Android

Android users having problems signing into Google Now (all fixed)

posted by Michael H.

Sep 19, 2012, 11:20 PM

Android users having problems signing into Google Now (all fixed)

It seems that there is something wrong in the Google universe. Google has a reputation for being extremely reliable, and its services don't go down very often at all. That's why it can be a news item when Gmail is down for a few thousand users for a couple hours. We noticed a couple hours ago that our Android devices had error messages popping up saying that they couldn't sign in or connect to Google servers, and it looks like we aren't alone.

At first, we assumed it was an error specific to one device, but it then popped up on another device, so we checked Twitter and it looks like there are others experiencing the same problem (including the late Kim Jong Il, apparently.) We don't know right now how widespread the problem is, or really what the problem is.

The strange thing is that there will be a constant notification in the Android tray saying that there is a sign-in error, and tapping the notification will lead to a message saying there was an error in connecting to Google servers. But, Google apps still work fine, with no errors in the Play Store, Gmail, Talk, Reader, etc.

Anyone else noticing this error?

*Update* We're learning a bit more, and it seems that this is an issue specifically affecting Jelly Bean devices, and is related to Google Now servers being shut down, which would correlate with what we're seeing on various Nexus devices.

*Update 2*After about 3 hours of downtime with the Google Now servers, everything looks to be back up and working!

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