Samsung Galaxy S can't download apps

[Salamander]

I have a new Samsung Galaxy S, and cannot get it to download apps from Android Market - in other respects it seems to function normally. I've spend a night and all moring trying to get past the "starting download" screen, and am desperate for help. I've tried hard to find a solution on this forum before posting:

The problem is the same on WiFi or phone signal. I've tried clearing the cache in settings/apps/market. I've tried rebooting, taking the battery out. I've tried a factory reset (interestingly the apps queued for download (dropbox and Google Maps update) remain listed). I have never had an @gmail.com account, I just logged into google and accepted an @googlemail.com address having already had a google calendar account. I'm using it on a Vodaphone pay-as-you go SIM (not USIM) and/or my home WiFi. I have no additional memory card. The firmware is 2.1 Update 1.

Can anyone offer suggestions?

[zul8er]

Get a memory card.

[Salamander]

Well knock me down with a feather! That worked - not straight away, but after inserting the card and switching on and off a couple of times.

Thank you very much indeed . Can you explain WHY it worked? I thought Android apps only installed to the phone and not to the card (I thought that was why people modify them.)

[extorian]

Hi Salamander, and welcome to the forums.

I suspect it's co-incidence, unless Zul8er knows what's going on?

Android 2.1 doesn't install apps on SD, and you don't need one to download apps. In fact I've used my phone many times without an SD card in it. Also, when you mount the SD card on a PC after connecting your phone to it via USB Android can no longer see the SD card, just like if it were removed.

Some apps do need access to the SD card to run of course, but this doesn't stop them downloading.

The android Market is a bit crap in general at downloading stuff. It's a frequent complaint form Android users that apps end up stuck in "Starting download..." for ever. This has been reported on every Android phone, and it seems to happen when people try to download more than one thing at once from the Market, or when the phone switches networks (either from WiFi to mobile, or from one mobile cell tower to another), as doing this resets the data connection.

Sometimes a reboot fixes it, but probably only because it retries them. For me the solution has always been a combination of cancelling the downloads and retrying them, letting each one finish downloading before starting the next, and making sure I have a decent internet connection (i.e. good WiFi signal on a fast connection).

[spacecasespiff]

I've had this problem on my n1 a few times I think its just the market. Off the subject if I could how do you like the galaxy s? I'm going to get the tmobile vibrant and I'm just wandering how you like it.


Sent from my Nexus One using Android Community App

Sent from my Nexus One using Android Community App

[extorian]

I can offer my 2c worth here. I used a SGS for about 15 minutes in a store a few days ago. I've also used the HTC Desire, Nexus One, iPhone 4, and I own a G1. The SGS is by far the best phone I have ever used or seen. The screen is truly amazing with the brightest and best defined colours I have ever seen. It has a 180 degree viewing angle. The touchscreen responds so quickly (it's the fastest technology in the world on any device), combined with the grapahics processor which is several times faster than any other Android phone, the whole interface and graphics side of things truly fly. It also has, currently, the fastest CPU of any phone, and its memory runs much faster too. Overall it just flies along.

It runs TouchWiz 3, which to be honest only glosses over a very few areas of the standard Android UI... for example the app draw scrolls left/right a screen at a time instead of a smooth vertical scrolling you get with Android.

It lacks a trackball, notification LED, and noise cancelling mic, but the screen really does make up for it all.

I've been debating which phone to upgrade to for about 6 months, and the SGS will almost certainly be it for me.

[ggrant3876]

Hi Salamander, and welcome to the forums.

I suspect it's co-incidence, unless Zul8er knows what's going on?

Android 2.1 doesn't install apps on SD, and you don't need one to download apps. In fact I've used my phone many times without an SD card in it. Also, when you mount the SD card on a PC after connecting your phone to it via USB Android can no longer see the SD card, just like if it were removed.

Some apps do need access to the SD card to run of course, but this doesn't stop them downloading.

The android Market is a bit crap in general at downloading stuff. It's a frequent complaint form Android users that apps end up stuck in "Starting download..." for ever. This has been reported on every Android phone, and it seems to happen when people try to download more than one thing at once from the Market, or when the phone switches networks (either from WiFi to mobile, or from one mobile cell tower to another), as doing this resets the data connection.

Sometimes a reboot fixes it, but probably only because it retries them. For me the solution has always been a combination of cancelling the downloads and retrying them, letting each one finish downloading before starting the next, and making sure I have a decent internet connection (i.e. good WiFi signal on a fast connection).

I have always been able to download 4 or 5 apps at the same time and sometimes I even more going at the same time, even on my G1. I always set it to wifi before I start. Sometimes when a download seems stalled I hit cancel and then install and it usually starts right away.

[extorian]

Could be just times when the Market is busy then?

[ggrant3876]

Could be just times when the Market is busy then?

Don't know exactly why some people have trouble with the market. The only time I had a problem is when I flashed froyo and went back to eclair. All I had to do was go into settings and uninstall update to market and it started working again. I've heard you can also type on your phone *#*#checkin#*#* to get it started again.

[extorian]

The checkin code there fires off broadcast intent to run the checkin service. All the checkin service does is check for new updates for the OS (available OTA and is exactly the same as hitting the check for updates link in the settings) and also checks the Market for updates to all of your apps. I guess it could snap the Market out of its problem?