Updated February 2023: We’ve noted that these instructions do not work with the 2022 models of the Fire HD 7 and HD 8 tablets until you have the latest version of Fire OS installed. We’ve also added a section on more advanced Fire tablet hacks. Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you’d like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day. The good news is that installing the Play Store on a Fire Tablet doesn’t require any hacking or “rooting,” or doing anything from your PC. The easiest method is to just download the needed files and install them. That said, read through this entire guide and make sure you understand each step before you get going. There are a few limitations you should know about. There are two things you need to do before diving in. We need to download four applications to get the Google Play Store working: Google Account Manager, Google Services Framework, Google Play Service, and Google Play Store. The first three are frameworks that the last one—the Play Store app—needs to function, so they need to be installed first. Here’s where it gets a little complicated. Different Fire tablets run different versions of Android, so the files you need to install vary according to which Fire tablet you have. You can find out which tablet you have at: Settings > Device Options > About Fire Tablet. You will be downloading all of these files from APKMirror.com. APKMirror is owned by Illogical Robot LLC, which also owns the Android-focused news site Android Police. Once these apps are installed, they will be updated and managed by the Google Play Store, downloading directly from Google’s services. All of which is to say, this process is relatively safe. Here are the apps you need with links to download them. Just download them for now, don’t open them.
8th-generation and newer Fire tablets: Google Account Manager v7.1.27th-generation and older: Google Account Manager 5.1
This one is a little more complex, since it depends on which version of Fire OS you’re running. You can find out by checking on your Fire: Settings > Device Options > System Updates.
Devices running Fire OS 7 need to download the Google Services Framework v9-4832352. This includes all 9th- and 10th-generation Fire HD 10 tablets, all 9th- and 10th-generation Fire HD 8 tablets, as well as some 8th-generation Fire HD 8 tablets. This is why it’s important to check and see which version of Fire OS you’re running.Devices running Fire OS 6 need to download the Google Services Framework v7.1.2. The compatible devices here are mostly the early versions of the 8th-generation Fire HD 8.
Fire HD 10 9th- and 11th-generation and Fire HD 8 10th-generation: Download the file labeled Google Play Services (64-bit ARM, nodpi, Android 9.0+). Note: Look for the first file not labeled beta. You’ll need to click on the Variants text below the file and search for the version we mentioned above.Fire HD 8 8th-generation: Download the file labeled Google Play Services (64-bit ARM, nodpi, Android 6.0+). Note: Don’t download the beta versions listed on this page. Look for the first file not labeled beta. You’ll need to click on the Variants text below the file and search for the version we mentioned above.
All Fire Tablets: Google Play Store (universal, nodpi)
Whew, OK, you have all the files we need. Verify that they were all successfully downloaded by opening the Docs app and selecting Downloads. You should see all four files there. (It’s easier to see the full names if you switch to list view.) Now you need to install the apps. This must be done in the correct order. When you are done, do not press open. We need to reboot before you use the Play Store. The order of installation by downloaded file name is:
com.google.gsf.logincom.google.android.gsfcom.google.android.gmscom.android.vending
Assuming you are done installing the APKs from unknown sources, it’s a good idea to go back and turn that option off. It’s in Settings > Security & Privacy. Toggle off the Apps From Unknown Sources option. It’ll prevent you from accidentally downloading malicious software. If you run into problems installing apps from the Play Store, try clearing the app data. Head to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Manage All Applications. Look through that list and find the Play Store. Tap to edit the settings. The first step is to tap Force Stop to shut down the Play Store. Next, tap Storage, then Clear Data (or Clear Storage, depending on which version of Fire OS you’re running). Once that’s done, restart your device and try logging in to the Play Store again. If that doesn’t work, you may want to punt: factory-reset and start over. However, be aware that a factory reset will erase all your data and files, not just the Google Play store, so make sure you have a good backup before you try that. You can now connect to your tablet with Android Debug Bridge, or adb. To do that open a terminal window and type adb devices. You should see a Fire device listed with the word “unauthorized” next to it. That’s OK, just check your Fire tablet and you should see a notification asking if you want to allow the USB debugging. Tap Yes and go back to your PC and type adb devices again. Now instead of “unauthorized” after your device, it should say just “device.” You can now run commands from your PC. Finally, for those who’d like to try installing LineageOS, the open-source alternative to Android: I do not recommend it. Fire devices do not have unlockable bootloaders, and getting LineageOS installed is not for the faint of heart. Even if you pull it off, things rarely work 100 percent of the time, and you can still screw things up after the installation. I bricked an older Fire HD 8 running LineageOS (I tried to update the bootloader within LineageOS, which proved a mistake). There is also, as far as I’m aware, no version of LineageOS that fully supports Fire hardware. If you want to run LineageOS on a tablet, a Samsung slate is probably your best bet.
