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Google Play Store: A Definitive Guide For Beginners
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
The Google Play Store is one of Android's biggest and most important parts. It's the central hub for all app and game content, including many of the best Android apps. The Play Store is sometimes a little overwhelming, but it's not bad once you get used to it. There are a ton of commands, actions, and other activities within the app. Here is just about everything you can do in the Google Play Store, and if your device doesn't have it, you can also learn how to download and install the Google Play Store.
Please note that some actions are more complicated than others. If you are experiencing Play Store issues, we also detail the most common Google Play issues and how to solve them.
What is the Google Play Store?
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
The Google Play Store is a digital storefront for various types of media. People most commonly use the app to download apps and games. However, the Play Store also sells e-books. There used to be movies, TV shows, and music, but each spun into separate apps.
The store was initially called the Android Market and came out in October 2008. It received many UI updates over the years and additional content and functionality. It changed its name to the Play Store in March 2012, and it's been that way ever since.
While Google Play is strongly associated with Android, it is not a part of the stock Android experience. It's an extra software for Google's specific Android experience,
How to use the Play Store: The basics
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
First, let's cover some basic settings and simple controls. The Play Store grants easy control over notifications, download settings, and other fine-tuning. We'll give you brief tutorials on where each is and how to access each.
How to change Google Play Store notification settingsHow to change Google Play Store download settings
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How to access, view, and alter your Google Play Wishlist
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How to change your Google Play Store theme
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How to Change Google Play Protect settings
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How to view payment history, balances, and redeem gift codes
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How to view other Google Play Store settings
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How to enable and disable Instant Apps
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How to log in and out of the Play Store
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
You generally log into the Play Store when you log into your Google account as you set up your phone. However, if you didn't do that by chance, you can still do it in other ways. Logging out is a rarer move, but still entirely doable.
How to log in to the Google Play StoreHere are two methods to log in to the Google Play Store:
Here's another method if the first doesn't work:
How to log out of the Google Play Store
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
Unfortunately, your Google account and every other Google app are tied to the Play Store. Thus, it is impossible to log out of the Play Store but stay logged into Gmail. This is a limitation of Android because your Google account controls everything. Even if you have two Google accounts, they are logged into the Google Play Store simultaneously.
How to use multiple Google Play Store accounts on the same device
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How to install and update apps on the Google Play Store
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
The most common activity is downloading applications and games. This is a fairly simple endeavor, and you can find apps and games everywhere.
How to Install apps or games on the Google Play StoreThankfully, there's no need to pay for every app on the Play Store. There are some great free Android apps available to kick off your collection.
How to Update your apps and games on the Google Play Store
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How to unregister from games, upcoming events, and beta programs
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If you're unhappy with a game, you can (in certain circumstances) get a refund for those purchased through the Play Store. You can also easily cancel subscriptions or view your purchased apps from the Store.
Adding and removing Google Play Store payment methods and gift cards
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
Of course, if you ever want to purchase things on the Play Store, you'll need to add a method to pay for stuff eventually. Luckily, this isn't very difficult.
How to add a payment method to the Google Play StoreHow to remove a payment method from the Google Play Store
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
How to redeem a Google Play Store gift card
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How to check your Google Play balance
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How to require authentication for purchases
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We recommend this to everybody, especially parents who let their children use their phones to play mobile games. It's also a good idea to familiarize yourself with Google Play's parental controls.
How to add, hide, and remove devices from Google Play
There are some good news and some bad news about this process. The good news is your device is automatically added to Google Play as soon as you sign in to your Google account on your phone, and nothing else is needed on your part.
Unfortunately, you cannot permanently remove devices from Google Play. You can log out to remove Google Play access to a specific device, though, and we have that tutorial above. For the sake of organization, you can hide devices from your list on Google Play, and we'll show you how to do that.
How to hide devices in Google PlayWe hope Google reconsiders its stance on letting us remove devices from our Google Play accounts. For now, we recommend logging out of the Play Store on any phone you intend to throw away or sell and performing a factory reset manually to ensure nobody can access your account through the device.
Google Play Store FAQs How do I install Google Play Store app?
To install Google Play Store, you'll need to download it as an APK file through a reputable site. You'll then open the APK through a dedicated APK installer tool or a file browser.
Can I download Google Play Store on my computer? How do I access my Google Play Store?To access Google Play, open the app on your Android phone. Alternatively, you can access a web version of the Play Store using a browser.
Can I download the Google Play Store on an iPhone?No, the Google Play Store will only work on Android devices. However, you can browse a list of apps available on the Play Store by visiting it through a browser on iPhone.
CommentsWhat Is Google Play Store? Everything You Need To Know
What is Google Play Store? Well, from the mobile standpoint, it's an app, though it's actually a platform. So, it's essentially far more than that, which is something we'll get down to in a minute. In this article, we'll talk about the Google Play Store, and try to answer quite a few questions, most of which are quite basic. That is the point of this article, to share as much information about Google's Play Store platform as possible. So, let's get started.
What is Google Play Store?So, what is Google Play Store? As mentioned in the introduction, it's a platform. It's Google's platform for offering various digital content to its consumers. Contrary to what some people may think, the Google Play Store is not just an app store, not at all. You will find all sorts of content available here. The Google Play Store is home to music, movies, books, and games… in addition to your regular Android applications.
Google is offering a huge collection of music from all around the world, though that requires a subscription, or a one-time payment, as you can digitally purchase content. Movies and books are available to purchase, while there are tons of free apps and games available. Some of those apps/games require payment, and some do not, but everything is clearly stated in app listings.
Do all Android smartphones come with Google Play Store pre-installed?No, they do not. The Google Play Store is pre-installed on smartphones that ship with Google Mobile Services (GMS). Granted, those are the vast majority of phones out there, and the vast majority of phones you can purchase. We are talking about Android as a platform here, and Android is open-sourced. It's free to use, and manufacturers are not forced to pre-install Google Mobile Services if they don't want to, not at all.
Consumers are used to Google Mobile Services, which include a number of pre-installed apps by Google. For that reason, pretty much every smartphone manufacturer that sells Android phones will have them pre-installed. There are some exceptions, though. Huawei, one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world is banned from pre-installing GMS on its phones by the US. There's a long story behind it, but that was the case at the time of writing this article.
What sort of content can be found on the Google Play Store?The Google Play Store is home to not only apps and games but some additional digital content as well. You can books in the Play Store. Google basically launched the Play Store as a hub for its users to get all sorts of digital content. The main content would probably be apps and games, as the Play Store was mainly launched for Android smartphones.
Having said that, the service offered movies and music at one point too, but that changed over the years. Google Play Music is a thing of the past now, as YouTube Music replaced it entirely. Movies are also gone from the Google Play Store, as Google TV is now here. Books are still available, though, alongside apps and games.
Do I have to download apps from the Google Play Store if it's pre-installed?Google recommends that you download all your Android applications from the Play Store, especially if it comes pre-installed. The company does its best to vet all the apps that are submitted to the Play Store. In other words, the company tries to make sure that no malware makes its way to the store. The Google Play Store is not the only source to download Android applications, though.
We'll talk about that in the next paragraph. But before that, let's just say that the vast majority of users should use the Play Store and only the Play Store. If you opt to use a third-party store, you should use a legit one. If you sideload Android applications, you should also use a source that is reliable. Otherwise, you could get malware in the package with an app you're getting, and that's certainly something you want to avoid.
What are Google Play Store alternatives?There are actually quite a few stores that come to mind. Huawei's AppGallery is the company's very own app store, while Samsung has its app store for Android applications as well. There is the Amazon app store as well, while some other smartphone manufacturers offer their own iterations as well. Now, there are some legit Android applications out there that are not available via the Play Store.
The main reason for that is because they're breaking the rules, even though those specific apps are not dangerous. Some of them are allowing you to access features Google is blocking, like playing YouTube videos in the background, for example. Good examples of such app stores are F-Droid and XDA Labs. You'll find a ton of interesting apps there, apps that are not available in the Play Store. The best of all, those apps have been vetted for security issues as well.
What about sideloading?Well, sideloading is also an alternative to the Play Store, kind of. If you really want to get the latest version of an Android app that you know is out, but it still has not arrived on your phone, you can always sideload it. Or if you want to install an app that is not available in your region, and thus not visible in the Play Store. You can download the APK file (Android app file), and install it manually on your device.
The procedure is quite simple, as all you have to do is install it, enable your phone to install apps from unknown sources, and that's it. Just make sure to download those APKs from sources you trust. The best way to go about it is to visit APKMirror. That website has been around for a long time, and it always verifies signatures for specific Android applications. This is also a great way to get alpha and beta versions of some applications if you want.
How do I update apps via the Google Play Store?Updating applications via the Play Store is really simple, and you need to do that via your smartphone This is not even something you have to do manually, as your phone is set by default to update apps automatically. It will do so when you're connected to Wi-Fi, and check if new updates are available automatically as well. If you'd like to keep it that way, you don't have to do anything.
If, for some reason, you'd like to update manually, that is an option. Perhaps you'd like to see the changelog before updating, or something of the sort. First, you'll need to go to the Play Store options on your phone and disable automatic updates. Your phone will let you know when an update is available, if you do this, after which you can navigate to the hamburger menu of the Play Store, hit 'My apps & games' option, and you'll see what updates are available. Alternatively, you can hit the notification that lets you know updates are available.
How do I uninstall apps via the Google Play Store?Chances are you already know how to uninstall apps from the app drawer, or your phone's settings. Well, you can uninstall them via the Google Play Store as well. They can be uninstalled from the same menu that you'd use to update your apps. So, you need to open the app, open the hamburger menu on the left, and then hit the 'My apps & games' option. There you'll see three tabs at the top, Updates, Installed, and Library.
You need to aim for the 'Installed' tab, where you can see all your installed apps. You can either open an app from here or tap on it to be able to uninstall it. This will essentially do the same thing you'd do directly from your phone's settings or the app drawer. You can even sort apps here to see which ones you've installed most recently, check out their reviews, check out how much phone storage your apps take up, and so on.
Does Google Play Store support a dark theme?Yes, the Google Play Store does support a dark theme. It was first made available to Android 10 users only, in 2019. In March 2020, Google pushed it to everyone, basically. There is a physical switch in the Play Store settings. Once you enter settings, you will see the 'Theme' menu. Tap it, and there you'll be able to select System default, Dark, or Light themes, depending on your preference.
The Google Play Store dark theme is now pitch black. It follows Google's design from its other apps. Google opted to use a really dark gray color here, not exactly black. That's Google's choice, and it works, though perhaps it would be a better idea to go all black. It is what it is, though, at least there are options.
Can I uninstall the Google Play Store from my phone?Well, chances are you cannot. If the Google Play Store app came pre-installed on your phone, it's quite possible that the device won't let you uninstall it. You can do it if you root your phone, and get admin privileges by doing so, but that's about it. That goes only if you've purchased a phone that is not pre-rooted or something of the sort. If it's second-hand, it is possible that someone already messed with it.
If you root your phone, you'll be able to remove the Play Store, but that's not exactly recommended. Before you do, however, make sure you have another app store on hand, so that you can download applications. That is not a requirement, but it sure is recommended, so that you don't have to manually download them from the APK Mirror website, or something of the sort.
How does the Android Market relate to the Google Play Store?Android Market = Google Play Store. Confused? Well, the Google Play Store was initially called the Android Market. Back when it launched, in October 2008, it was called Android Market. Back then, only applications and games were available via that app.
Google opted to rename the service years later, in 2012, when it started adding music, books, and so on. It considered that to be a more appropriate term, and that's probably true, as it's not focused on Android only.
Are non-Android apps available via the Google Play Store?No, they're not. The Google Play Store contains applications for the Android system only. As already mentioned, other content is available, but as far as applications and games are concerned, only Android is supported. You can utilize music, movies, and books on other platforms, though. Chances are that this will not happen, as the Play Store has been made mainly for Android.
How many applications are there in the Google Play Store?As of January 2024, it was reported that 3.5 million apps are available to download from the Play Store. Back in March 2020, there were over 2.8 million applications available in the Google Play Store. Do note that prior to the summer of 2018, there were also 3.5 million apps in the Google Play Store, as are nowadays (early 2024). Google has decided to remove large quantities of applications from the Play Store in the summer of 2018. Why? Well, mostly due to an updated version of the company's Developer Policy. When the company did that, the number of apps dropped from over 3.5 million to just over 2.5 million. Since then, however, the Play Store grew quite a bit, to 3.5 million again.
The article has been updated on February 5, 2024.
How To Install The Google Play Store On An Amazon Fire Tablet
The Amazon Fire lineup is filled with affordable Android tablets. Offering plenty of functionality without the price tag associated with products from Samsung or Lenovo, Amazon's home-grown family of tablets is an easy recommendation for frugal shoppers. There's a bit of caveat to the lineup, however, as none of them come preinstalled with the Google Play Store.
That means you won't have access to many of the great apps available on Google Play and will instead be limited to what's available on the Amazon App Store. And while Amazon does a lot of things well, its App Store leaves much to be desired. If you're looking to use the Google Play Store on an Amazon Fire tablet, you'll need to deal with a clunky (but fairly simple) workaround. Here's the easiest way to download Google Play on your Fire tablet.
Because you aren't able to download the Google Play Store directly from the Amazon App Store, you'll need to download it from the internet. However, Amazon Fire devices have a built-in setting that blocks the download of apps from sources other than the Amazon App Store. Before downloading Google Play, you'll need to disable that setting. Here's how:
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your Amazon Fire device.
Step 2: Select the Security & Privacy tab.
Get your weekly teardown of the tech behind PC gamingStep 3: In the Security & Privacy menu, select Apps from Unknown Sources.
Step 4: Select the Silk Browser option and then toggle the Allow from this source button.
Once you've enabled the ability to download apps from outside sources, you'll be ready to download the components necessary for running the Google Play Store. In order to do so, however, you'll need to know specifically what Amazon Fire tablet you're using. If you already know which model you have, skip this section, or follow along just to double check.
Step 1: Open the Settings app again, scroll down to the Device Options tab, and select it.
Step 2: Select the About Fire Tablet option.
Step 3: Check the information below the Device Model heading to learn which specific Amazon Fire model you're using.
Download the Google Play StoreWith the knowledge of which Amazon Fire model you have, you'll be ready to download the four APKs necessary for running the Google Play Store. Take note that this process may wipe your microSD card if you're using one. Before downloading the following items, make sure to remove your microSD card from the slot just to be safe. Additionally, the APKs you'll be downloading are totally safe. However, the site that they're hosted on has a lot of misleading and potentially malicious ads that may try to confuse you into clicking on them. You should be able to avoid any issues as long as you only select the options listed below, so make sure that you're sticking to the steps closely.
Step 1: Open the Silk Browser app and navigate to this page so that you can tap on the links below.
Step 2: If you have the Fire 7 (8th, 9th, or 12th Generation), the Fire HD 8 (8th or 10th Generation), the Fire HD 10 (9th or 11th Generation), or the Fire Max 11, select this link and then select the red Download APK box:
Google Account Manager 7.1.2 (Android 6.0+)
If you have the Fire HD 6, the Fire 7 (7th Generation or older), the Fire HD 8 (7th Generation or older), the Fire HDX 8.9, or the Fire HD 10 (7th Generation or older), click on this link and then select the red Download APK box:
Google Account Manager 5.1-1743759 (Android 5.0+)
Step 3: After selecting the APK download prompt, exit the full-screen pop-up ad. You may get an additional pop-up from your Fire tablet that says the download may be harmful. Select Download anyway. Select this option every time you're prompted to in the following steps.
Step 4: Return to this page in the Silk Browser and click on this link if you have the Fire 7 (12th Generation), the Fire HD 8 (12th Generation), or the Fire Max 11, then select the red Download APK box:
Google Services Framework 10-6494331 (Android 10+)
If you have the Fire 7 (9th Generation), the Fire HD 8 (8th, 9th, or 10th Generation), or the Fire HD 10 (9th or 11th Generation), click this link and then select the red Download APK box:
Google Services Framework 9-4832352 (Android 9.0+)
If you have the Fire HD 6 (any version), the Fire 7 (7th Generation or older), the Fire HD 8 (7th Generation or older), the Fire HDX 8.9, or the Fire HD 10 (7th Generation or older), click this link and then select the red Download APK box:
Google Services Framework 5.1-1743759 (Android 5.1+)
Step 5: After selecting the red Download APK button, click out of the full page pop up ad and then select Download anyway.
Step 6: Return to this page using the Silk Browser and select the link below based on your Fire model. Be aware that when you click on the link, you won't be given a clear red Download APK button. Instead, you'll need to select the APK from a list of downloads. Find the APK that's closest to the top that doesn't say "beta" in its title, and select the download icon on the right side of the screen.
Step 7: Once you've selected your APK, scroll down and select the red Download APK button. Select Download anyway if you get the "Harmful file" pop-up.
Step 8: Once you've downloaded those three APKs, you'll only have one more item to download, which is universal across all Amazon Fire models. Return to this page with the Silk Browser and click on the link below. Like with the last step, select the APK that's closest to the top of the list that doesn't have the word "beta" in its file name.
Google Play Store
Step 9: After selecting the APK from the list, scroll down and select the blue Download APK button and then select the Download anyway option one final time.
Step 10: With those four downloads complete, you'll be ready to open the files and get the Google Play Store working on your Amazon Fire. Go to your home screen, open the Files app, and then go to the Downloads menu by selecting the tabs on the side of the screen and then selecting Downloads.
Step 11: Change your file view type to list view by selecting the icon in the corner that displays the files arranged in a list so that you can see their full titles. For the Google Play Store to work, you'll need to open the files in a specific order. When opening each, you may get a pop-up saying that you're opening a file from an unknown source. Select Continue. Open the files in this order and then select Install, then Done:
Step 12: After installing all four APK files, you should see the Google Play Store app added to your home screen. If you don't see it, you may need to restart your tablet. From here, you can select the app, log into your Google account, and start downloading apps from the store.
And just like that, you've successfully added Google Play to your Amazon Fire tablet! You can now download any apps/games that you want from the Play Store, many of which aren't available on the Amazon App Store.
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