One of the most popular operating systems in the world, Android was launched as a competitor to Apple’s iOS back in 2008. Google’s plan was to license out the OS to other manufacturers just as Microsoft did when it launched Windows.
The plan was a success, with hundreds and thousands of manufacturers lining up to license the Android OS. Today, a large part of the smartphone market is using Android OS for their devices.
There are plenty of useful features on Android, but none are more amazing than the Google Play Store. Following up on Apple’s idea for creating a market for apps, Google launched the Play Store and allowed users to download any app on their device with ease.
Users can download their favorite games on their Android device via Play Store. Popular apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Netflix, and Amazon are also available on the platform. The Play Store reached a milestone of having a million listed apps in July 2013. Right now, the store has over 3.6 million apps listed on its platform – those are some insane numbers!
Problems we face on Google Play Store
While Google Play Store is filled with all kinds of amazing apps, it doesn’t mean that you can access all of them on your Android device. Despite creating an illusion of freedom, the online world is plagued with roadblocks. Problems like geo-restriction still exist on the web, and because of these unnecessary restrictions, we are unable to download certain apps on our Android device.
Try searching for Spotify, Hotstar, or BBC iPlayer, and you’ll notice that these apps will not be shown on the Play Store even though they are listed on the platform. Frustrating, right? This is due to geo-restrictions that are put into place by multiple brands across the world. Because apps like Hotstar are only accessible from India, you will be unable to download them from Google Play Store.
If you’re unable to download your favorite apps from Play Store, then you should fret not because the following guide will help you achieve that with ease.
How to change your Google Play Store location?
Downloading any app from Google Play Store is easy. All you need to do is to search for the app, and install it on your device. Downloading any app is incredibly convenient, which adds to the incredible appeal of the Android platform.
But what would happen if you move countries? What if an app that was previously available on Play Store is no longer displayed in the search feed? What if you want to download an app that is geo-restricted at your location?
These issues can easily be resolved by following the steps that are mentioned below:
- Open the Play Store app
- Access the menu on the left
- Select Account
- Open the country-switching option
- Select a different country
- Review the warning prompt before accepting the change
- Now, can easily browse the Play Store version of that region
Before trying out these steps though, you should know that not every person can change locations this easily. There are certain complexities that you’ll first need to remove before trying them out on your device.
Google first checks your IP address before showing you the option to change countries. Once it has determined your location, only then can you follow the aforementioned steps to change your Play Store version.
Even when you complete these steps, you’ll be shown a confirmation prompt that states:
“You won’t be able to use your current payment methods or Play Balance, and you can’t change your country again for 365 days.”
So, it’s recommended that you only follow these steps if you plan on using the changed location for a year at least.
How to change your IP address to access apps from another country?
As explained above, the Google Play Store checks your IP address before displaying the option to change countries. The question here is, how can you change your IP address to change your Google Play Store country?
The easiest way to replace your IP address with that of any other country is to buy a VPN. These tools have hundreds of servers across the world that allow you to change your IP address and virtual location with ease. This, in turn, will enable you to access any content that is otherwise not available in your country or region.
We’d recommend getting PureVPN, which is one of the most trusted and reliable VPN services in the market. It boasts a humongous network of over 2,000 VPN servers in 140+ countries. As such, you can change your IP address and virtual location to almost any country imaginable.
You can then quickly follow the steps mentioned above to change your Play Store location, and you will be download and use any app on the Google Play Store with absolute ease!
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