Is Google Down? Live status & outage reports

Service info and troubleshooting

Google Search returns errors or no results

If search stops responding or throws a 500 error, the quickest fix is clearing the browser cache and cookies. Go to Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data, select cached files and cookies, then reload the page. If that doesn't help, try a different browser or switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data to rule out a local network issue.

Gmail messages won't send or get stuck

A message stuck in Outbox usually means a broken session. Sign out of your account, clear the cache, sign back in. If attachments are the issue — anything over 25 MB won't go through; use Google Drive and share a link instead. Also check that your storage isn't full: 15 GB is shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos.

Can't sign in to Google account

• Wrong password: use the account recovery flow at accounts.​google.​com/​signin/​recovery
• Two-factor authentication code not arriving: check that your phone number is current, or use backup codes saved earlier
• Account locked after multiple failed attempts: wait 24 hours before trying again — forced retries make the lockout longer
• Browser autofill inserting old credentials: clear saved passwords in browser settings

Google Pay payment not going through

A declined transaction is almost always one of three things: the card issuer blocked it, the billing address doesn't match, or the daily limit is hit. Open the Wallet app, go to the card details, and check for any alerts. If the card shows as suspended, contact your bank directly — Google can't override issuer decisions. For recurring payments that suddenly fail, remove the card and add it again to refresh the token.

YouTube video won't load or buffers constantly

Drop the resolution manually to 480p or lower — auto quality often picks too high a setting for your current connection. If the video shows a black screen with audio, disable hardware acceleration in browser settings. On mobile, force-stop the app and clear its cache from device settings. Persistent buffering usually points to DNS issues: switch to 8.8.8.8 in your network adapter settings.

Google Drive files not syncing

If files aren't appearing across devices, check that sync is actually enabled in the desktop app — it sometimes pauses after a system update without warning. Make sure there's enough free space on your local drive, since the sync client stops working when disk space runs critically low.