You’ve probably searched for this one app that you badly needed on the play store or apple store and could not find it (painfully) This could have been caused by device incompatibility, regional restrictions, missing device features, insufficient storage, app store glitches, outdated phone software or the app is not existent on the store. However, all those issues can not bar you from getting your favorite app on your device. If the app is unavailable on Play Store, you can make the choice to sideload other PLayStore alternatives that offer no restrictions.
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Why Can’t I Download Certain Apps from Play Store
Device Incompatibility: Sometimes app developers mark a certain device as incompatible. That means the app can not be downloaded on that particular device. If this is the case, a message will pop up on the screen affirming that “this app is not available for your device” every time you hit the Install button.
Regional restrictions: Some regions and countries are barred from downloading certain apps. This is majorly due to Government restrictions or app developers themselves.
Outdated Android Software: Not all apps can be downloaded on all Android software running on a particular phone. App developers make the restrictions with the software. Therefore if the software running on your device is outdated you will be prompted to update it before you proceed with downloading the app. To check software compatibility, visit the app’s page on Google Play’s web interface. Scroll down, and you’ll find a Requires Android field in the Additional Information section.
Low Storage: You guessed right, you can not download the app on your device if there is no space for it. Each app shows how much space it will cover, so before you install the app, make sure you have enough space for it.
Google Play Store App Glitches: Glitches with the Play Store rarely occur but that does not mean that they do not occur. Therefore failure to download could be related to that.
Unavailable App: If the app developer deleted the app from Play Store, definitely you will not be able to find or download the app on your device.
Play Store Alternatives
Before downloading applications or games from any of these sites and sources, however, you need to disable the security setting that stops your handset from installing applications from unknown sources. Follow the simple steps below to disable this security setting.
- From a Home screen, navigate to Settings.
- Click on the Lock screen and security, If unavailable, tap Security and Privacy
- Tap the Unknown sources switch to turn it off. The option is enabled when the check mark is toggled on and disabled when toggled off.
- To continue, review the prompt then tap OK.
APKPURE
APKPure allows you to download the apps of your choice easily (at your own risk of course), all you have to do is download an APK file of your preferred choice and manually install it. After downloading the APK file, the procedure for installing the app is quite simple, you will access the downloaded file from the file manager and tap to choose the installing option.
To install an application from this site, follow these steps:
- Download and install the APKPure APP on your Android device.
- Go to Settings > App Management > APK / XAPK Management to view the XAPK / APK file.
- Tap the install button to install the XAPK / APK file you want.
- Enable the “Unknown Sources” setting on your Android device if needed.
Read Aso: How to Install the Google Play Store on your Amazon Fire Tablet
MALAVIDA
On Malavida, you will find popular applications available but without the benefits of having them installed for you. Malavida lets you download the APK file and manually install it for yourself. To install an app from Malavida, follow these simple steps
- Open your browser and go to the Malavida website.
- Search for the app or game you are looking for, and when directed to its page, press the green Download button.
- Confirm the operation in the next window you are directed to by pressing the green Download button again.
- After the APK file is downloaded, a prompt will appear on your screen asking you to install the downloaded APK.
- Confirm this prompt and launch the installation.
- After the installation is done a prompt will appear asking you to open the app, click on this
GETJAR
GetJar was launched in 2004 with an intention of providing apps for BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile/Pocket PC devices. It’s essentially an app store, like Apple’s App Store, Google Play, the Microsoft Store, and the Amazon App Store.
Being an open app store and mobile app market, Getjar is generous enough to let you download APK files of apps and also lets developers upload their apps to be available for download, use, and review by other people online. To install apps from Getjar, follow these simple steps.
- Visit the Getjar website.
- From the top right corner, or in the categories view, search for the app you want to use.
- After the screen for the app you want has loaded choose the download option. If the app is unavailable on Getjar, it will divert you to Google Play.
- Agree save the APK file and tap install.
Dangers of installing Apps from unknown sources
- Apps are usually of an unreliable origin.
- These sources sometimes list hacking tools.
- Risk of malware and ransomware.
- It’s ad-supported, making it difficult to trust as you would Apple Store or Google Play Store.
There are a number of reasons why an app may be unavailable in your location. Some of these reasons include Developers’ objectives, Testing purposes, Regulation, and Legal issues among others. So what do you do if you really want the said application?
The trick lies in changing the location of the device you are using to download the app. This you can do multiple ways but the easiest is using a VPN. Here’s how:
- Download a VPN
- Change or choose a location that supports the spp in question
- Download and install the app.