How To Install Incompatible Apps On Android No Root

Android developers tin can restrict their apps to certain devices, countries, and minimum versions of Android. However, there are means effectually these restrictions, allowing you lot to install apps marked as "not uniform with your device."

Note that these tricks are all unsupported by Google. These tricks crave fooling Google Play, and many crave root. Some of these tricks may non piece of work properly, as Google doesn't want us doing these things.

Why Are Apps Incompatible?

Android developers tin can restrict their apps in a variety of ways:

• Some apps are marked as only being compatible with sure phones or tablets. However, they may run but fine on unsupported devices.
• Other apps are only immune to be installed in certain countries. For instance, you can't install the Hulu Plus app outside the USA, and some online-banking apps are only available in the bank's country.
• All apps have a minimum version of Android they require. For example, Google's Chrome browser requires Android four.0 or higher.

Bear in mind that simply installing an incompatible app won't necessarily make it work. Some apps may actually be incompatible with your device, while other apps (like Hulu) will just work when used within the The states (or with a United states VPN or DNS service similar Tunlr.)

Annotation that yous won't see incompatible apps when searching via Google Play on your Android smartphone or tablet. They just won't appear in the search results. Y'all will see incompatible apps when searching on the Google Play website.

Bypass Device Restrictions

Android devices include a build.prop file that identifies the model of the device. if you have a rooted Android device, you can edit the build.prop file and make your device appear to exist another device entirely. This will allow y'all to install apps that are marked as compatible with the other device.

Note that you'll demand to exist rooted to utilize this play a trick on. We have previously shown yous how to easily root Nexus devices with WugFresh's Nexus Root Toolkit. The process will exist different for other devices.

We take already described how to edit your build.prop file manually, but there'due south now an easier mode. The new Market Helper app allows you to spoof some other device without editing your build.prop file. Information technology'due south much easier, faster, and safer. (However, bear in mind that it also requires root.)

This app isn't available in Google Play, and then you'll have to grab it from the programmer'due south website and sideload it. Once it's installed, open up the app and you lot'll be able to spoof a pop device like a Samsung Galaxy S3 or a Nexus 7. You can then install apps compatible with that device. After you're done, you tin can restart your device and it will announced to be itself again.

Behave in mind that apps marked as incompatible may actually be incompatible with your device, and so some apps may not work properly after you install them.

Tricks for Installing Country-Restricted Apps

Some apps are only available in certain countries. If you have forgotten to install your banking company's app before travelling or you lot want to install a video or music-playing app that'due south non available in your land, yous may exist able to fool Google into thinking your device is actually in some other country.

Nosotros have used these tricks in the past to install Us-only apps from outside the United states of america. However, none of these tricks worked for us when we tried them while composing the article. Information technology's possible that Google is sure our account is exterior the US because we take paid with a not-U.s.a. payment method on Google Play. However, we accept included these tips in the hopes that they may still work for some of yous.

If yous do manage to install a state-restricted app, it will get linked to your account, allowing yous to install it on your other devices without requiring whatsoever tricks in the future.

Use a VPN to Install Country-Restricted Apps

You tin use a VPN to fool Google into thinking your device is in some other country. This may simply work on devices without cellular connectivity, such as tablets, equally Google may use the cellular network your device is on as its location.

Using a VPN doesn't require root access.  We have previously shown you how to connect to VPNs on Android. If you demand a gratuitous US or Britain-based VPN, endeavor installing the TunnelBear app. TunnelBear merely gives yous a certain amount of gratuitous data per month, but it should exist more than enough to install a few apps.

Restart your Android device, connect to a VPN located in the appropriate land, and so open the Google Play app. Your device should hopefully now appear to exist located in another state, allowing you to download apps available in the VPN'south state.

Y'all will demand to use something like Tunlr or a VPN app to admission land-restricted media services subsequently installing media apps. However, some apps – such as online-banking apps – will work normally in other countries afterwards they're installed.

Use MarketEnabler to Install Country-Restricted Apps

If you have smartphone with cellular connectivity, Google will utilise your carrier'south information to determine its country. If y'all accept root access, you lot can install the MarketEnabler app. This app allows you lot to spoof other carrier identifiers, making your device appear to be on a carrier in another country. For example, if you select [us] T-Mobile, your phone will appear to exist on T-Mobile in the USA.

Update: As of 2022, MarketEnabler is defunct. Its developers notation that information technology "won't piece of work in nearly cases". Nosotros are leaving this section hither for posterity, and you lot can notwithstanding download information technology from its Google Code folio, but nosotros wouldn't await much from it anymore.

With either the VPN or MarketEnabler play tricks, you may need to articulate the Google Play Shop app's data to make it detect your device'south new land. To do so, open the Settings screen, tap Apps, swipe over to the All list, scroll down to the Google Play Store app, and tap it. Tap Force end, Clear data, and and so Clear cache.

Re-open Google Play and it should hopefully find your new location.

Install the App's APK File

If an app is marked as incompatible considering you're in the wrong country, you may be able to locate the app'due south .APK file and sideload information technology onto your device.

Note that downloading and installing random APKs from the spider web is a security risk, just every bit downloading random EXE files from unofficial sources is a security risk on Windows. Y'all shouldn't download APKs from untrusted sources. However, some apps are offered in APK class officially.

You can too have people you know in some other land extract the APK file from their device and ship it to you. (AirDroid has an like shooting fish in a barrel-to-apply extract APK feature.)

Upgrade Your Android Operating System

If you want an app that requires a newer version of Android, you'll need to update your device to the latest version of Android to get it. Most Android devices aren't receiving updates, but you lot can await at installing community-created ROMs like CyanogenMod to get a newer version of Android.

For case, if you have an phone that'south still running Android 2.3, Gingerbread, and you want to install the Chrome browser (only available for Android 4.0, Ice Foam Sandwich, and newer versions of Android), you may detect a community-developed ROM like CyanogenMod that tin update your device to a newer version of Android, assuasive you lot to install and utilise the app.

---

Practice yous know any other tricks for installing incompatible apps? The VPN and MarketEnabler methods for accessing land-restricted apps didn't appear to piece of work for us anymore, but did they piece of work for y'all? If not, did you lot notice a ameliorate method? Leave a comment and share what you've discovered!

Image Credits: Dru Kelly on Flickr, Johan Larsson on Flickr

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/138500/the-ultimate-guide-to-installing-incompatible-android-apps-from-google-play/

Posted by: weinsteinabity1998.blogspot.com

Share this post