How to install Play Store on an Android or Amazon Fire tablet
Install or restore Play Store 53.2.23 on a tablet: Google certification, uncertified tablets, and the 4-APK method for Amazon Fire.
Installing Play Store on a tablet mostly depends on one thing: whether the manufacturer certified it with Google. On a certified tablet the store is already there and just needs restoring or updating. On an uncertified tablet or an Amazon Fire, Google's services have to be added too, which is where most guides go wrong.
Step 0: identify your tablet
| Your tablet | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung, Lenovo, Xiaomi, OnePlus and other known brands | Certified: Play Store preinstalled | Restore or update (below) |
| Cheap tablet from an unknown brand | May not be certified | Check certification |
| Amazon Fire | No Google services, runs Fire OS | 4-APK method |
| Huawei released from mid-2019 | No Google services due to US sanctions | See the Huawei guide |
| iPad | Not Android | Impossible: use the App Store |
Certified tablets: restore or update
- Search the app drawer for "Play Store". If the tablet has several users, switch to the main one.
- Enable it if disabled: SettingsAppsGoogle Play StoreEnable.
- Update it: inside the store, tap your picture and go to SettingsAboutPlay Store version.
- If it was deleted, install the 53.2.23 APK.
Check certification
Open Play Store, tap your picture, go to SettingsAbout and look for Play Protect certification: "Device is certified" or "Device is not certified".
If it's not certified, installing more files won't fix it. The proper solution is to go back to the seller. Google offers manual registration at google.com/android/uncertified, but it's meant for custom ROM users.
Amazon Fire: the 4-APK method
Fire tablets run Fire OS with no Google services. Play Store alone won't work: it needs three other components, and the order is mandatory.
- Check your Fire OS version in SettingsDevice OptionsAbout Fire Tablet. Fire OS 7 ≈ Android 9, Fire OS 8 ≈ Android 11.
- Allow unknown sources for the Silk browser in SettingsSecurity & PrivacyApps from Unknown Sources.
- Install in order: Google Account Manager (7.1.2), Google Services Framework (usually 9 for Fire OS 7 and 10 for Fire OS 8), Google Play Services (arm64 on recent Fires such as the HD 10 from 2021 on and Max 11, armeabi-v7a on older ones), then Google Play Store 53.2.23.
- Restart the tablet, open Play Store and sign in.
If a Fire OS update breaks it: clearing the cache of Google Play Services and Play Store usually fixes it; otherwise reinstall the four files in the same order.
Frequently asked questions
Does installing Play Store on an Amazon Fire void the warranty?
No. No root is needed and the files can be uninstalled like any app.
Why does Play Store close immediately on my Fire?
Almost always because the files were installed in the wrong order or the Play Services variant doesn't match the tablet's architecture.