If you lot happen to own a device without the Google Play Store installed, getting it up and running is a little trickier than just downloading an APK file and pressing a push. In this guide, we'll endeavour to testify you how to install the Play Store using a series of steps that may work for your phone or tablet, depending on only how one-time (or odd!) it is. We can't guarantee these steps will piece of work: in that location are only likewise many devices and versions of Android to account for in a unmarried guide, and too many reasons these steps might fail for a item combination of them. Just if you want to give information technology a try, we think this is a expert identify to start.So, how do y'all become the Play Shop onto an Android device that didn't come with it? While it would be impossible to create one guide that covers every situation and device, this tutorial might help you lot get the Play Shop running on uncertified hardware. Some devices require more circuitous workarounds, like Huawei'south flagship phones, so we can't guarantee these steps will work for everyone.

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

Of course, in that location are some caveats to this process. Devices that don't come with the Play Shop pre-installed won't pass Google's SafetyNet checks, which ways some applications won't work properly (like Google Pay) or can't be installed at all. Other strange issues could crop up, depending on what version of Android you're running, but there's no way to know for sure what volition work until you try.

Commencement, consider the alternatives

Equally previously mentioned, this guide isn't a complete tutorial for every kind of Android device out there. It'due south very possible you will reach the end of this guide and all the same non have the Play Shop functional. If you want to relieve yourself some time and (possible) frustration, there are some alternatives y'all can try showtime.

The best alternative to the Google Play Store that by and large works on all devices is the Amazon Appstore. Information technology has most of the same big games as the Play Store, as well as a decent collection of 3rd-party applications, all without the need for Google services. Nonetheless, you lot won't find any Google apps like Chrome or Gmail on the store. Y'all tin download the Amazon Appstore from here.

One more culling app shop is F-Droid. Information technology'southward entirely composed of open-source games and applications, and so the selection is extremely limited, but there's a chance it might take something you are looking for. You can scan F-Droid's library and download the app store from the official website.

Finally, if yous just demand a scattering of apps, and automatic updates aren't super important, yous can always try downloading the applications you need from APKMirror. It'due south a repository of Android applications mirrored from the Play Shop — the apps are condom, and not modified in whatever manner.

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

Enable installation from unknown sources

The beginning step in this process is enabling apps to be installed from unknown sources, if the choice exists on your device. This allows you lot 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's a search feature, blazon in "unknown" and expect for an pick for "unknown apps," "unknown sources," or something else along those lines (some manufacturers modify what the option is chosen). If your Settings app doesn't have a search part, 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 unproblematic switch for enabling unknown sources — make sure information technology's switched on, if that'south what y'all see. If you see switches for each individual app, like in the above screenshots, don't worry well-nigh enabling any of them right at present.

Find your device data

The exact files y'all need to install the Play Store on your device depend on your Android OS version and your device'due south hardware platform. While the Os version can ordinarily be establish in the Settings app, it might list information about your device's specific software instead of the full general OS — for example, Burn tablets just display the Fire Bone 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 about your hardware and software. Go to whatdevice.app on your Android device, and brand a note of the Android version and CPU architecture. The architecture should say something similar "armv8," "armv71," "x86_64," and so on.

Checking device info with WhatDevice

If WhatDevice isn't displaying the data you need (some browsers hibernate the required data), an app called 'Device Info HW' will do the job. It's available from the Play Store, just since you don't have that yet, you lot'll have to become it from APKMirror. Get to the app'south APKMirror folio here on your device, click on the latest available version, and press the big 'Download APK' push button. In one case information technology's done downloading, open it to install the APK file.

Later on Device Info HW is washed installing, open it. Brand a note of the Android version on the principal Full general tab, then switch to the 'SoC' tab and check what is listed adjacent to 'ABI.' It should exist an compages like "arm64-v8a," "x86," "armeabi-v7a," and so on.

Checking device info with Hardware Info HW

Regardless of which method yous used, yous should now have 2 pieces of information: your Android version, and your CPU compages. Now we can become on with actually installing the Play Store.

Download the Play Store

The next step is to download the proper APK files for the Play Shop. You technically take 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 bones account services and APIs, while the last app is the store itself.

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

The outset footstep is to get Google Business relationship Manager. If you take Android 7.1.2 or a newer version, go to the page for Google Account Manager seven.1.2 and tap the main 'Download APK' button. If yous have something older than Android seven.1.two, check the list of app releases here and pick the one with the version closest to your Android version. For case, if you lot have Android 6.0.i, download Google Business relationship Manager 6.0.1. After the APK file is done downloading, exercise not open up it — we'll practice that afterward.

Next is the Google Services Framework. This is generally the same process as with the first app, just go to this page and select the version that about closely matches your Android OS version. For example, if y'all have Android eight.1, you would pick Google Services Framework 8.1.0. After the APK file is washed downloading, do not open it — nosotros'll do that subsequently.

Now information technology's fourth dimension to download Google Play Services, which provides almost of the behind-the-scenes functionality for the Play Store. This is where things get a little tricky, as at that place 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 normally only accept 1 variant for each version, there are specific variants of Google Play Services for every imaginable hardware configuration. Hither you have to find the combination that matches both your Android OS version and your hardware architecture — the pieces of information you plant earlier.

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

The last app you need to download is the Google Play Store itself. Thankfully, Google distributes the Play Store as a single variant that works on all architectures and Android versions, then just get to this page and download the latest version that isn't marked every bit "beta." After the APK file is washed downloading, do not open up it — we'll do that subsequently.

Install the Play Shop

Now comes the concluding footstep: installing the Play Shop. 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 by Google from APKMirror and install it. You should see all 4 APK files ⁠— if not, become back and effigy out which ane you lot missed.

The four APKs set up for installation

Open the apps in the below order, and when the installation is complete, press 'Done' and not 'Open.' Installing the apps out of lodge volition cause the Play Store to not piece of work. Also, if you take an SD card, make 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 yous probably downloaded the incorrect APK variant — go back and make sure you properly matched the CPU compages and Android version. If your device has the arm64-v8 architecture, try downloading the variant for armv7a. Some low-stop devices (like Amazon Fire tablets) have arm64 processors, just run Android in 32-bit armv7 manner.

If you can open the Play Store and sign in, pat yourself on the back, you did information technology! Now you tin download all the apps and games you could always desire.

If the Google Play Store isn't working, or you get alerts about Play Services crashing, it probably means it isn't possible to get the Play Store operation on your device without more complicated steps like rooting or installing a custom ROM. If you lot can't get it working, go to the 'All applications' department of your Settings app and uninstall all iv APKs, to preclude further popups nigh crashing (and potential battery drain issues from Play Services constantly restarting).

I know, it's non fun to spend fourth dimension trying to get something to work and not get the results you want, but the truth is that the Play Shop simply sometimes works on devices that aren't rooted/modded in some mode. I recommend checking out the alternatives department at the start of this guide for some other options that might work for you.

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About The Writer

Corbin Davenport (3633 Articles Published)

Corbin is a tech journalist and developer who worked at Android Police from 2022 until 2022. Check out his other piece of work at corbin.io.

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