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How to fix docs.google.com refused to connect

A Google account or Gmail account is easy to create and it’s also one of the most commonly used accounts. Both personal and work accounts tend to be Google accounts. You sign into multiple Gmail accounts in your browser and switch between them easily. Account switching is seamless but it can, on occasion, cause problems.

docs.google.com refused to connect

Fix docs.google.com refused to connect

The docs.google.com refused to connect error appears when users try to install add-ons in Google Docs. The error will appear when you try to access the add-on library or when you go to an add-on’s page to install it. This error appears when a user is signed into one too many Google accounts. The simple solution is to sign out other accounts or install the add-on in incognito mode or in a separate browser profile.

1. Sign out other account

Try to sign out of all other accounts.

  1. Visit Gmail and click your profile icon at the top.
  2. Select the Click the Sign out of all accounts button.
  3. Once signed out, visit Google Docs.
  4. Sign in with the account you want to use.
  5. Install the add-on.

2. Incognito mode

If you, understandable, do not want to sign out of all the Google accounts that you’re signed into, you can use incognito mode instead.

  1. Open your browser.
  2. Tap the Control+Shift+N keyboard shortcut.
  3. In the Incognito window that opens, visit Google Docs.
  4. Sign in with the account you want to use.
  5. Install the add-on.

3. New browser profile

If you use Chrome, you can create a separate profile for each Google account that you have. The profile will keep everything from passwords, history, to autofill data separate from other Chrome profiles.

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. Click your profile icon at the top right.
  3. Select Add.
  4. Give the profile a name and select a them.
  5. In the new profile window, go to Google Docs.
  6. Sign in with your Google account.
  7. Install the add-on.

Conclusion

The docs.google.com refused to connect error normally appears when you have lots, and lots of accounts signed in. It is rare for it appear if you’re only signed into two or three accounts. If you’re only signed into one account and you see this error, it is possible that your account is restricted from installing add-ons. This generally happens with work accounts and not with personal accounts. In this case, you may have to ask your system admin (the person who gave you the logins for the work account) on how you can install add-ons. You should know that the add-ons may be blocked under company policy and asking to unlock the feature may not necessarily mean it will be unlocked. 

3 Comments

  1. Experienced this and is very frustrating! not with docs.google.com but with gmail.google.com (even worse). Tried all the above on this post as well as more because i though it was a browser/firewall problem. My work around was changing to manual DNS server addresses to the google ones.

    Just in case you are at my situation: Windows 10 try this:
    1- Right click on “open network and settings”
    2- Ethernet (or whatever your connection is)
    3- Change adapter options
    4- Right click on “ethernet” (or whatever your connection is)
    5- Properties
    6- Select on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IRv4) OR the Version 6 (TCP/IRv6) and click properties
    7- Use the following DNS server addresses from google: https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using (Note: leave your IP address as it is. In my case automatically obtained)
    8- OK = done

    For me all working good.

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