Using the Google Play Shop is pretty unproblematic: you pop it open, search for the app you desire to download, and install it on your device. That'due south nearly all there is to it.

But what happens if you move to a different country? Yous'll demand admission to the correct regional version of the Play Store for billing information. And Google Play features different apps in diverse countries, which tin sometimes permit or block access to certain apps.

Whether you've recently moved or want to try accessing another region'southward Play Store (which comes with a big caveat), hither's how to change your state setting in Google Play.

How to Modify State in the Google Play Store

Follow the below steps on your Android device to alter your Play Store land:

  1. Open up the Play Store app on your Android device.
  2. Tap your profile picture at the top-right of the screen, and so choose Settings.
  3. Select Full general, followed by Account and device preferences.
  4. Under the Country and profiles section, y'all'll encounter your name aslope your current Play Store state. If your phone detects that you lot're currently in a different country, you'll see a Switch to the [region] Play Store choice below.
    1. If this choice doesn't appoear, see below for more info.
  5. Under the Switch to the [region] Play Shop header, tap i of the options to add together a payment method for your new land. This will vary by region; most should at least have the Add together credit or debit card option.
  6. When you lot tap the new method, a warning volition appear (which nosotros discuss farther beneath). Review the warning prompt and hitting Continue if you lot're OK with the terms.
  7. Go along through the prompts to add a new payment method for the country you're switching your Play Store to.
  8. In one case y'all've switched countries, you lot're now able to browse the Play Store for that region. The change may accept up to 48 hours to go into result.

The choice to change your Play Store country won't appear for everyone. Information technology merely shows up if you were previously in a different land than you are now (based on IP accost). This means you tin't simply switch your Play Store to any country that you experience like. In the above example screenshots, we used a VPN to modify our location to Argentina.

If y'all've previously inverse your country in the Google Play Store, you'll have the selection to switch between your former and new accounts, if you wish. This is helpful if you moved abroad for a few years and then returned home.

If y'all apply the Google Play Family Library feature, you lot also won't see the pick to modify your Play Store region. Unfortunately, unless Google comes up with a better workaround, you'll probable demand to dissolve your current family unit group and start a fresh one in your new region (if it's supported there).

Warnings Almost Changing Your Google Play Store Land

When you change your Google Play Store region, you must be aware of a few of import points.

Get-go, you cannot use your old payment method with your new account. You'll accept to use the one from your new land. Continue in mind that you might lose access to some apps and other content if they aren't bachelor in your new country.

After swapping Google Play to a new land, yous can't spend your Google Play balance from the old country. That includes whatever souvenir cards you've added merely not spent yet, also as credit earned from Google Stance Rewards. If you ever switch dorsum to the old business relationship, y'all will regain access to that balance, however.

You lot will also lose access to Google Play Points when you lot switch countries, and your level will not transfer to the new region. If y'all subscribe to Google Play Pass, that subscription volition transfer to your new land if the service is available at that place. In the event that Play Pass isn't available in your new country, you won't be able to install any more apps from Play Pass in your new region.

Chiefly, you lot can but change your Play Store land once per yr. Y'all won't run across the option to change your country if it's been less than a year since your terminal change.

Because of all this, nosotros recommend changing countries in the Play Store only if you've actually moved countries, have a permanent payment method for the new land, and plan on staying for at least a year. While you can trick this by using a VPN, or might want to access some other country's store while visiting, it'south not worth doing for short-term admission to a few new apps.

You'll be locked into a Play Store outside your actual region for quite some time, which will be a big pain. That assumes you'll be able to get a payment method for the state you desire to switch to, every bit well.

If You lot Can't Change Your Country in Google Play

If you desire to change your country later on reading all the above warnings, but the option won't announced, brand sure y'all haven't changed the country recently. In case the option notwithstanding won't appear or fails, yous should first endeavor updating the Google Play app.

To do this, tap your contour picture at the top-right of the Play Shop, choose Settings, and go to Almost. Tap Play Shop version once here; information technology will either get-go an update or show a notification that you're already up to date. After a few minutes, close the Play Store app, then try over again.

If this doesn't piece of work, try clearing cache and data for the Play Store app.

Change Your Play Store Land or Try Another Shop

At present you know how to modify your Play Shop country. It'southward an easy process every bit long as you've actually moved countries and have a valid payment method there, but make sure you know what you lot're getting into.

Meanwhile, if you want to admission new apps without switching Play Store regions, you'll find lots of alternative places to download Android apps that aren't available on Google Play.

The 4 Best Google Play Alternatives for Downloading Android Apps

Don't desire to use the Google Play Store? Or don't have admission to it? Here are the best alternative app stores for Android.

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Almost The Author

Ben Stegner (1799 Manufactures Published)

Ben is the Editor in Chief at MakeUseOf. He left his Information technology chore to write full-fourth dimension in 2016 and has never looked dorsum. He'south been covering tech tutorials, video game recommendations, and more than equally a professional writer for over eight years.

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