If you happen to own a device without the Google Play Store installed, getting information technology upward and running is a niggling trickier than just downloading an APK file and pressing a button. In this guide, we'll try to show you 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!) information technology is. We can't guarantee these steps volition work: at that place are simply besides many devices and versions of Android to account for in a single guide, and too many reasons these steps might fail for a particular combination of them. Simply if yous want to give it a endeavor, we think this is a proficient place to outset.So, how do y'all go the Play Store onto an Android device that didn't come up with information technology? While information technology would be impossible to create one guide that covers every state of affairs and device, this tutorial might aid you get the Play Shop running on uncertified hardware. Some devices require more complex workarounds, like Huawei's flagship phones, then we can't guarantee these steps will work for everyone.

Are yous trying to install the Google Play Store on an Amazon Fire Tablet? Please use this dedicated guide, as it has more specific instructions for Amazon'due south tablets.

Of class, there are some caveats to this procedure. Devices that don't come up with the Play Store pre-installed won't pass Google's SafetyNet checks, which means some applications won't work properly (similar Google Pay) or can't be installed at all. Other strange issues could crop up, depending on what version of Android y'all're running, merely in that location'southward no mode to know for sure what will work until y'all attempt.

Kickoff, consider the alternatives

Every bit previously mentioned, this guide isn't a complete tutorial for every kind of Android device out there. Information technology'southward very possible you volition attain the end of this guide and still not have the Play Store functional. If y'all desire to save yourself some time and (possible) frustration, in that location are some alternatives you can try first.

The all-time alternative to the Google Play Store that generally works on all devices is the Amazon Appstore. Information technology has nigh of the same big games equally the Play Store, besides every bit a decent collection of third-political party applications, all without the need for Google services. All the same, you won't find any Google apps like Chrome or Gmail on the store. You can download the Amazon Appstore from here.

1 more alternative app store is F-Droid. Information technology's entirely composed of open-source games and applications, and then the selection is extremely limited, just at that place'due south a adventure information technology might have something yous are looking for. You can browse F-Droid'due south library and download the app store from the official website.

Finally, if you just need a handful of apps, and automatic updates aren't super important, you lot tin can ever try downloading the applications y'all need from APKMirror. It'due south a repository of Android applications mirrored from the Play Shop — the apps are rubber, and not modified in any way.

If you 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 and install applications from downloaded APK files, which is how we'll go the Play Store running.

Open the Settings app on your device, and if there'due south a search feature, blazon in "unknown" and look for an option for "unknown apps," "unknown sources," or something else forth those lines (some manufacturers change what the option is called). If your Settings app doesn't have a search function, the option should either be 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 information technology'south switched on, if that's what you see. If you lot meet switches for each private app, like in the above screenshots, don't worry about enabling any of them right now.

Find your device information

The exact files you lot 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 can commonly be found in the Settings app, it might listing information nigh your device'due south specific software instead of the general Os — for example, Fire tablets only display the Fire Bone version, not the core Android version. Every bit such, you should employ a third-party tool to find both pieces of information.

The quickest method is to use WhatDevice, a web application that tells you information virtually your hardware and software. Get to whatdevice.app on your Android device, and brand a note of the Android version and CPU compages. The architecture should say something like "armv8," "armv71," "x86_64," and then on.

Checking device info with WhatDevice

If WhatDevice isn't displaying the information you demand (some browsers hide the required data), an app called 'Device Info HW' volition practise the job. It's available from the Play Store, merely since yous don't have that yet, you'll have to go 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' button. Once it'due south washed downloading, open it to install the APK file.

After Device Info HW is done installing, open it. Brand a notation of the Android version on the main General tab, and then switch to the 'SoC' tab and check what is listed next 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 take two pieces of information: your Android version, and your CPU architecture. At present 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. Y'all technically have to install four different applications — Google Account Managing director, Google Services Framework, Google Play Services, and finally the Google Play Shop. The showtime 3 apps handle basic business relationship services and APIs, while the last app is the store itself.

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

The beginning step is to get Google Business relationship Manager. If you take Android vii.1.two or a newer version, go to the page for Google Account Director 7.1.ii and tap the main 'Download APK' button. If you have something older than Android seven.1.2, bank check the list of app releases here and pick the i with the version closest to your Android version. For case, if yous take Android 6.0.ane, download Google Account Managing director 6.0.1. After the APK file is washed downloading, do not open it — we'll do that later.

Adjacent is the Google Services Framework. This is by and large the aforementioned process as with the kickoff app, just go to this folio and select the version that nigh closely matches your Android Os version. For example, if y'all have Android 8.ane, y'all would pick Google Services Framework 8.1.0. After the APK file is washed downloading, exercise not open it — nosotros'll do that later on.

Now it'due south time to download Google Play Services, which provides virtually of the backside-the-scenes functionality for the Play Shop. This is where things get a picayune catchy, as there are different versions depending on both the Android Bone version and your hardware compages. Get 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 ordinarily only have i variant for each version, there are specific variants of Google Play Services for every imaginable hardware configuration. Here you have to find the combination that matches both your Android Bone version and your hardware architecture — the pieces of information you constitute before.

For case, my Google Pixel is running Android x and uses the arm64-v8a compages, and then I would option the APK for "Android 10+" and "arm64-v8a + armeabi-v7a." The plus symbol ways it works on both listed architectures. Once you find the variant for your device, select it and download the APK. Again, don't open information technology afterward 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 Store 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." Afterward the APK file is washed downloading, do non open it — nosotros'll do that afterward.

Install the Play Store

At present comes the final step: installing the Play Store. Find the Downloads/Files app on your device and open information technology. If you lot don't take a file manager, download the latest version of Files by Google from APKMirror and install it. Y'all should meet all four APK files ⁠— if non, become back and effigy out which 1 you missed.

The iv APKs set for installation

Open up the apps in the below order, and when the installation is complete, printing 'Washed' and not 'Open.' Installing the apps out of guild will cause the Play Store to not piece of work. Besides, if y'all have an SD card, make sure to have information technology 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 yous take installed all four apps, reboot your device. If i of the applications didn't install, it means yous probably downloaded the wrong APK variant — get back and make certain yous properly matched the CPU architecture and Android version. If your device has the arm64-v8 architecture, attempt downloading the variant for armv7a. Some low-end devices (like Amazon Fire tablets) have arm64 processors, just run Android in 32-flake armv7 way.

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

If the Google Play Store isn't working, or you lot go alerts about Play Services crashing, it 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, go to the 'All applications' section of your Settings app and uninstall all four APKs, to preclude further popups almost crashing (and potential battery drain issues from Play Services constantly restarting).

I know, it's not fun to spend time trying to get something to 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 get-go of this guide for some other options that might piece of work for you lot.

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About The Author

Corbin Davenport (3633 Articles Published)

Corbin is a tech journalist and developer who worked at Android Police from 2016 until 2021. Check out his other work at corbin.io.

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