If you 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 button. In this guide, nosotros'll endeavor to bear witness yous how to install the Play Store using a serial of steps that may work for your phone or tablet, depending on simply how sometime (or odd!) information technology is. We can't guarantee these steps volition piece of work: in that location are simply too many devices and versions of Android to account for in a single guide, and as well many reasons these steps might neglect for a particular combination of them. But if y'all want to give it a try, nosotros think this is a good place to first.So, how practise you become the Play Store 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 get the Play Store running on uncertified hardware. Some devices require more complex workarounds, similar Huawei'southward flagship phones, so 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 utilise this dedicated guide, as information technology has more specific instructions for Amazon'due south tablets.

Of form, there are some caveats to this procedure. Devices that don't come with the Play Store pre-installed won't pass Google's SafetyNet checks, which ways some applications won't work properly (like Google Pay) or tin can't be installed at all. Other foreign bug could crop upwards, depending on what version of Android yous're running, simply there'southward no style to know for certain what will work until you effort.

Start, consider the alternatives

Every bit previously mentioned, this guide isn't a complete tutorial for every kind of Android device out there. It'southward very possible y'all will reach the finish of this guide and notwithstanding not have the Play Store functional. If you lot want to save yourself some fourth dimension and (possible) frustration, there are some alternatives you tin try outset.

The best alternative to the Google Play Shop that generally works on all devices is the Amazon Appstore. It has nigh of the aforementioned big games as the Play Store, too as a decent collection of 3rd-party applications, all without the need for Google services. However, you won't find whatever Google apps similar Chrome or Gmail on the store. You can download the Amazon Appstore from here.

One more culling app store is F-Droid. It'southward entirely composed of open-source games and applications, so the selection is extremely express, only there's a gamble information technology might have something you lot are looking for. You lot can browse F-Droid'southward library and download the app store from the official website.

Finally, if y'all just need a scattering of apps, and automatic updates aren't super important, y'all can always endeavour downloading the applications you need from APKMirror. It's a repository of Android applications mirrored from the Play Store — the apps are safe, and not modified in any style.

If you lot admittedly need the Play Store, yous can effort your luck with the following instructions.

Enable installation from unknown sources

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

Open up the Settings app on your device, and if there'southward a search characteristic, type in "unknown" and expect for an choice 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 accept a search office, 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 ten

Older versions of Android have a simple switch for enabling unknown sources — make certain it's switched on, if that'due south what you see. If you see switches for each individual app, like in the above screenshots, don't worry about enabling any of them correct now.

Discover your device information

The exact files yous 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 can usually exist institute in the Settings app, it might list information about your device'due south specific software instead of the general Bone — for case, Fire tablets just display the Burn down Os version, not the core Android version. As such, you should use a third-party tool to notice 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 compages should say something like "armv8," "armv71," "x86_64," and then on.

Checking device info with WhatDevice

If WhatDevice isn't displaying the information yous need (some browsers hide the required information), an app called 'Device Info HW' will exercise the job. It's available from the Play Store, but since yous don't have that all the same, you'll have to get it from APKMirror. Get to the app'due south APKMirror page here on your device, click on the latest available version, and press the big 'Download APK' button. Once it'south done downloading, open up it to install the APK file.

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

Checking device info with Hardware Info HW

Regardless of which method you lot used, you lot should now have two pieces of information: your Android version, and your CPU architecture. 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 Store. You technically take to install iv different applications — Google Business relationship 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 concluding app is the store itself.

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

The get-go footstep is to get Google Account Managing director. If you take Android 7.1.two or a newer version, go to the page for Google Account Managing director 7.1.2 and tap the main 'Download APK' push button. If y'all have something older than Android 7.1.2, check the list of app releases here and selection the one with the version closest to your Android version. For example, if yous take Android 6.0.1, download Google Account Manager half-dozen.0.1. After the APK file is done downloading, do not open it — we'll do that later.

Next is the Google Services Framework. This is mostly the aforementioned process as with the beginning app, but go to this page and select the version that most closely matches your Android Os version. For example, if you have Android 8.i, you would pick Google Services Framework 8.one.0. Afterward the APK file is done downloading, practice not open up information technology — we'll do that later.

Now information technology's time to download Google Play Services, which provides virtually of the behind-the-scenes functionality for the Play Store. This is where things get a piffling tricky, as there are different 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 terminal two applications normally but have i variant for each version, there are specific variants of Google Play Services for every imaginable hardware configuration. Here you take to detect the combination that matches both your Android Bone version and your hardware architecture — the pieces of information y'all found earlier.

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

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

Install the Play Store

Now comes the last step: installing the Play Store. Observe 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 information technology. You should see all iv APK files ⁠— if not, get dorsum and figure out which one you missed.

The 4 APKs ready for installation

Open up the apps in the below order, and when the installation is consummate, press 'Done' and not 'Open.' Installing the apps out of order volition cause the Play Store to not work. Too, if yous have an SD card, brand certain to take 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

Once you have installed all four apps, reboot your device. If i of the applications didn't install, it ways 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) have arm64 processors, but run Android in 32-scrap armv7 mode.

If you tin open the Play Store and sign in, pat yourself on the back, you did it! 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 nigh Play Services crashing, it probably means it isn't possible to get the Play Shop operation on your device without more complicated steps like rooting or installing a custom ROM. If you can't get it working, go to the 'All applications' section of your Settings app and uninstall all four APKs, to prevent further popups almost crashing (and potential bombardment drain issues from Play Services constantly restarting).

I know, information technology's not fun to spend time trying to get something to work and not get the results y'all want, but the truth is that the Play Store simply sometimes works on devices that aren't rooted/modded in some way. I recommend checking out the alternatives section at the starting time of this guide for some other options that might work for you.