What Do I Do If I See the Message "Network Error" or "No Network Connection" Message"?
There are a number of different things that can give you something like a Network Error message. Often, it is due to a problematic app. On an Android, there is a quick fix that may or may not permanently take care of the problem. There is also a more lengthy, complex fix that will more certainly take care of the problem. The only fixes on an iOS device are lengthy and complex.
There's nothing more irritating than sitting down to do something online and getting a "Network Error" or "No Network Connection" message. You can get these messages in all kinds of circumstances for all kinds of reasons. Here are some of the most common ones, along with what you can do to fix the problems.
On an Android Device
There are two things you can do. One may take you awhile but fix the problem permanently. The other can fix the problem quickly, but it may just happen again later.
The Quick Fix
Follow these instructions to reset the Google Drive data, which may take care of the problem for now:
- Go to Settings.
- Select Applications.
- Select Google Drive.
- Select Storage.
- Select Clear Data.
The Sure Fix
There's probably an app that is in some way causing the problem. You need to find it. This can be difficult, because it's probably one of those apps that works in the background that you never see. Try making a note of your behavior while using your Android device: what apps are running, which one you just opened, and so forth, so that when the error appears, you can get some idea of which apps are causing the problem. If it isn't one of the apps you are using, it is probably one of the background apps those apps use. This kind of detective work can take some time. Once you find it, stop the app or uninstall it if you don't need it. To stop the app, just do this:
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Applications.
- Tap on the app you want to stop.
- Tap on Force Stop.
- Confirm the stop.
On an iOS Device
First of all, you have to find the app that is causing the problem, just as described for Android devices above. Once you find it, there are basically two things you can try: delete the app data, which might take care of the problem, or delete the app. You can try reinstalling it again if you really want it, and see if that fixed the problem. If it did not, you may just have to live without the app.
Deleting the App Data
To delete the app data, follow these instructions. However, this won't work for all iOS apps. Most apps will require you to delete and reinstall the app to get rid of its data. However, most of the apps that come preinstalled on your device should allow you to just delete the data.
- Tap the gray gear icon on the Home screen.
- Tap your name.
- Tap iCloud.
- Tap Manage Storage.
- Tap the app you want clearing of data.
- Tap Delete Data.
- Tap Delete.
Deleting the App
Follow these instructions to remove an app from your iOS device.
- Go to the Home screen.
- Find the app you want to delete.
- Touch and hold it.
- Tap Remove App.
- Tap Delete App.
Contacting Google and Apple
For help with an Android device, you can reach a Google representative by phone or help forum. For help with an iOS device, you can contact an Apple representative by phone or help forum as well.
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