How to fix ''Google Play authentication is required'' error

The "Google Play authentication is required" error is a surprisingly common problem on Android devices. It makes you realize just how much you rely on Google products for your smartphone activity, especially the Play Store. The good news is that it's a super easy problem to fix. Let us show you how to fix this Google Play authentification error in three easy steps.

The Play Store is your friend, but sometimes your frenemy too.

1. Simply remove your Google account

The error may simply be a sign-in issue, which sometimes occurs when the Play Store is updated. The first trick is to go into your phone's main Settings menu and then Accounts and simply remove the Google account you have registered (the one that's getting the "authentication is required" message). Once you've done this, you can re-add the account and it should work just fine. However, you may need to do this step along with the second step below.

Go into Settings > Accounts.

Find the Google Account that's receiving the error message. 

Then remove that account and re-add it.

2. Clear data from the Google Play Store

To clear data from the Play Store, you need to go into Settings and then Applications and find the Google Play Store. Tap it and than select Clear data. (You can try just clearing the cache first, if you like, but clearing data will clear the cache as well). If the previous step didn't work for you, you may find that it does if you repeat it after carrying out this step.

Go into Settings > Applications and select Google Play Store. 

Tap on Clear Data and confirm when prompted. 

3. Uninstall Play Store updates

Sometimes the problem is not with your credentials but the Play Store itself. Go to the Play Store in Settings > Applications and hit Uninstall updates. This will take you back to the original version of the Play Store that was installed on your device. Then, all you need to do to fix the error is install the latest version of the Google Play Store and sign in once again.

If the problem lies with the Play Store itself, go into its settings and uninstall the updates.

Uninstalling Play Store updates will set it back to the version that came on your phone. 

If you're still having problems after trying all these steps, run through them again in this order, rebooting your phone between the steps: remove Google account, reboot, uninstall updates, install new Play Store, reboot, add account, and so on. Just keep trying until you the error goes away.
Have you suffered from the "authentication is required'' error in Google Play before? How did you solve it? Let us know in the comments.