How to Use the Google Play Store on Android or PC

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Use Google Play to install apps & more on your Android phone or tablet

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: August 3, 2026 Fact Checked

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• How to Log In
|
• Learning Your Way Around
|
• Downloading Apps
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• Updating Apps
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• Buying Books
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

This wikiHow teaches you how to use the Google Play Store to download apps, books, videos, movies, and TV shows. Any media you purchase from the Play Store will be available for listening, viewing, or reading through your Google account on any computer, phone, or tablet.

Using Google Play Store: Quick Tips

• You can find the Google Play Store app, which has a blue, green, yellow, and red triangle icon, on your Android home screen or in your app list.
• Use the Play Store to browse or search for apps, games, ebooks, and audiobooks. To install an app, tap Install or the price.
• To update an app in the Play Store, tap your profile picture or initials, tap Manage apps & device, and tap Update next to an app.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

How to Log In to the Play Store

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1. 
   1
   Open the Google Play Store

   

   . To find the Play Store on your Android, go to your Apps list, then find the multicolored triangle icon labeled "Google Play Store" or "Play Store."

   • If you're already signed in to your Google account on your phone, you likely won't have to sign in again when you open the Google Play Store. However, if you open the Google Play Store and see that you're not logged in, follow the steps in this section to do so.
   • You can also access the Play Store from your computer and use it to download Android apps, games, and other content remotely. To do so, just go to play.google.com in any web browser.
2. 2
   Tap the Sign in button. It's in the middle of the screen, under the Google Play icon.

   • If you're signing in to the Play Store on a computer, click the outline of a person at the top-right corner, and log in with the same Google account you use on your Android phone or tablet.
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3. 3
   Enter your email or phone number associated with your Google account. Tap the "Email or phone" field, then type in your email address or phone number.

   • Tap Next at the bottom of the screen to continue.
   • If you're having issues signing in, tap Trouble signing in? in the bottom-left corner, and follow the on-screen instructions to recover your account.
4. 4
   Type in your password. Tap the password field to do so. If you want to see your password while you're typing it in, tap the "Show password" box.

   • Tap Next at the bottom of the screen to continue.
5. 5
   Tap I agree. You must agree to the Google terms of service, Google Play terms of service, and privacy policy to continue. Tap the blue links to open these policies to read them, then tap the I agree button to continue.
6. 6
   Choose whether to back up your device data. If you lose your device, you can use this backup data to restore it. This option is toggled on by default; if you don't want to back up your device data, tap the toggle to turn it off.

   • Tap ACCEPT to proceed and access the Google Play Store.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Learning Your Way Around

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1. 1
   Notifications and menu. When you first open the Google Play Store, you'll see a number of tabs and buttons. At the top, you'll see a bell icon, which you can tap to display Play Store notifications. Next to that, you'll see your Google account profile picture or initials. Tap this icon to open the menu, where you'll find the following options:

   • Manage your Google Account: Opens your Google account settings.
   • Switch account: Lets you switch between logged-in Google accounts.
   • Manage apps & device: Shows the apps and games you have installed.
   • Notifications & offers: Opens your notification menu.
   • Payments & subscriptions: Shows saved payment methods and any active subscriptions.
   • Gift cards: Buy gift cards for the Play Store, Uber, Target, and more.
   • Play Protect: Scans apps for harmful behavior.
   • Library: Shows your wishlist as well as your ebook and audiobook library.
   • Play Pass and Play Points: Buy a Play Pass subscription, which gives you access to games and Play Points.
   • Personalization in Play: Change how Google Play uses your data.
   • Settings: Change your Google Play Store app settings, including notifications, parental settings, and more.
   • Help & feedback: Get assistance with the Google Play Store.
2. 2
   Browse for apps, games, and content. Use the options in the bottom tab bar to explore what's available on the Play Store:

   • Games and Apps: Located in the bottom tab bar, the Games menu shows you the games on the Play Store, while Apps displays other types of apps.
   • Search: Opens a search bar where you can look for any app by name or function.
   • Books: Buy ebooks or audiobooks.
   • You: Check out your Google Play account, including your game username, your leagues, your playtime, and more.
   • Kids: Shows only kid-friendly apps and games, with the option to browse by age group.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

How to Install Apps

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1. 
   1
   Tap the Apps menu in the Play Store. It's at the bottom of the Play Store on Android, and near the top-left corner of the page on a computer.

   • Make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi before downloading an app from the Google Play Store.https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/14122894
   • If you'd rather search for an app, tap the Search tab at the bottom of the screen and type the name of the app you want to look for.
2. 
   2
   Browse for an app to download. There are a few different ways to check out available apps:

   • Tap or click Categories at the top of the screen to open a list of categories (e.g., Art & Design, Communication), and then select a category to browse.
   • Select Top Charts at the top of the screen to browse by what's popular.
3. 
   3
   Tap an app to learn more about it. This page contains a summary of the app, its price (if it's not free), screenshots, and user ratings.
4. 
   4
   Review all of the app's details before downloading. Always thoroughly check out an app's details page before installing it on your phone or tablet. Scroll down to view the following:

   • The name of the person or company who developed the app appears next to its icon at the top of the page.
   • If the app costs money, the price will appear on the blue button below the app name. If the app is free, the blue button will say Install.
   • Swipe through the screenshots (use the arrow icons if you're on a computer) to see what the app looks like. Tap any screenshot to see a larger version.
   • Tap the right arrow after About this app or About this game to view the entire write-up.
   • The app's ratings appear under the description. Below the star rating, you'll find the number of ratings and reviews for this app.
   • The first set of reviews appears at the bottom of the page. To see more reviews, tap Ratings and reviews to expand the full list.
   • The bottom of the page displays similar apps and other apps by this developer (if available). Tap any of the suggested apps to open its details page.
5. 
   5
   Tap Install or the price to get the app. It's at the top of the app's details page (you may have to tap the back button if you've moved on to another screen).

   • If you're using a computer, you'll see a list of Android devices associated with your Google account. Select the correct Android version from the menu, then click INSTALL to install the app.
   • If the app requires special permissions on your Android, a list of those permissions will appear. Click or tap Accept to install the app anyway. This is required for devices running Android 5.1 or earlier.
6. 
   6
   Follow the on-screen instructions to install. Once the app is installed, its icon will be added to your Android app drawer. If you're using a computer, your Android will start downloading the app as soon as it connects to a Wi-Fi network.

   • If the app costs money, you'll be prompted to select a payment method (or enter a new one if you haven't yet done so). Once your payment is approved, the app will download to your Android.
   • If your Android requires you to confirm your download, enter your passcode (or use a biometric, such as a fingerprint) to confirm.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

How to Update Apps

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1. 
   1
   Open the Google Play Store

   

   and tap your profile picture. It's at the top-right corner of the screen. A menu will expand.

   • Most Android phones and tablets are set up to install app updates automatically. You can enable or disable this feature per app or for all apps at once. All of your app update preferences are controlled through the Play Store.
2. 2
   Tap Manage apps & device. It's at the top of the menu. This will open the "Manage apps & device" menu.
3. 
   3
   Tap See details. It's under the "Updates available" header. This pulls up a list of apps that need to be updated. Each app has a corresponding button that says "UPDATE."

   • If you see "See recent updates" instead, your apps are all up to date.
4. 
   4
   Tap UPDATE on an app to install the latest update. If you'd like to install all updates at once, tap the green UPDATE ALL button at the top-right corner of the list instead.
5. 
   5
   Manage your automatic app update settings. To turn automatic updates on or off, go to the main menu. Here's how:

   • Tap the back button to return to the main Play Store screen.
   • Tap your profile picture.
   • Scroll down and tap Settings.
   • Expand Network preferences.
   • Tap Auto-update apps.
   • If you don't want apps to update automatically, tap Don't auto-update apps. If you do want to allow automatic updates, select one of the other options, depending on whether you want to update over Wi-Fi, mobile data, or both.
6. 
   6
   Manage automatic updates for individual apps. No matter whether you've enabled or disabled automatic updates in the Play Store, you can turn these updates on or off for specific apps. Here's how:

   • Tap the back button to return to the main Play Store screen.
   • Tap your profile picture.
   • Tap Manage apps & device.
   • Tap Manage at the top of the screen.
   • Tap an app to open its details page.
   • Tap the ⁝ menu at the top-right corner of the screen.
   • Check the box to enable automatic updates, or uncheck it to disable them.
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Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

How to Buy E-Books and Audiobooks

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1. 
   1
   Open the Google Play Store

   

   and tap Books. It's at the bottom of the screen on an Android and at the top of the screen on a computer.

   • You'll be able to read the e-books you buy in the Play Books app for Android and/or by downloading them in the EPUB format to your computer.
   • Depending on the book, you may be able to transfer the downloaded EPUB file from your computer to an e-reader such as a Kindle or Nook.
   • If you purchase an ebook, you can listen to it in the Play Books app or at play.google.com/books on a computer.
2. 
   2
   Browse for a book. You can use the search bar at the top of the screen to search by author, title, or topic. If you prefer to browse, scroll down to check out some recommendations, or tap Genres at the top of the screen to select a genre.
3. 
   3
   Tap a book to learn more about it. This is where you'll find the book's price, a synopsis, and some reviews (if available).

   • If the book you selected is available in another format, you can tap SWITCH TO AUDIOBOOK or SWITCH TO EBOOK to check out that format.
4. 
   4
   Tap the price to make a purchase. Now you'll be shown your payment options.

   • Alternatively, you can tap Free sample to get a small snippet of the book before making a purchase.
5. 
   5
   Select a payment method and tap Continue. If you haven't set up a payment method with Google Play, you'll see a message that says "Payment method needed."
6. 
   6
   Add a new payment method. If you haven't already, you'll be prompted to enter a payment method now. The options vary by region, but you'll often be able to add a debit card, credit card, or gift card code. Follow the on-screen instructions to enter your payment details.
7. 
   7
   Confirm your purchase. Once your payment method is confirmed, the book you bought will be added to your library.

   • To read or listen to the book on your Android device, open the Play Books app in the app drawer, tap Library at the bottom of the screen, then tap the book.
   • To read or listen to your book on a computer, visit play.google.com/books and click the book's cover. You can download the file by tapping the three-dot ⁝ menu on the book's details page and selecting Download EPUB or Download PDF.

   1. And if the steps above have been helpful, be sure to download this article as a PDF so you can print, read, or reference it any time.

   Download PDF for $2.99
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