Frequent updates to the Google Play Store are a great thing, but the downside is that it can take weeks for some people to get the newest iteration. Fortunately, the basic functionality never changes, so being stuck on an older version isn't too bad.
If you have an Android device without the Google Play Store pre-installed, getting it up and running can be a challenge. In this tutorial, we'll show you a few steps that may work, depending on your device and version of Android. We can't guarantee these steps will work for everyone, and there may be other issues to consider.
For example, devices without the Play Store may not pass Google's SafetyNet checks, which may cause some apps (like Google Pay) to not work properly or not install at all. If you're trying to install the Play Store on an Amazon Fire Tablet, please use this dedicated guide instead.
For Google Android devices, simply download and install the Play Store. For non-Google Android devices, such as the Amazon Fire Tablet, you must install Google Account Manager, Google Services Framework, Google Play Services, and the Play Store in that order.
Overview of the Google Play Store
The Google Play Store is an online store for Android users to download apps, games, music, books, magazines, and movies. The store is available on all Android devices, including phones, tablets, and TVs. It offers an extensive library of content, including both free and paid apps, games, music, books, magazines, and movies. It also features an extensive list of editor's picks, top-rated apps, and trending apps. In addition, users can take advantage of special offers, such as discounts on in-app purchases. The Google Play Store also allows users to manage their account information, including payment methods, family sharing, and parental controls.
Benefits of Installing Google Play Store:
Installing the Google Play Store on your device has numerous benefits. It allows you to access a wide variety of apps and games, as well as providing access to Google services such as Google Play Music, Google Maps, and Google Drive. Additionally, it allows you to easily purchase and manage apps, as well as customize your device with different themes and wallpapers. It also provides security updates to keep your device safe and secure. Lastly, it provides a convenient way to access and use Google services on your device.
- Easy Access to Popular Apps: Google Play Store provides users with access to a wide range of popular apps, including games, productivity tools, and social media platforms. With the Play Store, users can quickly find the apps they need, without having to search through third-party sources.
- Automatic Updates: When you install an app from the Play Store, it will automatically update when a newer version is available. This ensures that users have the latest versions of their favorite apps, without needing to manually check for updates.
- Security: Google Play Store is designed to be a secure platform, with all apps submitted to the store being carefully reviewed by Google’s security team. This helps to ensure that the apps that are available on the store are safe and secure to use.
- Support: Google provides extensive support for users who have downloaded apps from the Play Store. If an app is causing issues or if there are any other problems, users can contact Google and receive the help they need.
Requirements for Installing Google Play Store
Installing Google Play Store requires an Android device with a version of 4.0 or later, as well as enough free storage space,a reliable internet connection and a Google account. After downloading the Play Store APK to the device, the user must enable their device to install apps from unknown sources and then install the APK. After installation, users can browse the Play Store, download apps, and manage their Google account. Additionally, users may need to enable certain settings on their device, such as allowing installation of apps from unknown sources, in order to install Google Play Store successfully.
Google Play alternative
Before going through the steps in this guide, consider other possible options that might save you time and frustration. The Amazon Appstore is a great option that works on most devices and offers a wide selection of both games and third-party applications without the need for Google services. However, Google apps like Chrome or Gmail will not be available on the store. Download the Amazon Appstore here.
If you're looking for an alternative app store, F-Droid may be the right choice for you. All of their games and applications are open-source, so the selection is not as extensive as other app stores, but you may find something you need. To access F-Droid's library and download the app store, simply visit their official website.
Find out details about your Android device.
To find your device information, use WhatDevice, a web application that will give you information about your hardware and software. If WhatDevice doesn't work, download the app 'Device Info HW' from APKMirror. Once it's installed, open the app and make a note of the Android version on the General tab and the architecture (i.e. "arm64-v8a," "x86," "armeabi-v7a," etc.) listed on the SoC tab.
Get a Google Play Store APK from mirror site
Please note that the following guide is for owners of an Android device with a licensed version of the Google Play Store app installed. If you need to re-install or roll back to a previous version of the Google Play Store, you can download the latest version or an older version from 'APK Mirror'. Most of the changes in the latest Google Play Store version are under the hood, designed to improve performance and stability. There have not been any major changes to the user interface or new features included in this update. If you have any issues when downloading the update, please refer to our guide for troubleshooting the Google Play Store.
Find out what version of Google Play you have installed
If you want to check which version of the Google Play Store you currently have installed, open the Play Store and tap your profile picture. Then, select Settings and open the About section. Scroll down until you find the Play Store Version field.
The version numbers may appear confusing at first, but they are easy to understand. Google did not publicly release all versions in between the numbers, which is why the jumps seem odd. There are two types of builds for different product lines: [0] for all devices, [5] for Android Wear / WearOS, and [8] for Android TV.
Allow installations from unknown sources.
To enable installation from unknown sources, open the Settings app on your device and look for an option such as "unknown apps," "unknown sources," or something similar (some manufacturers change what the option is called). If your Settings app has a search function, type in "unknown" to find it. Otherwise, it should be located in either the Privacy or the Apps & Notifications sections. Once you've enabled this option, you'll be able to open and install applications from downloaded APK files.
On Android 10, you may need to enable apps from unknown sources. If you see a simple switch for enabling unknown sources, make sure it is switched on. If you see switches for each individual app, do not enable any of them yet.
Download and install the Google Play Store on your device.
To install the Google Play Store, there are two methods available. The first is to download and install the Play Store APK manually. An APK is the Android equivalent of an EXE file (DMG on Mac) on your computer. To do this, you can follow our handy guide. The second method is to install the Google Play Store directly on your smartphone. To do this, you will need to access your device's settings and allow your device to install applications from unknown sources. Then, you can download the Google Play Store APK onto your device and install it.
In order to use this method, your device must be running Android 8.0 Oreo or later and have Google Play Services installed. To check your current version, go to the Play Store, tap your profile picture, enter Settings, and look at the About section. Then, download the APKMirror Installer from the Play Store. This will help you install APKs from APKMirror.
To get a Google Play Store APK, visit APKMirror and use your current version as a reference to find the latest version. Once the APKMirror Installer is installed, open it and select the Browse Files option. Find the APK you downloaded and tap it. Tap the “Install package” option and then select to watch an ad and install.
You'll then have to give permission to install the APK in the Install Unknown Apps prompt. After this, the installer will run and install the Google Play Store. If the installation doesn’t work, double-check that you have the correct APK version and that you have the version that supports your device.
Use a computer to install Google Play Store.
If you don't have mobile data or a Wi-Fi connection on your device, you can install the Google Play Store app using a computer instead. Download a third-party file manager app such as File Manager+ to allow it to install apps from unknown sources. Then, go to APK Mirror to download the APK for the latest version of the Play Store. Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable and copy the APK over to your Android device.
Find the APK using your file manager app, launch it, accept the permissions, and tap Install. Don't forget to remove the permission to install from unknown sources from your file management app if you don't intend to sideload more APKs. Once the Play Store app has been reinstalled, it will automatically update to the latest version when available.
Troubleshooting
If you are experiencing problems with the Google Play Store, it may be due to an issue with the Google Services Framework. To fix this, you should clear the cache on both the Google Play Store and the Google Play Services. To do this, open the Settings app and select the Apps & notifications option (or Apps).
Tap the See all apps button (or All) and scroll down to the Google Play Store. Select it and then tap Storage & cache. Tap Clear Cache, and then follow the same steps for Google Play Services. This should resolve most issues with the Google Play Store.
Please note that depending on the type of device, it may need to be rooted to manually install the Google Play Store, but that is a tutorial for another day.
Conclusion
Installing Google Play Store is a great way to make sure your device is up to date with the latest apps and games. It is easy to install and can provide users with access to a wide variety of content. It is also a great way to keep your device secure, as the Play Store is constantly monitored for malicious applications. Overall, installing the Google Play Store is a great way to get the most out of your device.
