For the money, most Android tablets aren't a very good deal. At the high end, hardware is marred by less than stellar software offerings. (If you're going to spend $500 on a tablet, get an iPad.) At the low end, Amazon's Fire Android-powered tablets are hamstrung by the very limited Appstore, which doesn't include Google apps, among others. 

Android tablets might be getting a boost later this year, but what if you could buy a Fire Tablet for $60 (like you generally can during Amazon Prime Day) and install the Google Play Store, giving you access to a wider range of apps? You'd have a pretty good deal. A $60 tablet that's capable of 95 percent of what a $330 iPad can do. In this how-to, we'll show you how to get Google Play running on your Amazon Fire Tablet. I've done this on the previous Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 models.

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The good news is that installing the Play Store on a Fire Tablet doesn't require any “hacking,” "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.

• Some apps can't be installed: Yes, you'll have the Play Store installed, but unfortunately that doesn't mean every app will be available or work properly. For example, anything that relies on GPS data is out of luck, and you won't find some apps because Fire tablets are not SafetyNet-certified by Google.
• Some Play Store apps don't work with Amazon Kids+: I have not installed the Google Play Store on a Fire Tablet Kids Edition yet, but reports from around the web suggest that some apps might not work with Amazon's Kids+ subscription service.
• Google Family Link doesn't work: Despite the presence of the Google Play Store, you will not be able to manage your Fire tablet through Google Family Link, which enables some parental controls. This, combined with the above issue, leads me to suggest you don't install the Google Play Store on a device intended for your child.

There are two things you need to do before diving in.

• Remove the SD card: The process of installing the Google Play Store can wipe your SD card, so pull it out if you have one. You can put it back in when you're done.
• Make sure you have a 7th generation or newer Fire Tablet. You can find out which model you have by going to Settings > Device Options > About Fire Tablet. It should say something like Fire HD 8 (10th Generation).

We still do not recommend buying the Fire HD 7, which is too small and underpowered to be useful. These instructions are intended to be used on the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 tablets, 7th generation or newer. Finally, realize that you are stepping off the official path here. That doesn't mean you're going to break anything or fall victim to some scam, but if anything does go wrong, it's going to be up to you to solve it. Feel free to post a comment below if you're having trouble.

To get Google Play up and running, you need to install four APK (Android Package) files. APK refers to the file extension, which is .apk. All Android apps are packaged as .apk files. The various app stores hide this part from you. But when you click "Install" in an app store, what's actually happening is that you're downloading an .apk file. You can use Amazon's Silk web browser to download these files, but by default, Silk can't install .apk files.

To change that, head to the Settings app, select Security & Privacy > Apps from Unknown Sources > Silk browser. Then toggle the allow option. Once that's done, you're ready to download files.

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. Remember, 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 v7.1.2
• 7th-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 10th generation and Fire HD 8 10th generation: Download the file labeled Google Play Services (64-bit ARM, nodpi, Android 9.0+). Note: Don't download the beta versions listed on this page. Look for the first file not labeled beta, which, as of this writing, is the third file in the list. You'll need to click on the Variants text below the file and search for the version we mentioned above.
• Fire HD 8 8th and 10th generation and Fire HD 8 10th 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, which, as of this writing, is the third file). 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, okay, 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.login
• com.google.android.gsf
• com.google.android.gms
• com.android.vending

Once you've installed all four apps, it's time to restart your Fire tablet. Press down on the power button until the power menu comes up, then tap Restart.

Once your Fire tablet has restarted, you should be able to open the Google Play Store, sign in to your Google Account, and start downloading apps. Again, not everything works, but there's certainly a larger selection than what you get in Amazon's Appstore.

If you want a more stock Android experience, you can install a custom launcher, which will let you hide all the Amazon apps you don't need. I like Nova Launcher, but there are many others available.

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.

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.