How To Add Play Store To Fire Tablet

Amazon's tablets have constitute a sweet spot in the budget range, post-obit in the footsteps of other popular tablets similar Google's Nexus seven. Ranging in price from just $l upwards to $150 for various models and screen sizes, the Fire Tablets are basically the cheapest fashion to get a device perfect for browsing the web, watching Netflix or Amazon Prime number exclusives, and to play some light games on the become.

They aren't amazing tablets by any ways, but for well under $200, they're great content consumption devices. Luckily, Fire OS is still congenital on acme of Android, which means you lot can manually add together the Play Store if y'all're so willing. Information technology's really a pretty straightforward process, and fifty-fifty on newer devices, much easier than it used to be.

Whether you're looking to add Gmail, YouTube, or you just desire a wider variety of apps, here's how to get the Google Play Store up and running on your Amazon Fire Tablet.

Amazon Tablets and the Google Play Store

The big software divergence between what nosotros've seen on the Fire tablet, every bit opposed to any other Android tablet, is the customized software. The Amazon tablets run Fire OS, a forked version of Android created by Amazon'south in-house software squad. This customized operating organization allows you lot to take a amend feel on tablets than Android otherwise allows for, only it's also designed to push button Amazon's own lineup of products and services equally much as possible.

For the most role, this provides an fantabulous way to both use your tablet and to browse the services offered through Amazon, but unfortunately, it also leads to a major problem: the Google Play Store is not offered through the device. Instead, y'all'll have to make do with the Amazon Appstore, Amazon'south own app store offering that gives you lot a fairly wide selection of apps and games you'd demand on your tablet. Most of the major apps are on that platform, but yous'll quickly run into an issue if you're looking for any Google apps on the Appstore—they aren't there.

What You'll Need

First, let's start off by saying that this entire guide tin be washed on your Amazon Burn tablet lone. Before Burn models required the Play Store to be pushed to your device from a Windows computer using ADB, something that no longer has to be done. Instead, all y'all'll need now is some rudimentary cognition on how Android installs apps exterior of the standard app store, and some patience equally your tablet downloads and installs all four required packages to run the Google Play Shop properly on your device.

So, here's what we'll be using below:

Four divide APK files from APKMirror (linked below).
A Google business relationship for the Play Store.
An updated Burn down tablet running Burn OS v.10 (for devices running five.6.0.0, come across Troubleshooting and Tips).
A file manager from the App Shop (may be optional, come across Troubleshooting and Tips); we recommend File Commander.

This isn't absolutely necessary, simply it's good to know which Burn down Tablet you have earlier jumping into this guide. Depending on the age of your tablet, you may need to download dissimilar apps than a device running older software.

Head into the Settings card and select Device Options, then await for Device Model at the bottom of this guide. This guide uses the launch years of each tablet to assist guide y'all towards the correct APK, so if you lot need aid identifying what twelvemonth your tablet came out, use Amazon's Tablet Device Specs page right here. Knowing which generation your device belongs to will help a lot throughout this guide.

Enabling Apps from Unknown Sources

Alright, here'southward where the existent guide begins. The first thing we accept to do on your Amazon Fire tablet is dive into the settings card. Despite Amazon'due south modification to Android to create Fire Bone, the operating arrangement is actually incredibly similar to Google's ain, and that includes how tertiary-political party apps are installed outside of Amazon's own app store. Both Amazon and Android refer to third-party apps as "unknown sources," and are blocked by default. Unlike a device running iOS, however, Android allows user to install any app on their device and then long as you lot've enabled the ability to do so.

To open settings on your device, slide down from the top of your device to open the notifications tray and quick actions, then tap on the Settings icon.
Scroll to the bottom of your Settings folio and tap on the option that reads Security & Privacy, which you lot'll find under the Personal category. In that location aren't a ton of options in the Security section, just under Advanced, you'll run into a toggle reading Apps from Unknown Sources, along with the following caption: "Let installation of applications that are not from Appstore." Toggle this setting On and then exit the Settings carte du jour.

Downloading and Installing the APKs

Next up is the big part. On a standard Android tablet, installing apps outside of the Play Store would be as easy equally installing the standard APK. Unfortunately, it's non quite that like shooting fish in a barrel on an Amazon Fire tablet. Because Google Play isn't installed on your device, all apps sold through the Play Store won't run on your device without Google Play Services installed along with it, since apps like Gmail or Google Maps check for hallmark through that app.

This means we'll have to install the entire Google Play Store suite of services onto your device, which amounts to four different applications: 3 utilities and the Play Shop itself. Exercise make sure you install these apps in the social club we've listed them beneath; we recommend downloading all iv in order and so installing them one at a fourth dimension. All of these files can be downloaded using the Amazon Silk browser on your device.

Downloading the APK Files

The site we'll exist using to download these APKs is chosen APKMirror. Information technology's a trusted source for free APKs from developers and Google Play, and acts equally a utility for any Android user looking to manually download or install apps. APKMirror is a sister site to Android Police force, a well-known source for Android news and reviews, and doesn't allow pirated content on their site. Every app held on APKMirror is gratuitous from the developer, without modifications or changes before being uploaded.

The first app nosotros demand to download is Google Services Framework. Then, you'll need to install Google Account Director, this is more circuitous than it used to be, because Amazon has finally updated the version of Android being used on their newer tablets. Here'southward the two guides you'll need to download this app:

If you're using a Fire HD eight purchased after October 2018, a Fire 7 purchased after June 2019, or a Fire Hard disk drive 10 purchased in or after November 2019, your tablet is running Android six.0 or above. As such, y'all'll want to utilise this version of the Google Account Manager for your tablet. 7.one.two is the newest version of the application bachelor on APKMirror as of writing; if a newer version exists, be sure to download that version instead.
If you're running a tablet purchased prior to these dates, your tablet is still using Android 5.0, which ways you'll need version v.1-1743759. Yous can notice that linked here.

There are various versions of Android and available APKs for Google, we advise anybody to download version 5.i-1743759, from here. This version is designed to run on all devices with Android v.0 or higher, which means any Burn down Os tablet should run it. If you're prompted to update the app after installation, follow the prompts on your display to update the app to your correct version.

Don't worry likewise much about downloaded the wrong version for your tablet. If you're unsure about which version is correct for you, download the older version linked above. Yous can always update the app after you've finished installing the Play Shop.

Start by installing downloading the Google Services Framework APK.
Download information technology to your device through your browser past tapping on the Download APK push. A download prompt will announced at the bottom of your brandish, and yous tin can accept the prompt to begin the download.

3. Once the download is consummate, you'll see a notification in your tray when you slide downwardly from the superlative of your screen. For at present, don't open the file. Leave the notification in your tray for like shooting fish in a barrel access in the next step.

4. The adjacent apk y'all demand to install is Google Account Managing director, search for it and download it.

5. Next upwards, we accept Google Play Services. This is the app that will allow apps similar YouTube to be authenticated and used on your device. Installing this app is a bit more than complicated than installing the other apps on this list, considering there are ii separate versions of the app for dissimilar tablets. Let's showtime with newer devices, because it'southward a bit more straightforward. If y'all just bought your Fire seven, Burn down HD viii, or Fire Hd ten, you lot're using a device with a 64-bit processor, then you'll want to download this APK hither. Anyone who owns a Fire HD viii or Fire Hard disk x from 2016 or later can also download this version.

If you own a Fire seven tablet purchased prior to June 2019—in other words, an eighth generation device or older—you should download this version here. That's the APK meant for 32-chip processors, which your tablet is running. Amazon switched the Fire 7 to 64-scrap processors with the ninth generation model, but older devices volition nonetheless need to download the correct version of the APK.

If you aren't sure which version of the app yous download, 32-bit versions are marked with a "020300" in the file proper noun while 64-chip versions are marked with a "020400." Both of these iterations of Google Play Services are identical in every way except for which type of processor they're created for. If you download the wrong one, don't stress too much. We'll encompass what to do in a moment below.

The final of the four apps is the Google Play Shop itself. This is the easiest of the 4 downloads, equally all file versions work on Android 4.1 and to a higher place, and there aren't separate types for different chip processors. Download the most recent version here.

For both Google Play Services and the Google Play Store, yous should try to employ the newest version of the app available. APKMirror will warning you when at that place is a newer version of the app available, which volition exist listed on the webpage below the information. For Google Play Services, you should avoid the beta versions of the app by looking for the near recent stable version on the listing (beta versions are marked equally such). For the Play Store itself, but download the most recent version. If y'all don't feel comfortable figuring out which version listed on APKMirror is the correct version for your tablet, just download the linked versions and Google Play volition update the apps for you post-obit a full install.

Installing the APK Files

Alright, in one case you've downloaded the 4 files listed to a higher place onto your Fire tablet using the Silk browser, swipe downwards from the top of the screen to open your notifications. You should run across a full list of the APKs you downloaded in the last step, each with its own notification, sorted by time. If you followed the steps above and downloaded each in the proper order, the quaternary download should exist on the summit of the list, and the starting time download on the bottom, so that the order appears equally such:

Google Services Framework
Google Account Manager
Google Play Services
Google Play Store

How you install these apps is very of import, so first past tapping the Google Services Framework, on the lesser of that list.
The installation procedure will begin; hit Side by side on the bottom of the screen, or coil to the bottom to striking Install.
Google Services Framework will begin to install on your device. If anything goes wrong during the installation, y'all'll be alerted to the failure. Make sure you've downloaded the correct Android 5.0 version of it, and the file should install. Newer versions will non install on the device.
Repeat this procedure for all three remaining apps in order, beginning with Google Account Manager, followed by Google Play Services, and then Google Play Store.

5. When each app finishes downloading, a display will appear citing the installation is consummate. On both the Google Play Services and Google Play Store listings, there will be an option to open the app (on the Services Framework and the Account Manager apps, that option will exist grayed out).

half-dozen. Practice non open up these apps; instead, hit Done, and continue following through on all four applications.

7. Every bit a final note, both Play Services and the Play Shop take a bit of time to install, as they're big applications. Allow the apps to install in their own time, and don't try to cancel the installation or turn off your tablet. The entire installation process for all four apps should take no longer than most 5 minutes total.

If your version of Google Play Services fails to properly install, you may have downloaded the incorrect version for your processor. Try downloading the other version earlier continuing with the guide.

Rebooting and Logging into Google Play

Once all 4 applications take been downloaded onto your tablet, complete the procedure past restarting your Fire tablet.

Printing and hold the power button on your device until a prompt appears asking if yous wish to plough off your tablet.
Subsequently your device is powered off, reboot it by pressing and holding the power button once again. When the tablet has booted back to your lock screen, nosotros're gear up to finish the process by setting up Google Play.
Head into your list of apps and select the Google Play Shop from the list (do non select Google Play Services). Instead of opening up the store, it will open Google Account Manager in gild to gain your Google business relationship credentials.
You lot'll see a brandish showing the tablet beingness set up for utilize, so Google will ask for your Gmail address and password.

Finally, the device will inquire if you wish to backup your business relationship'south apps and information to Google Bulldoze. Whether y'all wish to do and so it up to you, but it's not necessary for this footstep. All told, Google Play should take about two minutes total to finish installing. Once y'all've logged in and its completed the setup process, you'll exist dropped into the Google Play Shop, the same app that is used on nigh Android devices.

Using the Google Play Store on an Amazon Fire Tablet

Once y'all've finished installing the Play Store on your tablet, y'all can basically begin using the device how y'all otherwise ordinarily would. The starting time thing nosotros recommend doing is diving into the app list on your device, in order to ensure that yous don't have any updates to the Play Store or otherwise. You lot may see some Amazon apps state they need to exist updated hither; unfortunately, that'due south a bug with keeping both the Amazon Appstore and the Google Play Store on the same device.

Apps you installed with the Amazon Appstore that too have listings in the Play Store will constantly need updating from the Play Store; too, once y'all've updated them from the Play Shop, they'll likely inquire to exist updated from the Amazon App Store. It's a loop that goes on forever, but you can set up information technology past just diving into your device settings and disabling updates within the Amazon Appstore.

With the Play Shop on your device, you can use it only every bit yous would on whatsoever standard Android device. Some apps volition exist duplicates from the Amazon Appstore, such as Netflix, which has listings in both platforms. Other apps, notwithstanding, are only bachelor on this platform, which means you should make the most of the Play Store now that you have it.

If yous're looking for some apps to start with, try out Google'southward entire suite of applications, including:

YouTube: The about pop video service on the web, YouTube isn't listed in the Appstore due to Amazon and Google's ongoing spat. Luckily, yous tin go admission to information technology on your device by using the Play Store.
Gmail: Amazon's email app is alright, but if you're a Gmail user, zip beats the real deal.
Chrome: Fire Os includes the Silk browser, designed and built by Amazon. Information technology'southward non a bad browser, but if you employ Chrome regularly, switching to Chrome for Android lets you sync your bookmarks and tabs.
Google Calendar: Lots of people use Calendar regularly to balance out their appointments and their meetings with others. If you're ane of those people, yous can finally admission Google Calendar on your Fire Tablet.
Google Drive: Bulldoze is one of our favorite cloud storage services, allowing you lot to sync across a multitude of devices. In addition to Drive, you should as well grab Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to open up those files, and take hold of Google Go along to sync your notes!
Google Photos: Perhaps our favorite service from Google, Photos is one of the best apps yous tin go on any platform, Android or otherwise. With gratuitous loftier-resolution photo backup, information technology's one of the all-time ways to sync your entire photograph library beyond your devices.

Ultimately, the apps you lot grab are actually upwards to you. Yous aren't but limited to Google applications through the Play Store, and so yous can download whatsoever apps, games, and media yous're interested in!

Troubleshooting and Tips

For most users, the to a higher place steps should be good enough for getting the Play Store on your brand-new Fire Tablet. That said, some users may experience issues, especially on older devices or devices running older software. If that sounds like you, bank check out these optional guides for getting the Play Shop working on your tablet.

Installing a File Browser from the Amazon App Store

This should be an optional step for about users, but sure Amazon devices have had problem installing the necessary APKs onto their devices without installing a file manager onto your Fire tablet from the Amazon App Shop outset. If you're having an result getting the files above to install on your device, nosotros recommend installing File Commander, a free app that makes it piece of cake to view the files stored on your tablet. It's nothing special, just for this process, we don't need anything too powerful to end installing the Play Store

To reiterate, nearly people willnot need a file browser to stop this process, just enough users accept reported difficulty with installing APKs without a file manager downloaded on your device that it'due south proficient to know about. Once you've completed the process as listed above, you can uninstall File Commander.

Alternatively, you tin likewise use the Docs awarding on your device, which comes pre-installed and includes the ability to browse local files, instead of using an application similar File Commander. Docs will allow y'all to browse to your Downloads binder and select the app installation files one at a fourth dimension if you accidentally swiped them away from your notification tray or if y'all're having difficulties installing the apps on Burn down OS 5.6.0.0.

Installation Problems on Fire Os 5.6.0.0

If y'all're still on Fire Bone 5.vi.0.0, the following instructions apply to you. Withal, since newer versions of Fire OS exercise not take this issue, we recommend making sure your software is up to date rather than dealing with these bug. If yous cannot upgrade your operating system for any reason, wait through the guide beneath for assistance.

Several readers accept alerted that the installation buttons on these displays have been repeatedly grayed out during installation on both Amazon's newest tablets (the 7th generation Fire 7, Fire HD 8, and Burn down HD 10), and more specifically on Fire Bone version 5.six.0.0. If y'all installed the Play Shop prior to this update, we've seen no bug using the apps as installed above. Indeed, nosotros as well saw installation difficulties on a brand-new Fire Hd 10 running Fire Bone v.6.0.0, which is how we came to begin testing this update to wait for a workaround.

There'south adept news and bad news on this forepart: first, at that place are several reported workarounds, both that we've seen when testing the installation process and from readers online, specifically over at the XDA forums, where this original guide found its footing. The bad news is that all of the potential fixes don't seem to be reliable. Yet, we were able to get the Play Store up and running on a Fire tablet that had never had information technology installed earlier; it just takes some patience and a lilliputian luck.

The problem with Fire Bone 5.6.0.0 is that Amazon has disabled the installation button on their devices with this new update. This means that, no thing where yous click on the screen, you won't be able to install the app, forcing yous to cancel the installation and return to your locked-downwards Amazon ecosystem. All 4 apps listed in a higher place seem to have this issues, where clicking on the installation file from your device will non let information technology to install.

Thankfully, there's an like shooting fish in a barrel workaround to this: once you're on the installation screen with the grayed out icon, simply turn your device'due south screen off, and then dorsum on and unlock your device. Whorl to the bottom of the app installation page again, and you'll run into that the "Install" push button is in one case over again working on your device. An alternating workaround involves tapping on the multitasking/recent apps icon one time, then re-selecting the app installation page from your recent apps list, and you should see the "Install" push button lit up in orangish.

This isn't a perfect workaround, however. Though we did get this to piece of work on our device using both of the methods described above, and several users on the XDA forums have reported the aforementioned solution, a minority of users have reported that both the screen lock workaround and the recent apps button method did non work for them to activate the installation method. Once once again, the fine users at the XDA forums have found a few workarounds to this also, including:

Rebooting your tablet.
Cycling the "Install Apps from Outside Sources" setting off and on over again.
Making certain Blueish Shade filter in settings is disabled.
Using a Bluetooth keyboard to navigate to the Install button (make sure Install cardinal is selected, so hit Enter).

Again, we didn't have a trouble installing the apps on a new device using the above method of turning the display off and on, but if y'all exercise see difficulty, endeavor using those select methods to go the apps running on your device. And thanks again to the folks at XDA for figuring out how to get these methods working once more.

As a final note, nosotros tested installing all iv APK files on Fire OS 5.six.i.0 and in a higher place. Any newer version contain no issues installing, and the Install icon was never grayed out. If you're looking to install these four applications and you are still running Burn OS 5.6.0.0, try updating your Fire OS software to 5.6.0.ane, and so to 5.half dozen.1.0. The updates take a while, with each taking almost xv minutes, then make certain you have some time to update your tablet.

Amazon Tablets and the Google Play Store

Some may question the need for adding the Play Shop onto your device, only installing Google's app store helps to give your device then much more potential than it originally has out of the box. Whether you're looking to install Google's own applications, rent movies through the Play Shop, or y'all just want some added functionality to your device, installing the Play Store takes just fifteen minutes of your time and can be done with just a few easy steps.

As always, nosotros'll keep yous updated if Amazon changes how the installation process for the Play Store works, and let united states know in the comments beneath what apps you've been downloading on your Burn Tablet through the Google Play Shop!