If y'all happen to ain a device without the Google Play Store installed, getting information technology up and running is a piddling trickier than but downloading an APK file and pressing a button. In this guide, nosotros'll effort to evidence you how to install the Play Shop using a series of steps that may piece of work for your phone or tablet, depending on just how quondam (or odd!) it is. We tin can't guarantee these steps will work: in that location are but as well many devices and versions of Android to account for in a single guide, and besides many reasons these steps might fail for a item combination of them. Just if you want to give information technology a try, we think this is a adept place to start.So, how practise y'all get the Play Store onto an Android device that didn't come with it? While information technology would be impossible to create one guide that covers every situation and device, this tutorial might assist you get the Play Store running on uncertified hardware. Some devices require more than complex workarounds, like Huawei'southward flagship phones, so nosotros can't guarantee these steps will work for everyone.

Are you trying to install the Google Play Store on an Amazon Fire Tablet? Please apply this dedicated guide, every bit it has more specific instructions for Amazon's tablets.

Of course, there are some caveats to this procedure. Devices that don't come up with the Play Shop pre-installed won't pass Google's SafetyNet checks, which means some applications won't piece of work properly (like Google Pay) or tin't be installed at all. Other strange issues could crop up, depending on what version of Android yous're running, merely at that place'due south no way to know for sure what will work until you endeavour.

First, consider the alternatives

Every bit previously mentioned, this guide isn't a complete tutorial for every kind of Android device out there. It'due south very possible you volition reach the end of this guide and withal not take the Play Store functional. If you want to salvage yourself some fourth dimension and (possible) frustration, in that location are some alternatives you lot can try commencement.

The best alternative to the Google Play Shop that generally works on all devices is the Amazon Appstore. Information technology has most of the same big games as the Play Shop, also as a decent collection of third-party applications, all without the need for Google services. However, y'all won't discover whatsoever Google apps like Chrome or Gmail on the store. You can download the Amazon Appstore from here.

One more alternative app store is F-Droid. It's entirely composed of open-source games and applications, and so the selection is extremely limited, only at that place's a gamble information technology might accept something yous are looking for. You can browse F-Droid's library and download the app store from the official website.

Finally, if you merely demand a handful of apps, and automated updates aren't super of import, you tin can always try downloading the applications you need from APKMirror. It'due south a repository of Android applications mirrored from the Play Shop — the apps are safe, and not modified in any way.

If you lot absolutely need the Play Shop, you can try your luck with the following instructions.

Enable installation from unknown sources

The first step in this process is enabling apps to be installed from unknown sources, if the option exists on your device. This allows you to open and install applications from downloaded APK files, which is how nosotros'll get the Play Store running.

Open the Settings app on your device, and if there's a search characteristic, blazon in "unknown" and look for an pick for "unknown apps," "unknown sources," or something else along those lines (some manufacturers change what the option is chosen). If your Settings app doesn't have a search function, the selection should either exist located in the Privacy or the Apps & Notifications sections, depending on your version of Android.

Enabling apps from unknown sources on Android ten

Older versions of Android have a simple switch for enabling unknown sources — make sure it'southward switched on, if that's what yous see. If you see switches for each individual app, like in the above screenshots, don't worry about enabling any of them right at present.

Find your device information

The exact files yous need to install the Play Store on your device depend on your Android OS version and your device's hardware platform. While the OS version can usually be found in the Settings app, it might listing information nigh your device'south specific software instead of the full general Os — for example, Fire tablets only display the Fire OS version, not the cadre Android version. As such, you should use a third-party tool to find both pieces of information.

The quickest method is to use WhatDevice, a web application that tells yous data nigh your hardware and software. Go to whatdevice.app on your Android device, and make a note of the Android version and CPU architecture. The architecture should say something like "armv8," "armv71," "x86_64," and so on.

Checking device info with WhatDevice

If WhatDevice isn't displaying the data y'all need (some browsers hide the required data), an app called 'Device Info HW' volition do the job. Information technology's bachelor from the Play Store, only since you lot don't accept that nonetheless, y'all'll have to get it from APKMirror. Go to the app's APKMirror page here on your device, click on the latest available version, and press the big 'Download APK' push. Once it's done downloading, open information technology to install the APK file.

Later on Device Info HW is done installing, open it. Make a notation of the Android version on the main General tab, then switch to the 'SoC' tab and check what is listed next to 'ABI.' Information technology should exist an architecture like "arm64-v8a," "x86," "armeabi-v7a," so on.

Checking device info with Hardware Info HW

Regardless of which method you used, you should at present accept two pieces of information: your Android version, and your CPU architecture. Now we can get on with actually installing the Play Store.

Download the Play Shop

The next step is to download the proper APK files for the Play Store. You technically accept to install four different applications — Google Account Manager, Google Services Framework, Google Play Services, and finally the Google Play Store. The first three apps handle basic account services and APIs, while the last app is the store itself.

If you're not already reading this on your Android device, open up the web browser and blazon andp.lc/playstoreguide into the accost bar to bound straight to this post.

The beginning step is to become Google Account Manager. If yous accept Android 7.i.2 or a newer version, go to the page for Google Account Managing director 7.1.2 and tap the chief 'Download APK' button. If you take something older than Android 7.1.2, check the listing of app releases hither and choice the i with the version closest to your Android version. For instance, if you have Android 6.0.1, download Google Account Director half dozen.0.1. After the APK file is done downloading, do non open it — we'll do that subsequently.

Next is the Google Services Framework. This is by and large the aforementioned process as with the first app, just go to this page and select the version that nigh closely matches your Android Bone version. For instance, if you lot accept Android 8.1, you would pick Google Services Framework eight.1.0. Later on the APK file is done downloading, practice not open up information technology — we'll do that later.

Now information technology's time to download Google Play Services, which provides most of the behind-the-scenes functionality for the Play Store. This is where things get a little catchy, as there are dissimilar versions depending on both the Android OS version and your hardware architecture. Get to the APKMirror page for Google Play Services and select the latest release that isn't marked beta.

While the APKs for the concluding two applications usually only have one variant for each version, there are specific variants of Google Play Services for every imaginable hardware configuration. Here you take to discover the combination that matches both your Android OS version and your hardware architecture — the pieces of information you found earlier.

For case, my Google Pixel is running Android x and uses the arm64-v8a architecture, and so I would pick the APK for "Android 10+" and "arm64-v8a + armeabi-v7a." The plus symbol means it works on both listed architectures. Once you discover the variant for your device, select information technology and download the APK. Again, don't open it after you're washed downloading, because nosotros'll exercise that later.

The last app yous need to download is the Google Play Store itself. Thankfully, Google distributes the Play Store as a unmarried variant that works on all architectures and Android versions, so simply get to this page and download the latest version that isn't marked every bit "beta." After the APK file is done downloading, exercise not open it — we'll do that afterward.

Install the Play Store

Now comes the last pace: installing the Play Shop. Notice the Downloads/Files app on your device and open up it. If you lot don't have a file managing director, download the latest version of Files by Google from APKMirror and install it. Y'all should run across all four APK files ⁠— if not, become back and effigy out which one you missed.

The four APKs ready for installation

Open the apps in the below order, and when the installation is complete, press 'Done' and not 'Open up.' Installing the apps out of order will cause the Play Store to not work. Too, if you have an SD carte du jour, make sure to take it out during these installations.

  1. com.google.gsf.login
  2. com.google.android.gsf
  3. com.google.android.gms
  4. com.android.vending

In one case y'all have installed all four apps, reboot your device. If 1 of the applications didn't install, information technology means you probably downloaded the wrong APK variant — go back and make sure you properly matched the CPU architecture and Android version. If your device has the arm64-v8 architecture, try downloading the variant for armv7a. Some depression-end devices (like Amazon Fire tablets) have arm64 processors, but run Android in 32-bit armv7 mode.

If you lot can open the Play Store and sign in, pat yourself on the back, y'all did information technology! Now you tin can download all the apps and games yous could e'er desire.

If the Google Play Store isn't working, or you lot get alerts about Play Services crashing, it probably means it isn't possible to get the Play Store operation on your device without more than complicated steps like rooting or installing a custom ROM. If y'all tin can't get it working, become to the 'All applications' section of your Settings app and uninstall all four APKs, to prevent further popups about crashing (and potential bombardment drain problems from Play Services constantly restarting).

I know, it's not fun to spend fourth dimension trying to get something to piece of work and not get the results you want, but the truth is that the Play Store only sometimes works on devices that aren't rooted/modded in some manner. I recommend checking out the alternatives department at the start of this guide for some other options that might work for y'all.

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Nigh The Author

Corbin Davenport (3633 Articles Published)

Corbin is a tech announcer and programmer who worked at Android Police from 2022 until 2022. Check out his other work at corbin.io.

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