If you happen to ain a device without the Google Play Store installed, getting it upwards and running is a fiddling trickier than just downloading an APK file and pressing a button. In this guide, we'll attempt to evidence y'all how to install the Play Store using a series of steps that may work for your phone or tablet, depending on just how old (or odd!) it is. Nosotros can't guarantee these steps will piece of work: at that place are simply too many devices and versions of Android to business relationship for in a single guide, and likewise many reasons these steps might neglect for a particular combination of them. But if you desire to give it a try, we think this is a good place to beginning.Then, how practise yous get the Play Store onto an Android device that didn't come up with it? While information technology would exist impossible to create one guide that covers every state of affairs and device, this tutorial might help y'all go the Play Store running on uncertified hardware. Some devices crave more complex workarounds, like Huawei's flagship phones, and so we tin't guarantee these steps volition work for everyone.

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

Of course, there are some caveats to this process. Devices that don't come with the Play Store pre-installed won't pass Google'south SafetyNet checks, which means some applications won't piece of work properly (similar Google Pay) or can't be installed at all. Other strange problems could crop upwardly, depending on what version of Android you're running, merely at that place'south no way to know for sure what will piece of work until you effort.

First, consider the alternatives

As previously mentioned, this guide isn't a complete tutorial for every kind of Android device out in that location. Information technology'due south very possible you lot will accomplish the cease of this guide and still not have the Play Store functional. If you want to save yourself some time and (possible) frustration, there are some alternatives y'all can try first.

The all-time culling to the Google Play Store that generally works on all devices is the Amazon Appstore. It has nearly of the aforementioned large games as the Play Store, as well equally a decent collection of third-party applications, all without the demand for Google services. All the same, yous won't notice whatever Google apps like Chrome or Gmail on the store. You lot tin 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, so the selection is extremely express, just there's a chance information technology might have something yous are looking for. You lot can browse F-Droid's library and download the app shop from the official website.

Finally, if yous just demand a scattering of apps, and automatic updates aren't super important, you can ever try downloading the applications yous need 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 yous absolutely need the Play Store, 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 up and install applications from downloaded APK files, which is how we'll get the Play Store running.

Open the Settings app on your device, and if there's a search feature, type in "unknown" and look for an option for "unknown apps," "unknown sources," or something else along those lines (some manufacturers change what the option is called). If your Settings app doesn't take a search function, the pick 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 x

Older versions of Android have a elementary switch for enabling unknown sources — brand sure it's switched on, if that's what y'all see. If you see switches for each private app, like in the in a higher place screenshots, don't worry almost enabling whatsoever of them right now.

Notice your device information

The exact files you demand to install the Play Store on your device depend on your Android OS version and your device's hardware platform. While the OS version tin usually be found in the Settings app, it might list information about your device's specific software instead of the general OS — for example, Fire tablets only brandish the Burn down OS version, not the core 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 you information near 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 information you need (some browsers hide the required data), an app chosen 'Device Info HW' volition practice the task. It'due south bachelor from the Play Store, only since you lot don't have that yet, you'll have to become it from APKMirror. Go to the app's APKMirror page hither on your device, click on the latest bachelor version, and printing the large 'Download APK' button. In one case it's done downloading, open it to install the APK file.

After Device Info HW is done installing, open up it. Make a note of the Android version on the main Full general tab, then switch to the 'SoC' tab and check what is listed side by side to 'ABI.' Information technology should be an architecture like "arm64-v8a," "x86," "armeabi-v7a," and and then on.

Checking device info 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 get on with actually installing the Play Shop.

Download the Play Store

The next step is to download the proper APK files for the Play Shop. You technically have to install four unlike applications — Google Account Director, Google Services Framework, Google Play Services, and finally the Google Play Store. The get-go 3 apps handle bones account services and APIs, while the concluding app is the store itself.

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

The first step is to get Google Account Manager. If you lot accept Android 7.ane.ii or a newer version, get to the page for Google Account Manager vii.one.2 and tap the primary 'Download APK' push button. If you have something older than Android vii.i.2, cheque the listing of app releases here and pick the one with the version closest to your Android version. For case, if you have Android 6.0.1, download Google Account Managing director 6.0.1. Afterwards the APK file is washed downloading, do not open it — we'll exercise that later on.

Next is the Google Services Framework. This is mostly the same process as with the kickoff app, just go to this page and select the version that virtually closely matches your Android Os version. For example, if you have Android viii.1, you would pick Google Services Framework 8.1.0. Subsequently the APK file is done downloading, do non open it — we'll do that later.

Now it'due south time to download Google Play Services, which provides about of the behind-the-scenes functionality for the Play Store. This is where things get a lilliputian catchy, as there are dissimilar versions depending on both the Android Os version and your hardware architecture. Go to the APKMirror page for Google Play Services and select the latest release that isn't marked beta.

While the APKs for the last two applications commonly only have i variant for each version, there are specific variants of Google Play Services for every imaginable hardware configuration. Here you accept to detect the combination that matches both your Android OS version and your hardware compages — the pieces of information you found earlier.

For case, my Google Pixel is running Android 10 and uses the arm64-v8a architecture, 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 yous find the variant for your device, select it and download the APK. Again, don't open it after you lot're done downloading, because we'll do that afterward.

The last app you need to download is the Google Play Store itself. Thankfully, Google distributes the Play Shop equally 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 as "beta." Afterwards the APK file is done downloading, do not open up information technology — we'll exercise that after.

Install the Play Store

Now comes the terminal footstep: installing the Play Store. Find the Downloads/Files app on your device and open it. If you don't have a file manager, download the latest version of Files past Google from APKMirror and install it. Yous should encounter all four APK files ⁠— if non, go dorsum and figure out which one yous missed.

The four APKs set up for installation

Open up the apps in the beneath club, and when the installation is complete, printing 'Done' and not 'Open.' Installing the apps out of order will cause the Play Store to not work. Too, if yous have an SD bill of fare, make certain to accept 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 y'all have installed all four apps, reboot your device. If ane of the applications didn't install, it 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 low-end devices (like Amazon Burn down tablets) take arm64 processors, but run Android in 32-chip armv7 manner.

If you tin can open the Play Store and sign in, pat yourself on the back, y'all did it! Now you lot tin can download all the apps and games you could always want.

If the Google Play Store isn't working, or you get alerts about Play Services crashing, information technology probably means it isn't possible to get the Play Store functioning on your device without more complicated steps like rooting or installing a custom ROM. If you lot can't become it working, get to the 'All applications' section of your Settings app and uninstall all four APKs, to prevent further popups about crashing (and potential battery bleed issues 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 go the results you lot desire, but the truth is that the Play Shop only sometimes works on devices that aren't rooted/modded in some style. I recommend checking out the alternatives section at the start of this guide for some other options that might work for yous.