What is the Google Play Store?
Google Play is the official app store for Android phones, tablets, Chromebooks, Android TVs and Wear OS watches. It's where you get apps and games, updates for them, and also books, movies and subscriptions. Apps on Play are scanned by Google Play Protect for malware before and after they're published, which makes it far safer than installing APK files from websites.
Play comes preinstalled on almost every Android device sold outside China. There's no separate Google Play download for normal phones: if it's missing or broken, the fix is usually to re-enable it or update it, not to install it from somewhere else.
What if the Play Store is missing from my phone?
First check whether it's just hidden. Open Settings → Apps, choose to show system apps, and look for Google Play Store. If it says Disabled, tap Enable. On some phones it can also be in a folder or on another home screen; search the app drawer for “Play”.
If your phone has no Google services at all, as with Huawei phones from 2019 onwards and devices sold in China, the Play Store can't be installed officially. Those phones use their own stores, such as Huawei AppGallery. Websites that offer a Play Store APK for these devices are unofficial and risky.
How do I update the Play Store?
The Play Store updates itself. To check manually, open Play, tap your profile picture, go to Settings → About and tap Update Play Store. Google Play services, a separate system component, also updates in the background; many app errors are fixed by letting both finish updating on Wi-Fi.
How do I fix common Play Store errors?
Most Play Store problems are fixed by one of these:
- Download pending forever: check that other downloads aren't queued, and that Wi-Fi-only downloads aren't switched on while you're on mobile data.
- “Something went wrong, try again”: go to Settings → Apps → Google Play Store → Storage and tap Clear cache, then restart the phone.
- Not enough storage: Play needs extra free space while installing, often twice the app's size.
- “Your device isn't compatible”: the app doesn't support your Android version or hardware.
- Account errors: remove and re-add your Google account in Settings → Passwords & accounts.
Using Google Play on a computer
You can browse Google Play at play.google.com on any computer and install apps remotely to your Android devices: sign in with the same Google account, pick an app and choose which device to install it on. On Windows, Google Play Games lets you play many Android games on a PC.
iPhones and iPads can't use Google Play. They get apps only from Apple's App Store.
Staying safe when installing apps
Google Play Protect scans apps on your phone, including ones from outside Play, and warns you about harmful ones. Keep it on in Play → profile → Play Protect. Before installing an unfamiliar app, check the developer name, the number of downloads, recent reviews and the Data safety section, which lists what the app collects.
Installing APKs from websites means skipping those checks. If you must, for example for an app that isn't available in your country, only use the developer's official site, never an APK mirror offering paid apps for free.
Payments, refunds and family sharing
Add a payment method in Play → profile → Payments & subscriptions. Google Play gift cards work in many countries. You can usually get a refund within 48 hours of buying an app or in-app item by requesting it from your order history, and subscriptions can be cancelled in the same menu.
Google Play Family Library lets up to six family members share eligible apps, games and books, and parents can require approval for purchases on children's accounts through Google Family Link.
Managing app updates
By default, Play updates apps automatically on Wi-Fi. To change that, open Play → profile → Settings → Network preferences → Auto-update apps. You can turn off auto-update for a single app from its Play page (three dots → Enable auto update), which is useful if a new version breaks something you rely on. Open Manage apps & device to see pending updates and free storage by uninstalling apps you don't use.
Play Store on Android TV and Chromebooks
On Android TV and Google TV, Play has its own TV layout and lists only apps built for TVs. Apps can also be installed remotely from play.google.com by picking the TV as the device. On Chromebooks, the Play Store runs Android apps in windows next to your browser; if it's missing, turn it on in Settings → Apps → Google Play Store. School and work Chromebooks may have it disabled by the administrator.