The Google Play Store is the primary platform to download and install apps and games on any Android device. Although most smartphones and tablets come with the application pre-installed, there are some that don’t.
Among the devices shipping without the Google Play Store, Amazon’s Fire tablets, mobile phones launched in China, some e-readers, emulators, and more are included. So, if you want to install the app on your device, this guide might help. Although it is impossible to create a universal manual that meets every situation and device, these instructions can get you what you want.
There are some cautions you need to consider when it comes to this process. Devices that do not have the Play Store built in won’t pass Google’s SafetyNet checks, which means some apps won’t function properly or cannot be installed at all. However, there’s no way to know what will work until you try.
How to Install Google Play Store
Enable Installation from Unknown Sources
The first thing you have to do before installing the store is to check whether the ‘Enable Installation from Unknown Sources’ option exists on your device. This function allows you to launch and install apps from APK files or third-party content, which is how you’ll get the Play Store.
Head to the settings menu on your device and tap on the ‘Search’ box (if there is one). Type in ‘unknown’ and look for ‘unknown apps,’ ‘unknown sources,’ or something along those lines to get to the option. If the Settings section doesn’t have a ‘Search’ box, the function should be in the ‘Privacy’ or ‘Apps & Notifications’ segment, depending on your version of OS.
Either way, make sure the ‘Enable Installation from Unknown Sources’ option is enabled.
Find Your Device Information
The Google Play Store file you need to install relies on the Android version and your device’s hardware build. The easiest way to find this information is to use a third-party tool, like WhatDevice, a web app that tells you the details about your hardware and software.
Head to whatdevice.app on your Android device and make a note of the OS version and CPU system you’ve got. The architecture should look like ‘armv8,’ ‘armv71,’ ‘x86_64,’ and so on. Once you have this information, you can get on with installing the Google Play Store.
Download the Google Play Store App
Now, you need to download the correct APK files for the application. You practically have to install four different files, namely, Google Account Manager, Google Services Framework, Google Play Services, and finally, the Google Play Store to make the system work. After downloading these files, do not open them until the instructions tell you so.
First, get Google Account Manager. If you run Android 7.1.2 or a newer version, head to the page for Google Account Manager 7.1.2 and tap on the ‘Download APK’ button. If you have an older version of Android, check the app releases here and choose the one with the closest version to the variant of Android you have on your device.
Next, install the Google Services Framework. The process is similar to the one above; just head to this page and pick the version that matches your Android variant.
Now it’s time to get Google Play Services, which runs the under-the-hood functionality for the Play Store. This time, you have to find the version that matches both your Android OS version and your hardware architecture. On the APKMirror page for Google Play Services, you need to choose the latest release that is not a beta.
For instance, if a Google Pixel is running Android 10 and uses arm64-v8a architecture, you’d have to pick the APK for ‘Android 10+’ and ‘arm64-v8a + armeabi-v7a’ version of architecture. Once you find the variant for your device, select it and download it.
The latest app to get is the Google Play Store itself. Simply head to this page and download the most recent version that is not marked as beta.
Install the Google Play Store App
Finally, you can now install the Google Play Store on your device. Find the downloaded files you earlier got in the ‘Files’ or ‘Downloads’ folder on your device (if you don’t have a file manager app, download the latest version of Files by Google from APKMirror and install it).
Open the apps in this order so the Play Store can function – if you have an SD card, make sure to take it out while you install these files:
- com.google.gsf.login
- com.google.android.gsf
- com.google.android.gms
- com.android.vending
Once the installation process is complete, tap on ‘Done’ and not on ‘Open’ and reboot your device. If the apps did not install, it means you could have downloaded the wrong APK files. Make sure you properly matched the architecture and Android version. If the files were correctly downloaded, but your device has the arm64-v8 architecture, try getting the armv7a variant this time. Some low-end devices like Amason Fire tablets have arm64 processors but run Android in 32-bit armv7 mode.
If you can launch the Google Play Store and sign in, you did it. You can now download any apps and games you want from the platform.
