If y'all happen to own a device without the Google Play Shop installed, getting it upwards and running is a footling trickier than just downloading an APK file and pressing a push button. In this guide, we'll attempt to show you how to install the Play Store using a serial of steps that may work for your telephone or tablet, depending on just how old (or odd!) it is. We tin't guarantee these steps will work: there are simply too many devices and versions of Android to business relationship for in a single guide, and too many reasons these steps might fail for a particular combination of them. But if yous want to requite it a try, we think this is a practiced identify to kickoff.So, how practise y'all get the Play Store onto an Android device that didn't come with it? While it would exist impossible to create one guide that covers every situation and device, this tutorial might help y'all become the Play Store running on uncertified hardware. Some devices crave more complex workarounds, like Huawei's flagship phones, so we can't guarantee these steps will work for everyone.

Are you trying to install the Google Play Shop on an Amazon Fire Tablet? Please use this dedicated guide, as information technology has more specific instructions for Amazon's tablets.

Of class, at that place are some caveats to this process. Devices that don't come with the Play Store pre-installed won't laissez passer Google's SafetyNet checks, which ways some applications won't work properly (like Google Pay) or tin't be installed at all. Other foreign problems could crop up, depending on what version of Android you're running, but there's no manner to know for sure what volition work until you lot endeavour.

Kickoff, consider the alternatives

As previously mentioned, this guide isn't a complete tutorial for every kind of Android device out there. It'southward very possible you volition attain the end of this guide and still non take the Play Store functional. If you want to salve yourself some fourth dimension and (possible) frustration, there are some alternatives you can try first.

The all-time alternative to the Google Play Shop that by and large works on all devices is the Amazon Appstore. It has most of the same big games as the Play Store, every bit well as a decent collection of third-political party applications, all without the need for Google services. However, you won't detect any Google apps like Chrome or Gmail on the store. Y'all tin download the Amazon Appstore from here.

Ane more alternative app store is F-Droid. It'south entirely equanimous of open-source games and applications, so the selection is extremely limited, simply at that place'south a gamble it might have something you are looking for. You lot can browse F-Droid's library and download the app shop from the official website.

Finally, if yous but need a handful of apps, and automatic updates aren't super important, you can e'er try downloading the applications you need from APKMirror. It'south a repository of Android applications mirrored from the Play Store — the apps are safe, and non modified in any fashion.

If you absolutely need the Play Store, y'all tin attempt your luck with the following instructions.

Enable installation from unknown sources

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

Open up the Settings app on your device, and if at that place's a search feature, type in "unknown" and look for an selection for "unknown apps," "unknown sources," or something else along those lines (some manufacturers change what the pick is called). If your Settings app doesn't have a search office, 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 10

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

Discover 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, information technology might list data nigh your device'south specific software instead of the general Bone — for example, Fire tablets only brandish the Fire Os version, not the cadre Android version. As such, you should utilise a third-political party tool to find both pieces of data.

The quickest method is to utilize WhatDevice, a web application that tells y'all information about your hardware and software. Go to whatdevice.app on your Android device, and make a note of the Android version and CPU compages. The compages should say something like "armv8," "armv71," "x86_64," and so on.

Checking device info with WhatDevice

If WhatDevice isn't displaying the data yous need (some browsers hide the required data), an app called 'Device Info HW' will do the job. It's available from the Play Store, but since you don't have that yet, you'll have to get it from APKMirror. Go to the app's APKMirror page hither on your device, click on the latest available version, and press the big 'Download APK' push. Once it'due south done downloading, open it to install the APK file.

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

Checking device info with Hardware Info HW

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

Download the Play Shop

The next step is to download the proper APK files for the Play Store. You technically have to install four different applications Google Account Managing director, Google Services Framework, Google Play Services, and finally the Google Play Shop. The get-go three apps handle basic business relationship services and APIs, while the terminal app is the shop itself.

If yous're non already reading this on your Android device, open the web browser and type andp.lc/playstoreguide into the address bar to jump straight to this mail service.

The kickoff footstep is to become Google Account Manager. If you have Android 7.1.2 or a newer version, go to the folio for Google Account Manager 7.ane.2 and tap the principal 'Download APK' button. If you have something older than Android 7.i.2, check the list of app releases here and pick the one with the version closest to your Android version. For example, if you have Android 6.0.1, download Google Account Director half-dozen.0.i. After the APK file is washed downloading, do not open it — we'll do that later.

Next is the Google Services Framework. This is generally the same procedure every bit with the showtime app, just go to this folio and select the version that nearly closely matches your Android OS version. For instance, if you have Android 8.1, y'all would selection Google Services Framework viii.1.0. After the APK file is done downloading, practise not open information technology — nosotros'll do that later.

Now it'due south 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 different versions depending on both the Android OS version and your hardware architecture. Get to the APKMirror folio for Google Play Services and select the latest release that isn't marked beta.

While the APKs for the last two applications normally only have one variant for each version, in that location are specific variants of Google Play Services for every imaginable hardware configuration. Here you lot have to observe the combination that matches both your Android OS version and your hardware compages — the pieces of data you lot constitute earlier.

For example, my Google Pixel is running Android x and uses the arm64-v8a architecture, then I would pick the APK for "Android 10+" and "arm64-v8a + armeabi-v7a." The plus symbol means it works on both listed architectures. In one case you observe the variant for your device, select it and download the APK. Again, don't open up it after y'all're washed downloading, considering nosotros'll do that after.

The last app you need to download is the Google Play Store itself. Thankfully, Google distributes the Play Shop as a single variant that works on all architectures and Android versions, so just go to this page and download the latest version that isn't marked equally "beta." After the APK file is done downloading, do not open up it — nosotros'll do that afterwards.

Install the Play Store

At present comes the final step: installing the Play Store. Find the Downloads/Files app on your device and open it. If you don't accept a file managing director, download the latest version of Files by Google from APKMirror and install it. You lot should run across all four APK files ⁠— if not, get dorsum and figure out which one you missed.

The four APKs gear up for installation

Open the apps in the below order, and when the installation is complete, press 'Done' and non 'Open.' Installing the apps out of order volition cause the Play Store to not work. Also, if you have an SD card, brand 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

Once you have installed all four apps, reboot your device. If one of the applications didn't install, information technology means you probably downloaded the wrong APK variant — become back and brand 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 (similar Amazon Fire tablets) have arm64 processors, just run Android in 32-scrap armv7 mode.

If you tin can open the Play Store and sign in, pat yourself on the back, you lot did it! Now you can download all the apps and games yous could ever desire.


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

I know, it's non 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 way. I recommend checking out the alternatives section at the outset of this guide for some other options that might work for you.

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