Galaxy S3 com.google.process.gapps service stopped [How to Fix]

"Unfortunately, the process com.google.process.gapps has stopped."

That is the actual error message you will get on your Samsung Galaxy S3 if one of the core gapps (Google Apps) stops working. As you may have already thought, each app under the gapps process is connected, so if one messes up, the rest will be messed up. The good thing is, if one is fixed, all of them will be fixed as well. Basically, the error message above is related to the following error messages:

• "Unfortunately, Gmail has stopped."
• "Unfortunately, Play Store has stopped."
• "Unfortunately, Maps has stopped."
• "Unfortunately, Google Search has stopped."

Whenever a customer walk into our door having problems like this, my approach will be from a more specific service to general. Meaning, I will go for the Google service that the Android System is depending on--Google Play Store. If you'll ask me, it is the most important of all pre-installed Gapps. Android can still operate without Gmail, Google Search or Maps but its functionality will not be complete without the Play Store, which is the portal to millions of apps that made Android OS the most popular of all mobile systems to date.

So, if problems like this occur, I will first try to fix Google Play Store and here's how:

1. Pull the Notification Bar down.
2. Tap on the Settings icon (cogwheel) on the upper right corner.
3. Touch the More tab.
4. Tap on the Application Manager.
5. Swipe left twice to display contents of the All tab.
6. Scroll to and tap Play Store.
7. Tap Force Stop button.
8. Tap Clear Cache button.
9. Tap Clear Data button, and then OK.

At this point, the problem could have already been solved, if not, go back the Play Store's settings page and tap Uninstall Updates, and then try again. You may need to reboot your phone after doing that, and then try again. If the problem still persists, here's what you have to do next:

1. Pull the Notification Bar down.
2. Tap on the Settings icon (cogwheel) on the upper right corner.
3. Touch the More tab.
4. Tap on the Application Manager.
5. Swipe left twice to display contents of the All tab.
6. Tap the Menu key.
7. Touch Reset app preferences.
8. Tap Reset apps.

Please note that the procedure will reset all preferences for:

• Disabled apps
• Disabled app notifications
• Default applications for actions
• Background data restrictions for apps

However, you will not lose any app data.

This procedure will reset all apps, not just Gapps, to their default settings. "Default settings" mean the original configuration of the app when you installed them. If the problem, however, persists beyond this point, a Factory Reset is needed.