The Amazon Fire tablet has seen its fair share of popularity both as a general-use tablet and a home automation controller. There are tons of popular home automation apps out on the market that are optimised for mobile OSs like Android, but it is hard for Fire users to get their hands on them as they are confined to using the Amazon Appstore. Luckily, though, the Amazon Fire OS is based on Android, which means that it should be fairly easy to get Android apps running on the device. And since we’ve become sort of authorities on the Google Play Store and all its facets, we can help you get your hands on that prerequisite for installing other Android apps. Here is a comprehensive guide for you to install Google Play Store on the Amazon Fire tablet.
Note: If your device runs Fire OS 5.3.1.1 or later, you can do this without having to root your device. If not, rooting your device is required before beginning the process.
How to Install Google Play Store on Amazon Fire Tablet
- Enable Apps from Unknown Sources: Go to Settings > Security & Privacy, then tap Apps from Unknown Sources, if not already enabled.
2. Download Required Files:
Open your web browser on the tablet and download the following files:
- Google Account Manager
- Google Services Framework
- Google Play services 20.09.13 (for 2017 Fire HD 8) or Google Play services 20.06.16 (for other devices)
- Google Play Store APK
3. Install Downloaded Files: Locate the downloaded files in Docs > Local Storage > Download, and install them in the same order they were downloaded.
4. Access Google Play Store: After installation, you should see the Google Play Store icon on your Fire Tablet home screen. Open it, allow any necessary updates to install, and you’re good to go!
The above steps are for newer Fire OS versions where a device root isn’t required.
However, a device root is required if your device runs an older version of Fire OS.
Caution Tips:
Rooting Consideration: Before proceeding with the installation process, be aware that rooting your device may void its warranty.
Backup Your Data: It’s recommended to back up any important data on your Amazon Fire tablet to prevent data loss in case of any unexpected issues during the installation process.
Security Risks: Enabling installation from unknown sources and rooting your device can potentially expose it to security risks. Only download files from trusted sources to avoid these risks.
The steps for rooting a Fire OS are similar to rooting an Android OS which requires a USB cable and a Windows PC.
If the above steps don’t work or you have an older version, try these steps: –
1. On your Amazon device, go to Settings > Device Options.
2. In device Options, repeatedly tap Serial Number until an option called Developer Options appears right below it.
3. Tap Enable to activate Android Debug Bridge (ADB).
4. Connect your Fire device to a Windows PC, upon which the drivers should automatically install and a pop-up appears on your Fire device for USB Debugging. Click Allow USB Debugging to proceed.
5. Open the browser on your computer and download the following:
For Fire OS 5.3.0 or older, download Amazon-Fire-5th-Gen-SuperTool-old.zip
For Fire OS 5.3.1 or newer, download Amazon-Fire-5th-Gen-Install-Play-Store.zip.
6. Extract the zip files and open 1-Install-Play-Store.bat to run.
7. You’ll see a menu with options. Select option 2 or the options that install Google Play Store. This might take a few minutes.
8. Reboot your device to find the Amazon Fire tablet’s Google Play Store on the home screen!
Troubleshooting Tips
During this entire process, you may encounter troubleshooting problems. Here is how you can address those issues:
1. Check Compatibility: Ensure downloaded files are compatible with your Fire tablet model and OS version.
2. Installation Sequence: Install files in the correct order to avoid compatibility issues.
3. Restart Device: Restart your tablet if you encounter glitches after installation.
4. Clear Cache: Clear Google Play Store cache and data if the app behaves unexpectedly.
5. Factory Reset: As a last resort, consider a factory reset if all else fails. Remember, this erases all data.
Now that you have the Google Play Store app installed on your Amazon Fire tablet, the next step would be to install other Google apps like Maps and Chrome. Another important step would be to disable auto-updates for Alexa as the Play Store will try to update it to the regular Android version causing a loss in some of its features and functionality. After this is done, your Amazon Fire now has Play Store for access to almost every app and features!
