 WebView bug, though this incident appears to be confined to the Google app alone.