How to install Google Play Store on any Android device (2023)

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If you happen to own a device that doesn't have the Google Play Store installed, getting it working is a little harder than just downloading an APK file and pressing a button. In this guide we're trying to show you how to install the Play Store using a series of steps that may work for your phone or tablet, depending on how old (or weird!) it is. We can't guarantee these steps will work: there are just too many devices and versions of Android to include in a single guide, and too many reasons why these steps could fail for any given combination of them. But if you want to give it a try, we think this is a good place to start.

So how do you get the Play Store on an Android device that didn't come with it? While it would be impossible to create a guide that would cover every situation and device, this tutorial can help you get the Play Store running on non-certified hardware. Some devices require more complex workarounds, e.gHuawei's flagship phones, SoWe cannot guarantee these steps will work for everyone.

Of course, there are some caveats to this process. Devices that don't have the Play Store pre-installed don't pass Google's SafetyNet tests, which means some applications won't work properly (like Google Pay) orcannot be installed at all. Depending on which version of Android you're using, you might encounter other weird issues, but there's no way to know for sure what's working until you try.

As mentioned, this guide is not a complete tutorial for every type of Android device out there.It is very likely that you have reached the end of this guide and the Play Store is still not working.If you want to save yourself some time and (possible) frustration, there are a few alternatives you can try first.

The best alternative to the Google Play Store, which generally works on all devices, is the Amazon Appstore. It has most of the same big games as the Play Store, plus a decent collection of third-party apps, all without the need for Google services. However, there are no Google apps like Chrome or Gmail in the store. You can download the Amazon Appstore fromHere.

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Another alternative app store is F-Droid. It's made entirely of open-source games and applications, so the choice is yoursextremelylimited, but chances are it may contain something you are looking for. You can browse F-Droid's library and download from the App Storeofficial site.

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If you only need a handful of apps and automatic updates aren't particularly important, you can always give it a tryDownload the required applications from APKMirror. It's a repository of Android applications mirrored from the Play Store - the apps are safe and not modified in any way.

If you absolutely need the Play Store, you can try your luck with the guide below.

The first step in this process is to allow the installation of apps from unknown sources if the option is present on your device. This will allow you to open and install applications from downloaded APK files, which will allow us to get the Play Store working.

Open the Settings app on your device and if there is a search function, type "unknown" and look for an option for "unknown apps", "unknown sources" or something along those lines (some manufacturers change the Option). called). If your Settings app doesn't have a search function, the option should be in either the "Privacy" or "Apps & notifications" sections, depending on your Android version.

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(Video) How To Install And Download Google Play store App For Android - it's easy! #HelpingMind

Enabling Apps from Unknown Sources on Android 10

Older versions of Android have a simple toggle to enable Unknown Sources - make sure it's toggled on if you see this. If you see toggles for each individual app, like in the screenshots above, don't worry about activating any of them now.

The exact files you need to install the Play Store on your device depend on your Android operating system version and your device's hardware platform. While the operating system version is usually found in the Settings app, it may list information about your device's specific software instead of the general operating system - for example, Fire tablets only show the Fire OS version, not the core Android version. Therefore, you should use a third-party tool to find both pieces of information.

The quickest method is to use WhatDevice, a web application that gives you information about your hardware and software. Go towhatdevice.appon your Android device and note the Android version and CPU architecture. The architecture should contain something like "armv8", "armv71", "x86_64" and so on.

Check device information with WhatDevice

If WhatDevice doesn't show the required information (some browsers hide the required data), an app called "Device Info HW" will do the job. It isavailable in the Play Store, but since you don't have that yet, you need to get it from APKMirror. Go to the app's APKMirror pageHereOn your device, click the latest version available, then click the big "Download APK" button. Once downloaded, open it to install the APK file.

After Device Info HW is installed, open it. Make a note of the Android version on the General tab, then go to the SoC tab and check what's listed next to "ABI". It should be an architecture like "arm64-v8a", "x86", "armeabi-v7a", etc.

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(Video) How to Install Google Play Store on Android Device

Check the device information with Hardware Info HW

Regardless of which method you used, you should now have two pieces of information: your Android version and your CPU architecture.Now we can proceed to the actual installation of the Play Store.

The next step is to download the correct APK files for the Play Store. Technically, you need 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.

The first step is to getGoogle-Kontomanager. If you have Android 7.1.2 or later version, go to the for pageGoogle Account Manager 7.1.2and tap on the main button "Download APK". If you have something older than Android 7.1.2, check the list of app versionsHereand select the one with the version closest to your android version. For example, if you have Android 6.0.1, download Google Account Manager 6.0.1. After the APK file has downloaded, don't open it - we'll do that later.

Next is theGoogle Services Framework. This is mostly the same process as the first app, just go tothis pageand select the version that most closely matches your Android OS version. For example, if you have Android 8.1, you would select Google Services Framework 8.1.0. After the APK file has downloaded, don't open it - we'll do that later.

Now it's time to downloadGoogle Play Services, which provides most of the behind-the-scenes functionality for the Play Store. This is where it gets a bit tricky as there are different versions depending on your Android OS version and your hardware architecture. Go tothe APKMirror pagefor Google Play Services and select the latest version that is not marked as beta.

While the APKs for the last two applications tend to only have one variant for each version, there are Google Play Services variants specific to every conceivable hardware configuration. Here you need to find the combination that suits both your Android OS version and your hardware architecture - the information you found earlier.

For example, my Google Pixel runs Android 10 and uses the arm64-v8a architecture, so I would select the APK for "Android 10+" and "arm64-v8a + armeabi-v7a". The plus symbol means it works on both listed architectures. Once you find the variant for your device, select it and download the APK. Again, don't open it after you're done downloading it because we'll do that later.

The last app you need to download is theGoogle Play Storeitself. Luckily, Google distributes the Play Store as a single variant that works on all architectures and Android versions, so just go tothis pageand download the latest version that is not marked as "beta". After the APK file has downloaded, don't open it - we'll do that later.

Now comes the final step: installing the Play Store. Locate and open the Downloads/Files app on your device. If you don't have a file manager,Download the latest version of Files by Google from APKMirrorand install it. You should see all four APK files ⁠ - if not, go back and find out which ones you missed.

The four APKs ready to install

Open the apps in the following order, and when the installation is complete,Press Done, not Open.Installing the apps out of order will result in the Play Store not working. If you have an SD card, be sure to remove it during these installations.

1. com.google.gsf.Registration
2. com.google.android.gsf
3. com.google.android.Gramm
4. com.android.sale

Once you have installed all four apps, restart your device. If any of the applications didn't install, it means you probably downloaded the wrong APK variant - go back and make sure you matched the CPU architecture and Android version correctly. If your device has the arm64 v8 architecture, try downloading the armv7a variant. Some low-end devices (like Amazon Fire tablets) have arm64 processors but run Android in 32-bit armv7 mode.

If you can open the Play Store and log in, pat yourself on the back, you did it! Now you can download all the apps and games you want.

If the Google Play Store isn't working or you're getting Play Services crashing warnings, it probably means that it's not possible to get the Play Store working without more complicated steps like rooting or installing a custom ROM on your device. If you can't get it to work, go to the All Applications section of your Settings app and uninstall all four APKs to prevent further crashing pop-ups (and potential battery drain issues from constant Play Services restarts).

I know it's no fun spending time trying to get something to work and not getting the results you want, but the truth is that the Play Store only sometimes works on devices that aren't rooted/modded in some way. I recommend looking at thoseAlternatives sectionat the beginning of this guide for some other options that might work for you. If you own an Amazon tablet, you should also check out oursInstructions on how to install the Google Play Store on your Amazon FireDevice.