Fixing the RPC: S-5:AEC-0 error in Google Play


Fix in short: switch Google Play to a different Google Account, and switch back to the original account. It can be a new Google account, or one that already exists on your phone.
I hope that helps, and if you want screenshots & more details, read on. 🙂

(Short version because, apparently, this post is #3 on Google for “Google Play RPC:S-5”, and variations thereof, and putting the fix in the description that Google will show seems like a Good Thing to Do.)
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If you’re unlucky, like me, you’re getting an error like this when you try to update stuff on your shiny Android 4.1(.1) device: (Edit: Apparently, not just Android 4.1.1, I’ve seen reports of 4.2 breaking too.)

The most common ‘solution’ I’ve seen is to completely remove your Google account, and re-add it.

Which seemed a bit extreme, given that it’d (supposedly) wipe all your stuff off the phone. A solution that I stumbled upon is to simply switch to a different Google account in Google Play (Tap the options button at the top right), install an update, then switch back to your original account, and install the rest of the updates.

Yes, the third option on the list that appears. (I’m not showing my accounts screen because that has my email addresses.)

That got it working for me. It’s possible that you don’t even need to install an app in the other account – just switching back and forth might be enough to get Google Play to update whatever cached file is breaking. (I’m assuming it’s a cached file, that is.)

Apparently, this is an unexpected result of flushing and restarting the Google Services Framework in an attempt to force Android to detect/receive the update to Android 4.2. (Which, sadly, didn’t work for me, possibly because I’m on Wind in Canada. Oh well.)

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  1. #1 by Miguel Soto on December 10, 2012 - 12:31 pm

    Dude change the account for another one and then return to the original works for me, thanks a lot!

  2. #2 by Kyle Lexmond on December 10, 2012 - 1:36 pm

    Brilliant! Glad to hear it fixed your problem! =)

  3. #3 by Kevin lander on December 25, 2012 - 12:44 pm

    Worked for two tablets we had problems with 🙂

  4. #4 by Kyle Lexmond on December 25, 2012 - 12:53 pm

    Glad to hear that! If you got the tablets for Christmas, enjoy them!
    (If not, enjoy them anyway! :))

  5. #5 by martin on December 25, 2012 - 3:19 pm

    Hi there,
    i wasn’t so lucky with my goclever 104.2, which is running on android 4.0.4. 121031. It’s repeatedly giving me the RPC answer. nothing works so far. Hope there is a simple solution, but what. can anyone help?

  6. #6 by Kyle Lexmond on December 25, 2012 - 3:49 pm

    I’m afraid I have no clue… I’ve only seen this error on 4.1, not 4.0.4. Some stuff I’m seeing is saying potential server problems on Google’s side (with the influx of new phones/tablets being registered, possibly).

    forums.androidcentral.com/google-nexus-7-tablet-forum/224884-google-play-error-solution-rpc-s-5-aec-0-a-3.html#post2371524 has one guy with the same brand of tablet, his fix was to remove the entire account, not just try a new account.

    Good luck!

  7. #7 by martin on December 26, 2012 - 4:13 am

    Hi again,
    so I did it:) the issue was that I made new g account (A) in my previous TAB goclever 104.2 which haven´t had properly charge therefore I´ve changed it for another one. On this new I made new g account (B) and the problem was born. When I used old g account (A). everything is working. Hope I help someone

  8. #8 by cece on December 29, 2012 - 4:01 pm

    thanks this worked but how do I remove a gmail account?? can’t find the option anywhere :'( :'( thanks in advance

  9. #9 by Dmitri on December 30, 2012 - 1:14 pm

    i have new android tablet, and add one account, still see the error, add another account same error, switch between, still the same, but nothing helped:( any other ideas?
    Please help!

  10. #10 by Dmitri on December 30, 2012 - 1:33 pm

    i have 3 accounts and switch between them does not help at all..sorry

  11. #11 by Dmitri on December 30, 2012 - 1:44 pm

    guys, removing all accounts, reboot, and start store with existing account works..

  12. #12 by Dmitri on December 30, 2012 - 1:47 pm

    first download, second said could not verify your account info :)) dead circle

  13. #13 by Kyle Lexmond on December 31, 2012 - 10:26 am

    This should help.

  14. #14 by Kyle Lexmond on December 31, 2012 - 10:28 am

    No clue what’s going on, I’m afraid. =\ You might just have to wait, it seems to be something up with Google’s servers.

  15. #15 by derek on March 24, 2013 - 12:56 pm

    Switching accounts doesn’t work for me either, am I the only one still having this problem in March2013 ?

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