If you happen to ain a device without the Google Play Store installed, getting it up and running is a little trickier than simply downloading an APK file and pressing a button. In this guide, we'll effort to show you lot how to install the Play Store using a series of steps that may piece of work for your phone or tablet, depending on just how quondam (or odd!) it is. We tin't guarantee these steps volition piece of work: there are only too 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. But if you desire to give information technology a try, we think this is a good identify to start.

And so, how do yous go the Play Store onto an Android device that didn't come with it? While information technology would be impossible to create ane guide that covers every situation and device, this tutorial might help y'all get the Play Store running on uncertified hardware. Some devices require 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? Delight use this dedicated guide, as information technology has more than specific instructions for Amazon's tablets.

Of form, there 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 means some applications won't work properly (like Google Pay) or tin can't be installed at all. Other strange issues could crop up, depending on what version of Android you're running, merely there's no mode to know for certain what will piece of work until yous try.

Outset, consider the alternatives

Every bit previously mentioned, this guide isn't a complete tutorial for every kind of Android device out there. It's very possible you will achieve the end of this guide and still not take the Play Store functional. If yous want to salvage yourself some time and (possible) frustration, there are some alternatives you can try first.

The best culling to the Google Play Store that generally works on all devices is the Amazon Appstore. It has nearly of the same large games every bit the Play Store, as well every bit a decent drove of third-party applications, all without the need for Google services. However, you lot won't discover any Google apps like Chrome or Gmail on the store. You tin can download the Amazon Appstore from here.

One more alternative app store is F-Droid. It'south entirely equanimous of open-source games and applications, and then the pick is extremely express, but there'due south a chance it might take something yous are looking for. You can browse F-Droid's library and download the app store from the official website.

Finally, if yous just demand a handful of apps, and automatic updates aren't super important, yous can always try downloading the applications you need from APKMirror. It's a repository of Android applications mirrored from the Play Store — the apps are prophylactic, and non modified in whatever way.

If you absolutely demand the Play Store, you tin can endeavour your luck with the following instructions.

Enable installation from unknown sources

The offset step in this process is enabling apps to be installed from unknown sources, if the option exists on your device. This allows yous to open and install applications from downloaded APK files, which is how nosotros'll get the Play Store running.

Open the Settings app on your device, and if in that location's a search characteristic, type in "unknown" and wait for an selection 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 x

Older versions of Android have a uncomplicated switch for enabling unknown sources — make sure it's switched on, if that's what you run into. If you meet switches for each individual app, like in the to a higher place screenshots, don't worry about enabling whatsoever of them correct now.

Find your device information

The exact files you need to install the Play Store on your device depend on your Android OS version and your device'due south hardware platform. While the Bone version tin ordinarily be found in the Settings app, information technology might list information most your device's specific software instead of the general Os — for instance, Fire tablets only display the Fire OS version, not the core Android version. As such, you lot should use a third-party tool to find both pieces of data.

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

Checking device info with WhatDevice

If WhatDevice isn't displaying the information yous need (some browsers hide the required data), an app chosen 'Device Info HW' volition do the job. It'due south available from the Play Store, only since y'all don't have that nonetheless, you lot'll accept to get it from APKMirror. Go to the app's APKMirror page here on your device, click on the latest available version, and press the large 'Download APK' push. Once it's done downloading, open up it to install the APK file.

Afterwards Device Info HW is washed installing, open up it. Brand a note of the Android version on the chief General tab, then switch to the 'SoC' tab and check what is listed side by side to 'ABI.' It should exist an architecture similar "arm64-v8a," "x86," "armeabi-v7a," and so on.

Checking device info with Hardware Info HW

Regardless of which method y'all used, you should now have two pieces of information: your Android version, and your CPU compages. Now we tin become on with really installing the Play Store.

Download the Play Shop

The next stride is to download the proper APK files for the Play Store. You technically accept to install four dissimilar applications — Google Account Manager, Google Services Framework, Google Play Services, and finally the Google Play Store. The first three apps handle basic account services and APIs, while the terminal app is the store itself.

If you're not already reading this on your Android device, delight brand sure y'all're post-obit these steps on the device you want to add the Play Store to.

The first stride is to become Google Account Manager. If you have Android vii.1.2 or a newer version, go to the folio for Google Account Manager seven.i.ii and tap the principal 'Download APK' push 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 vi.0.1, download Google Account Managing director 6.0.1. Later the APK file is done downloading, do non open it — we'll do that later.

Next is the Google Services Framework. This is mostly the aforementioned procedure every bit with the get-go app, simply get to this page and select the version that most closely matches your Android Bone version. For example, if yous have Android viii.i, you would pick Google Services Framework eight.1.0. After the APK file is done downloading, practice not open it — we'll do that later.

Now it'southward time to download Google Play Services, which provides nigh of the behind-the-scenes functionality for the Play Store. This is where things become a little tricky, as there are different versions depending on both the Android OS version and your hardware compages. Go to the APKMirror page for Google Play Services and select the latest release that isn't marked beta.

While the APKs for the concluding two applications commonly only take i variant for each version, there are specific variants of Google Play Services for every imaginable hardware configuration. Hither you have to detect the combination that matches both your Android Bone version and your hardware architecture — the pieces of information you establish before.

For example, 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 ways it works on both listed architectures. Once you observe the variant for your device, select it and download the APK. Once again, don't open up it after you're done downloading, because nosotros'll exercise that subsequently.

The concluding app you demand 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, then simply go to this folio and download the latest version that isn't marked every bit "beta." After the APK file is done downloading, do not open it — we'll exercise that later.

Install the Play Store

At present comes the concluding step: installing the Play Store. Find the Downloads/Files app on your device and open up it. If yous don't have a file manager, download the latest version of Files by Google from APKMirror and install it. Yous should meet all four APK files ⁠— if not, get back and figure out which 1 you missed.

The four APKs ready for installation

Open the apps in the below lodge, and when the installation is complete, printing 'Done' and not 'Open.' Installing the apps out of order will cause the Play Store to not piece of work. As well, if you have an SD carte, 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 lot have installed all four apps, reboot your device. If one of the applications didn't install, it means you lot 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-end devices (like Amazon Fire tablets) take arm64 processors, just run Android in 32-flake armv7 mode.

If you can open the Play Shop and sign in, pat yourself on the back, you lot did information technology! At present yous can download all the apps and games you could always want.

If the Google Play Store isn't working, or you get alerts most Play Services crashing, information technology probably ways 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 can't go it working, get to the 'All applications' section of your Settings app and uninstall all 4 APKs, to prevent farther popups near crashing (and potential bombardment drain bug from Play Services constantly restarting).

I know, information technology's not fun to spend fourth dimension trying to get something to work and not go the results you desire, but the truth is that the Play Shop only sometimes works on devices that aren't rooted/modded in some way. I recommend checking out the alternatives section at the start of this guide for some other options that might work for yous. If you own an Amazon tablet, you lot'll too want to check out our guide to install the Google Play Store on your Amazon Fire device.