Google Play only lets you download apps that are available in your region. This means you can’t download Binance in the US, BBC iPlayer outside the UK, or any other app that’s banned in your country. Plus, if you’re traveling internationally, you may lose access to your favorite apps from your original region. Show
You need to change your Google Play country to gain access to the apps you want. You can easily do that with a VPN, but it comes at a cost. Here are the step-by-step guides to changing Google Play country for both mobile and desktop users. Note that you can only change your Play Store country once a year. After you do, you won’t be able to use your Play Store balance from your previous region. You also need to add a payment method for the country you’re switching to. Why You Need a VPN to Change Your Google Play CountryGoogle Play uses your IP address to know what country you’re in and that’s how it determines which apps and content to show you. This also means you can’t normally just change your Play Store location without actually moving to another country. You won’t see an option to change your country if Google sees no change in your IP address. That’s where CyberGhost VPN comes in. We help you get an IP address from the country of your choice and you won’t even have to leave your home. When you connect to one of CyberGhost’s VPN servers, we hide your real IP address and mask it with the server’s IP. For example, if you’re in the US and connect to a server in the UK, you get a UK IP address. As a result, the Google Play Store thinks you’re actually in the UK and gives you an option to change your country. Download CyberGhost VPN to get started with changing your country on the Play Store. Let’s start with the Mobile guide first. How to Change Your Country in Google Play Store – MobileOnce you’ve got the CyberGhost VPN app installed on your Android or iOS, you can start with the steps below.
Note: Don’t worry, this won’t delete any of your apps. It just resets the Play Store so it uses your new IP address the next time you open it.
How to Get Around Adding the Payment MethodWhen you’ve switched your Google Play country on the app, it asks you to add a payment method for the new country. This is not a problem if you’re actually moving countries and have a legit payment method. But if you don’t have it, I have a workaround for you. To successfully change your country and use a new payment method, you can create a new Google account and log in to the Play Store with it. Alternatively, you can use an account that doesn’t have a payment method linked to it. Remember that you won’t be able to use your old payment method in the new country unless it works there. Plus, any balance on your old account won’t carry over to the new country. Connect to your VPN server of choice, create a new Google account, and add it to the Play Store app. Repeat step 2 above to clear your app data on the Play Store again and open it. You should now see your location changed to the new country and all the relevant apps on display. If not, you can repeat the steps above. If you run into any snags, get in touch with our 24/7 customer support team. How to Change Your Country in Google Play Store – DesktopYou need a VPN to change your Play Store country on a PC too. But first, you need to create a new payment profile for the other country. Don’t worry, it’s much simpler than switching countries on the Play Store mobile app.
Sometimes your card may not work for a different country and you may see the following message: “Your card issuer has declined the request.”Don’t worry, you can still create your payment profile without the card getting accepted. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll find your profile set up for the new country.
What If You Can’t Change Your Play Store CountryIf you can’t change your country on the Google Play Store after trying all the steps above, chances are you’ve already changed your country in the last year. If you’re certain you haven’t changed it, update your Play Store app to the latest version and try again. Does that leave you wondering how you update the app that updates all the other apps on your phone? It’s easy. Click on your profile picture on the Play Store and select Settings, then select the About option. Tap on Play Store version. Select Update Play Store. You’ll get a notification if your Play Store app is up to date. If not, the app will start downloading the latest update on its own. Close the app and try again after a few minutes. Things should work now. If you still can’t sort it out, we recommend you take another route. You can always download the apps you want without switching your Play Store country. Here’s how to do that. How to Download an App without Changing Your Google Play Store CountryIf you’re not willing to change your Play Store country, you can still download the apps you want via sideloading. This refers to downloading apps directly from the web in the form of APK files. Note that this is not the most secure method – as downloading files from unknown sources can lead to a malware infection. Before you download an APK file from a website, we recommend you follow good cyber hygiene to minimize the risk. Use a VPN to protect your digital identity and use anti-malware software to keep harmful files off your devices. Simply Google the app you want to install and add the term ‘APK’ next to it. Download the file from a credible APK site and install it on your Android. You might have to grant your device permission to install apps from unknown sources first. If you’re on PC, you can also use Android apps by downloading an Android emulator. Simply download the APK files on your computer and run them on the emulator. You still need to be careful when you download files from different websites. Use the CyberGhost Security Suite for Windows to keep your computer safe from harmful files. Bottom LineYou can easily access the Google Play Store library from any country if you change your country with the help of a VPN. Use CyberGhost VPN as our super-fast speeds let you download the largest apps as quickly as possible. We also have thousands of servers across 91 countries, meaning you’ve got plenty of choices to change your Google Play country. Remember, you can only change your country once per year, and you can’t use your Play Store balance from your previous country in the new one. Because of that, the best strategy is to use separate profiles to switch to the country of your choice in a jiffy. FAQWhy should I change my Google Play Store Country? You should change your Google Play country if you move to a new country and want to access the app library over there. You might also want to change it if you want to download an app that’s not available in your region. Use CyberGhost VPN to get an IP address located in the country of your choice and change your Play Store country with ease. How can I change my Play Store country? You need an IP address from the country you want to change to. You can easily get an IP address from the country of your choice with CyberGhost VPN. We have thousands of servers across 91 countries so you can get any country’s IP address you want. Once you connect to a VPN server, go to the Play Store and create a new payment profile for the new country. That’s it. Check out our step-by-step guides for mobile and desktop for more detailed instructions. How do I change my Google Play country without paying? You don’t have to pay to change your Google Play country. The Play Store asks you to add a payment method when you change your country. If you want to skip that too, use a fresh Google account or an account that doesn’t have a payment method already linked to it. Whenever you have to make a payment online, make sure your traffic is secure with CyberGhost VPN’s state-of-the-art encryption. Are there any problems with changing countries on the Google Play Store? Changing your Play Store country comes with a few conditions. First, you can’t use your Play Store balance from your old country in the new one. Second, you may lose access to movies,
music, or books from your current library if they aren’t available in the new country. Third, you can only change your country on the Play Store once a year. Why can't I change country in Google Play?You must wait 12 months after initially creating a payments profile before you can change your Play country. You can only change your Play country once per year. If you change your country, you won't be able to change it back for one year.
How do I fix country lock on Play Store?Fix issues with your Play country. Change the SIM card.. Lower your Play balance.. Make sure your payment profile is up to date.. Accept updated Terms of Service.. Clear cache & data from Google Play Services.. Clear the cache & data of the Play Store.. Clear cache & data from Download Manager.. Why does Google Play think I'm in a different country?You aren't currently in a new country. This is based on your IP address. You're part of a Google Play Family Library.
Can I change my country on Google Play?Open the Play Store app on your Android device. Tap your profile picture at the top-right of the screen, then choose Settings. Select General, followed by Account and device preferences. Under the Country and profiles section, you'll see your name alongside your current Play Store country.
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