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Can't add gmail accounts to Android? ("can't connect to server" error) TRY THIS!

lherran

Lurker
I was having trouble adding gmail accounts to my Android (LG Tribute 2 - LS665, using Lollipop). I use multiple accounts for personal, school, and work e-mails, but once I removed accounts, I wasn't able to add them again nor to add different ones. When attempting to add an account I kept getting the message "can't connect to server." I tried clearing cache, clearing Gmail app data, clearing cache/data for Play Store, and played around with different account settings.

The solution I found was to rollback and DISABLE the Android Webview app back to factory settings. For some reason, a recent update to the Webview app (which allows, for instance, displaying web content within Gmail without having to go to Chrome) interferes with the authentication needed to add an account, particularly if you use a work or school gmail account that involves forwarding the user to an institutional/corporate sign in screen.

4 simple steps to try this solution:

1. Go to Settings, Apps
2. Find the Android Webview app and DISABLE
3. Your phone will prompt you for confirmation of restoring to factory version; click YES
4. Try adding a new gmail account through Settings, Accounts & Sync

Hope this helps other folks in need.
 
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