Google Play Store is a pre-installed application on most Android phones. Allows you to download applications, books, movies, etc. to your phone. Sometimes when you are facing problem on Android phones, uninstalling and reinstalling Google Play Store is one of the recommended solutions. But how do you do it? Let’s see how to uninstall Google Play Store and reinstall it.
How to uninstall Google Play Store
Without sugarcoating my words, let me clarify: you cannot completely uninstall the Google Play Store from your phone. However, you can disable it or delete your recent updates.
1. How to disable Play Store
- Open Settings on your phone or tablet.
- Go to Applications (Applications and notifications) and under All applications, touch “Google Play Store”.
- Touch the Disable button. A confirmation pop-up window will appear. Confirm when prompted.
What happens when you deactivate the Play Store? ?
When you deactivate the Play Store, its icon disappears from the home screen and the app drawer. You will not be able to update or install applications. However, nothing will happen with existing applications. They will not be removed from your phone.
2. How to uninstall updates from Google Play Store
- On your phone, open Settings.
- Touch Applications and touch “Google Play Store” under All applications.
- Tap the three-dot icon at the top and select “Uninstall updates” from the menu.
What happens when you uninstall updates from the Play Store?
Uninstalling updates from the Play Store will restore it to the original or factory version. You can leave it as is or update it manually, as shown in the next section. The Play Store icon will continue to appear on your phone and you will be able to use it normally. You can also install and update applications. Your existing applications will also be safe.
How to reinstall Google Play Store
You can reinstall or update the Google Play Store in one of four ways.
1. Update automatically
By default, the Google Play Store will automatically update in the background whenever you are connected to an active internet connection. After disabling or uninstalling your updates, leave the Google Play Store intact for a few minutes and it will update itself.
2. Activate Google Play Store
If you have disabled the Google Play Store as shown above, you will need to enable it to use it again. To do this, open “Settings -> Applications -> Google Play Store”. Touch Activate.
3. Update manually
If the Google Play Store doesn’t update automatically or if you want to check for new updates, Google offers a hidden way to do so.
- Open the Google Play Store application.
- Tap the profile picture icon at the top and select Settings from the menu.
- Touch About followed by the Play Store version. If an update is available, Play Store will update automatically. Otherwise, you will get a pop-up message informing you that the Play Store has been updated.
4. Install or update Play Store manually using APK
Lastly, you can manually install an updated version of the Play Store on your Android phone using its APK. See how to do this.
- Open APKMirror.com, one of the trusted websites to download APK.
- Search the Google Play Store on the website.
- Tap on Google Play Store. Scroll down to find multiple versions. Touch the version compatible with your phone and click the download icon.
- Once downloaded, touch the file to install it. You may be asked for permission to install apps from unknown sources. Grant the necessary permission.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to install the Google Play Store.
frequent questions
1. Is it safe to disable the Google Play Store?
It is safe to disable the Play Store for a short period, especially if you are unable to download or update apps from the Play Store or are experiencing a similar issue related to the apps on your phone. However, you should keep it on as it helps to install and update applications. It also helps to search for malicious applications thanks to the Play Protect feature.
2. How do I solve if the Google Play Store is not found?
You may have accidentally disabled it. Activate it as shown above or install it manually from APK.
3. Can I force the Google Play Store to close?
Yes, you can force close the Play Store by going to “Settings -> Applications -> Google Play Store”. Press the “Force stop” button.
Google Play Store is a must-have app for installing apps, but you can also install apps without it. If you don’t like the Play Store, you can check out the Google Play alternatives.
