If you’ve experienced some difficulty downloading an Android app or iOS app from the Google Play Store or App Store, you’ll find this article on How to install incompatible apps on Android quite useful.
Several factors can cause this problem: country restrictions, non-supported devices, phones not meeting the minimum OS requirements for the app, and others.
When faced with this problem on your smartphone, the experience can be pesky especially if you’re not a tech-savvy individual. Thankfully, this post addresses the How do I install incompatible apps on Android problem in detail.
Let’s get right into it!
Why Some Apps Are Incompatible With Your Device
Below are the major reasons why Android app developers restrict certain apps on your mobile phone:
- Geo-restrictions: This involves restricting specific apps for certain countries, which means you can’t install such apps if you’re resident in the affected countries. You’ll find such restrictions in banking apps because making use of them beyond the shores of the country is useless.
- Android OS version requirement: There’s a minimum OS version requirement that all Android apps must meet — and that means if your Android smartphone has an older OS version, you won’t be able to install an app below the minimum Android version.
- Device-based restrictions: These kinds of restrictions are mainly a result of incompatible hardware in which app developers restrict their Android apps from installing on specific phone brands or hardware.
How Do I Install Incompatible Apps on Android? Simple Tips
In this section, we’ll treat four different methods for installing incompatible apps on Android devices.
1. Use a VPN app to Install Geo-Restricted Apps
While surfing the net, you may have encountered a situation where access to a service or a site is denied to you. A similar problem can occur when trying to download and install country-restricted apps, and this section can guide you on getting such apps and even visiting such restricted sites.
When you encounter such problems, you can bypass the country-restricted app or website with a VPN service. There are loads of VPNs, which means Virtual Private Networks, on the Internet, and many of them are even free.
Here’s how a VPN works: It masks Android devices and connection details. In other words, the VPN is a kind of software that hides your identity, masking it with another identity.
It also allows you to select the country you intend to pretend as yours. A VPN service offers you all the countries and lets you select one and start making use of the country as a user of the chosen country.
With this tool, you can easily install country-restricted apps on your Android smartphone.
2. Install Incompatible Apps by Sideloading APK Files
The practice of sideloading APKs is common among Android users, and if you see apps that only work in a select country/region excluding yours, consider sideloading the .APK files and installing them on your handset.
One of the default settings of Android devices is that Google disallows users from installing APK files from unknown sources. Before installing APKs, you’ve to allow the installation of apps from unknown sources.
Keep in mind that there’s a security risk associated with sideloading APK files from untrusted sources. Hence, it’s crucial to get your APK files only from reliable sources.
Here are some trusted websites you can safely download APK files:
- APKMirror
- Aptoid
- APKPure
Alternatively, use the APK Downloader app to download APKs from the Play Store directly. The app allows you to download APK files from the Play Store directly, which gives you some confidence that the files are safe for use.
Simply copy the app link from Google Play and paste it onto the official site of APK Downloader, and the site will redirect you to the file download page, allowing to download the APK directly from your browser.
3. Install an App Not Compatible With Your Device by Editing the build.prop
This section in today’s tutorial on how to install incompatible apps on Android is a bit technical.
Since the Play Store servers filter smartphones and disallow incompatible mobile apps from gaining access to your phone’s details, if you modify those details, you’ll be able to trick Google Play servers, allowing you to install any app you like.
To perform this operation perfectly, it’s important that you first root your phone. After that, you’ll install a file manager that gives you access to the root sector.
Having completed these steps, you’ll continue with the procedure as follows:
- Open Settings
- Tap Applications > Market
- Clear the data
- Launch the File Manager you installed above
- Navigate to the Root Settings
- Set “Mount File System” and “Root Explorer”
- Go through the root directory and find the build.prop file
- Create a backup for the build.prop file and prepare to edit it
- After clicking on Edit, you’ll see many files
- Find the files titled, “ro.product.manufacturer” and “ro.product.model”
- Make some changes to the files
- Save those changes and restart the phone
Once you follow these steps to the letter, you’ll be able to download and install apps not compatible with your handset.
4. Update Your Phone’s Software
Some apps are only compatible with a newer OS version. If you want to get such apps, consider upgrading your smartphone’s OS. Before installing a new version of Android OS, it’s important to first back up your phone’s data.
Also, make sure the device battery life is strong (at least above 50%); otherwise, don’t start the software update process except your handset is plugged into the mains.
Wrapping Up
With this guide on how to install incompatible apps on Android, you’ll be able to download and install apps that are not available in your country/region and also enjoy mobile apps restricted because of your phone brand/model and OS version.
