When Google services won’t load (Search, Gmail, Drive, or Google sign-in), it’s often not “the site is down”—it’s a firewall, content filter, or DNS rule blocking a piece of the connection.
Start on your phone first (fastest to test), then switch to desktop and router-level checks if needed.
Before you begin: try both Wi‑Fi and mobile data. If one works and the other doesn’t, you’ve already narrowed it to a network/firewall issue.
1. Mobile: confirm it’s the network (Wi‑Fi vs mobile data)
On your phone, test the same Google service in two ways:
- On Wi‑Fi
- On mobile data (turn Wi‑Fi off)
If it works on mobile data but fails on Wi‑Fi, your Wi‑Fi network is blocking something (router firewall, DNS filter, school/work network policy, or parental controls).
If it fails on both, it could be a device-level VPN/proxy, a private DNS setting, or an account/security flow issue—but keep going with the steps below because firewall-like filters can exist on both connections.
2. Mobile: turn off VPN, “Private DNS”, and data-saving filters
On mobile, firewall-like blocking often comes from privacy tools rather than a classic firewall.
- VPN: Disconnect any VPN app (including “always-on” VPN). Then reload Google.
- Private DNS (Android): If you use a custom DNS provider, switch to automatic temporarily and retry.
- iCloud Private Relay (iPhone): If enabled, try turning it off briefly to test.
- Ad blockers / content blockers: Pause them (especially ones that block trackers at the DNS level).
- Low Data Mode / Data Saver: Turn off temporarily—some setups break sign-in redirects.
A common pattern: the main Google page loads, but sign-in loops, CAPTCHA never finishes, or the page stays blank because a required domain is blocked.
3. Mobile: try a “clean” browser session (incognito + clear site data)
This step helps when your network is borderline and cached redirects/cookies keep re-triggering the same failure.
- Open an incognito/private tab and try the same Google service.
- If incognito works, clear site data for Google domains in your browser settings (cookies + cached files), then retry normally.
If you’re on a managed phone (work/school), there may be a device policy enforcing a proxy or filter—incognito won’t bypass that, but it’s still a useful test.
4. Desktop: check proxy settings and security software web filtering
Now move to a computer on the same Wi‑Fi (or the network that fails). On desktop, two common culprits are:
- Proxy settings: A leftover proxy can block Google sign-in flows.
- Security software “web protection”: Antivirus suites sometimes intercept HTTPS and block Google scripts or redirect endpoints.
What to do:
- Temporarily disable any proxy setting in your system/network settings (or set it to “off/automatic”).
- Temporarily pause “web shield/HTTPS scanning” in security software just to test.
- Retry Google sign-in and a simple page like Google Search.
If pausing web protection fixes it, re-enable it and look for an exceptions/allowlist option rather than leaving protection off.
5. Desktop/network: confirm DNS filtering and allow the right Google endpoints
If the issue only happens on one Wi‑Fi network (home router, office, school), DNS or firewall filtering is very likely.
Practical checks:
- Try a different DNS temporarily: Switch the device to a known public DNS and test again. If that fixes it, your current DNS provider is filtering or failing.
- Look for family safety / content filters: Router “parental controls”, “safe browsing”, or “ad blocking” features often block parts of Google sign-in.
- Allowlist essentials: If you manage the firewall/filter, allowlist core Google domains needed for sign-in and services (for example Google account and authentication endpoints, plus the content domains used by the service you’re accessing).
Tip: if Search loads but Gmail/Drive doesn’t, that’s a clue the filter is blocking service-specific domains or scripts rather than “Google” as a whole.
6. Desktop: test with a different network to confirm it’s not your Google account
If you can, test the same Google service from a different network:
- Use your phone’s hotspot for your laptop
- Or try a known-good home network vs work/school network
If everything works instantly on a different network, your Google account is probably fine—the original network’s firewall/DNS/proxy policy is the blocker.
If it fails everywhere, you may be dealing with an account security restriction, a device time/certificate issue, or a browser problem rather than a firewall.
Final thoughts
Mobile-first testing (Wi‑Fi vs mobile data, then VPN/Private DNS) usually identifies whether you’re fighting a network firewall or a device-level filter.
Once you’ve confirmed it’s network-specific, focus on DNS filtering, proxy settings, and security software web shields—those are the most common reasons Google services partially load but won’t fully sign in.