How to fix Google Cloud Messaging Registration error: SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE?

The problem is answered, in my case it was little more complicated.

  1. Check you have an active internet connection
  2. Check that you have Internet permission in your manifest
  3. Make sure the package name is correct as Eran mentioned
  4. The device time is correctly setup. Even if everything is perfect, it will fail if device clock is not set correctly.

Wrong clock caused problem for me. :)


This SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE error says that GCM Service is not available in current. Wait and try after some time.

This happens many time (As my experience), so don't worry about it.


See the GCMConstants class of GCM Lib.

/**
     * The device can't read the response, or there was a 500/503 from the
     * server that can be retried later. The application should use exponential
     * back off and retry.
     */
    public static final String ERROR_SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE =
            "SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE";

For more investigation see handleRegistration() of GCMBaseIntentService

private void handleRegistration(final Context context, Intent intent) {
        String registrationId = intent.getStringExtra(EXTRA_REGISTRATION_ID);
        String error = intent.getStringExtra(EXTRA_ERROR);
        String unregistered = intent.getStringExtra(EXTRA_UNREGISTERED);
        Log.d(TAG, "handleRegistration: registrationId = " + registrationId +
                ", error = " + error + ", unregistered = " + unregistered);

        // registration succeeded
        if (registrationId != null) {
            GCMRegistrar.resetBackoff(context);
            GCMRegistrar.setRegistrationId(context, registrationId);
            onRegistered(context, registrationId);
            return;
        }

        // unregistration succeeded
        if (unregistered != null) {
            // Remember we are unregistered
            GCMRegistrar.resetBackoff(context);
            String oldRegistrationId =
                    GCMRegistrar.clearRegistrationId(context);
            onUnregistered(context, oldRegistrationId);
            return;
        }

        // last operation (registration or unregistration) returned an error;
        Log.d(TAG, "Registration error: " + error);
        // Registration failed
        if (ERROR_SERVICE_NOT_AVAILABLE.equals(error)) {
            boolean retry = onRecoverableError(context, error);
            if (retry) {
                int backoffTimeMs = GCMRegistrar.getBackoff(context);
                int nextAttempt = backoffTimeMs / 2 +
                        sRandom.nextInt(backoffTimeMs);
                Log.d(TAG, "Scheduling registration retry, backoff = " +
                        nextAttempt + " (" + backoffTimeMs + ")");
                Intent retryIntent =
                        new Intent(INTENT_FROM_GCM_LIBRARY_RETRY);
                retryIntent.putExtra(EXTRA_TOKEN, TOKEN);
                PendingIntent retryPendingIntent = PendingIntent
                        .getBroadcast(context, 0, retryIntent, 0);
                AlarmManager am = (AlarmManager)
                        context.getSystemService(Context.ALARM_SERVICE);
                am.set(AlarmManager.ELAPSED_REALTIME,
                        SystemClock.elapsedRealtime() + nextAttempt,
                        retryPendingIntent);
                // Next retry should wait longer.
                if (backoffTimeMs < MAX_BACKOFF_MS) {
                  GCMRegistrar.setBackoff(context, backoffTimeMs * 2);
                }
            } else {
                Log.d(TAG, "Not retrying failed operation");
            }
        } else {
            // Unrecoverable error, notify app
            onError(context, error);
        }
    }