Have you ever encountered a situation where you wanted to download an app, but a dreaded pop up comes up on your screen saying: “This item is not available in your country.” This means that you are not allowed to download this app from your PlayStore or App Store. Though it exists and can be accessed by other people from different cultures, it means that the app’s developers did not make it compatible with your geographical location.
There are various reasons why an app might not be available in your country. One reason is because of foreign policy. An example of this restriction can be found in how China approaches the social media site Facebook. China also prohibits the downloading and use of other apps like Instagram, Netflix, Twitter, and YouTube. Alternatively, this is also done in the US with Huawei phones and applications, where they are banned from being used and downloaded.
The second reason is due to the language exclusivity of an app. Some developers might not accommodate other languages that are mainly used in other countries. Some apps developed in China, India, or Japan might not be of use to foreigners because of the language barrier, which is why some developers don’t see a need for making these apps available to other regions. The final possible reason is because of copyright laws and region-locked content.
However, don’t fret! In this article, we’ll talk about how you can download Google Play apps that aren’t available in your country. We’ll help you figure out what kind of problems you might be encountering that may be getting in the way of you downloading what you want, and some easy fixes for it.
Method 1: Use PlayStore with VPN
One of the easiest fixes to accessing geo-blocked content is to use a VPN to mask and change your country of origin. VPNs work on streaming sites like Netflix or Hulu in helping you access exclusive video content that is only available for other countries, or it can also assist in helping you download apps that only certain regions can access. Here’s how you do it:
➀ Install a free VPN app from the PlayStore. As an example, we’ll be using Turbo VPN – Secure VPN Proxy from Innovative Connecting.
➁ Use or create an alternative Google account. To make a new account, log into your current Google account. Go to settings and select ‘ Accounts and Sync,’ then choose ‘Add Account.’ Set up a new Google account with whatever details you want to use.
➂ Clear the PlayStore app cache before proceeding to the PlayStore. To do this, go to your device’s Settings, and select App Management. Show ‘System apps’ then look for Google PlayStore. Select ‘Storage Usage’ and tap ‘Clear Data’. This sequence might be different depending on your Android version or phone front end. After clearing the data and cache, it will technically reset the PlayStore app.
➃ Before opening Google PlayStore, open the VPN app and connect to another country. An example can be the US. The app will connect to the US server which should tell PlayStore that you’re connected to the US.
➄ Open the PlayStore app. Tap the profile icon and log in to the new Google account you created. Search for the app not available in your current country but available in the US. If it doesn’t appear in the PlayStore itself, you can work your way around it by opening your phone’s browser to search for the app’s website. After finding the app online, you can click the link that will redirect you back to the app on PlayStore.
➅ After the app has installed on your phone, you can turn off your VPN and uninstall it from your phone if you no longer need it. However, you can continue using it to download more apps that are unavailable in your area.
Method 2: Download the APK from the PlayStore
Another method to install Play Store apps not available in your country without using a VPN is to download the app’s APK file, if for some reason the first method fails. This is applicable especially if the ‘This Item is not available in your country’ message appears. You can download an app’s APK file directly from PlayStore itself using the Evozi web app. Here’s how.
➀ Open your default browser and go to Evozi.
➁ Open another tab on your browser and go to Google. On Google, search the app name along with the PlayStore keyword. Look for the app and its corresponding PlayStore link.
➂ Copy the app’s PlayStore link.
➃ Return to the Evozi tab and paste the link onto the URL box.
➄ Click on ‘Generate Download Link’.
➅ Evozi will take the APK file directly from Google PlayStore so there won’t be security issues compared to other APK download sites. Click on the download link generated to download the APK.
➆ Once the APK is downloaded, you can find it in your Downloads folder. Simply tap on the file to install it. Make sure your phone is allowed to sideload apps. For this, go to Settings. Go to Apps. Look for the item ‘Special Access’ and then ‘Install Unknown Apps’. This sequence may vary depending on your Android version, phone, or manufacturer front-end.
You can check your settings and search for ‘Install Unknown Apps’ and toggle it to allow your device to process the new installation.
The final method of installing apps on Google Play that aren’t available in your country is to find their APK links by going to sites that provide APK downloads. Browse for available ones that have the APOK of the app that you want to install on your phone. However, it’s up to your discretion if you want to install a potentially harmful app.
These are the main methods that you can try to fix the ‘ This app is not available in your country error on your PlayStore. It’s even possible to download apps that can’t be found on the PlayStore at all. We hope this lesson on How to Download Apps Not Available in Your Country has helped you install that much-needed app. Enjoy!
