Fix: Speech Services by Google Waiting for Network Connection

Speech Services by Google is the default text-to-speech service on the Android platform. Ideally, you wouldn’t even notice that it’s there but some users have had a hard time with the app recently. Namely, it seems that Speech Services by Google is Waiting for a Network connection constantly and it can’t be updated. Learn more about the problem and applicable solutions below.

Table of contents:

1. Manually update the app
2. Clear data from Speech Services
3. Uninstall updates from Speech Services by Google
4. Clear data from Play Services and Play Store and try again

Google Speech on Android won’t stop downloading

There are multiple reasons why Google Speech services on Android won’t stop downloading:

• A temporary server-side bug that prevents the app to update or rollback.
• An app glitch that can be addressed by clearing local data or uninstalling updates.
• Issues with Play Store and associated services.

Check the steps below to fix the problem in no time.

1. Manually update the app

A good starting point would be a simple restart. After that, navigate to Play Store and try manually updating the app. I’ve run into similar issues with other apps, when they are constantly stuck in the update queue, waiting forever to be updated. Sometimes it’s benign and they eventually get updated, other times (especially with Android WebView) they get stuck. The same might be the case with Speech Services.

Here’s how to manually update Speech Services by Google in Play Store:

1. Open Play Store.
2. Search for Speech services by Google.
3. Try updating the app.

If that doesn’t help and Speech Services by Google is still Waiting for the network, check the next step.

2. Clear data from Speech Services

The next thing you can do is clear all local data from Speech Services. That way, the app should restart functioning normally and, hopefully, don’t let you wait for updates anymore.

Here’s how to clear data from Speech Services by Google on your Android:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps.
3. Search for Speech Services by Google and open the app from the list of available apps.
4. Tap Storage.
5. Tap Clear data.
6. Confirm and restart your device.

3. Uninstall updates from Speech Services by Google

Most users that run into the issue managed to resolve it by uninstalling updates from Speech Services by Google. This is probably the most definitive solution. At least, until Google sorts out issues with their essential Android services running into occasional hiccups while updating over Play Store.

Here’s how to uninstall updates from Speech Services by Google in a few simple steps:

1. Once again, navigate to Settings > Apps > Speech Services by Google.
2. Tap on the 3-dots menu and tap Uninstall updates.
3. Confirm and open Play Store.
4. Look for Speech Services and tap Update.

4. Clear data from Play Services and Play Store and try again

Finally, if none of the previous steps worked for you, we suggest clearing data from Play Services and Play Store and giving it another go. Although slight, there’s a chance that the problem has nothing to do with Speech Services but it’s rather a general issue with Play Store and related services.

Here’s how to clear local data from Play Services and Play Store in system settings:

1. Navigate to Settings > Apps again.
2. Open Play Store and then Storage.
3. Clear all data.
4. Next, open Google Play Services > Storage and tap Manage storage.
5. Clear all data and confirm.
6. Restart your device and try manually updating Speech Services one more time.

You can also report the problem to Google, here. That should speed up their response and, hopefully, the issue will be addressed soon enough.

That should do it. Thank you for reading and don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below. Have you managed to solve the problem with recommended solutions? Tell us below or reach us on Twitter and  Facebook.