Google Apps, also known as GApps, refers to the suite of Google applications that come pre-installed on most Android devices, such as Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, etc.
Error Code 70 is a common issue that arises when trying to install or update GApps, especially after flashing a custom ROM. It indicates that there is insufficient storage space available to complete the installation.
Here is a comprehensive guide on troubleshooting Error Code 70 when installing GApps and the various methods to fix this issue.
Table of Contents
Understanding Error Code 70
When Error Code 70 pops up during GApps installation, the exact error message is:
Updater process ended with ERROR: 70
It means that the system partition where GApps need to be installed has insufficient storage space.
This is often seen in older Android devices with limited internal storage. It can also happen if you are trying to install a GApps package that is too large for the available system partition space.
So how do you fix this error and successfully install GApps? Here are some troubleshooting tips and solutions.
Troubleshooting Steps
Follow these basic troubleshooting steps before moving on to the fixes:
- Check device storage: Error 70 mainly occurs due to low storage space on the system partition. Go to Settings > Storage to view system storage availability. If it’s low, you need to free up space.
- Wipe cache partition: Boot into recovery, wipe the cache partition and try installing GApps again. A corrupted cache can sometimes cause Error 70.
- Try another GApps package: Not all GApps packages are the same size. Try installing a smaller package like Open GApps Pico or Nano instead of the full package.
Fixes and Solutions
If the basic troubleshooting steps don’t work, try these methods to successfully install GApps and resolve Error 70.
1. Resize System Partition
The most common fix is to resize the system partition to allocate more storage space for GApps installation. Here are the steps:
- Reboot into recovery mode
- Navigate to ‘Wipe’ and select ‘Advanced Wipe’
- Choose ‘System’ partition
- Tap on ‘Repair or Change File System’
- Select ‘Resize File System’ and allow it to complete
- Go back and try installing GApps again
Note: Not all recoveries have the partition resize feature. Use a custom recovery like TWRP that supports resizing partitions.
2. Install Smaller GApps
Instead of the full GApps package, install a smaller variant with fewer apps like Pico or Nano:
- Go to OpenGApps.org
- Select your Android version, architecture and smaller variant
- Download and flash the package through recovery
- Reboot device and set up GApps
You can skip backup & restore during setup. Manually download other needed Google apps from the Play Store later.
3. Delete Unwanted Apps
Uninstall unused apps from your device to free up valuable system storage:
- Boot into recovery mode
- Tap ‘Wipe’ and select ‘Advanced Wipe’
- Choose ‘System’ partition
- Swipe to factory reset the system partition
- Reboot device and delete unwanted apps
- Try installing GApps now in the freed up space
This clears up space taken up by pre-installed apps. Just don’t factory reset the entire device storage.
4. Format System Partition
You can format the system partition to a different file system before installing GApps:
- Boot into custom recovery
- Backup current ROM & data partitions
- Go to ‘Wipe’ and tap on ‘Advanced Wipe’
- Select ‘System’ and tap ‘Change File System’
- Choose ‘EXT4’ file system and swipe to format
- After formatting finishes, install GApps package
- Restore backed up partitions & reboot
Formatting the system partition can help resolve error 70 in some devices. Remember to backup first!
Conclusion
Error 70 during GApps installation or update is generally caused by low storage space on the Android system partition.
Follow the step-by-step troubleshooting and solutions in this guide to successfully install GApps and eliminate this annoying error code.
Resizing the system partition or installing a smaller GApps variant are two common and effective fixes. But you can also try formatting system or removing unwanted apps.
I hope this comprehensive article has helped you learn all about Error Code 70, what causes it and the various methods to troubleshoot and resolve this issue when trying to install Google Apps on your Android device after installing a custom ROM.
