How to Uninstall and Reinstall Google Play Store on Android

Google Play Store is an application that comes pre-installed on most Android phones. It allows you to download apps, books, movies, etc. to your phone. Sometimes, if there is a problem with this tool on your Android phone, uninstalling and reinstalling Google Play Store is one of the suggested solutions. But how do you do that? Let's see how to uninstall and reinstall Google Play Store on Android through the following article!

How to uninstall Google Play Store

You can't uninstall the Google Play Store directly from your phone. However, you can disable it or remove recent updates, similar to uninstalling the Play Store. Let's look at both methods for uninstalling the Play Store from your Android phone or tablet.

Disable Play Store

When you disable the Google Play Store, its icon will disappear from your Android phone's home screen and app drawer. You also won't be able to update or install apps using the Play Store. However, nothing will happen to your existing apps. They won't be deleted from your phone. You'll need to enable the Play Store again to use it.

1. Open “Settings” on your phone or tablet.

2. Go to “Apps” (or “App & notifications” on some phones) and under “All apps” , tap “Google Play Store” .

3. Click the “Disable” button. A confirmation window will appear. Confirm the action when prompted.

Uninstall Google Play Store updates

Uninstalling Play Store updates will restore the Play Store app to its original version, fixing any issues it may have caused. The Play Store app will still be on your phone and you can use it as normal. You can also install and update apps from the Play Store. Your existing apps will also be safe.

You can technically continue using the Play Store app by leaving it on after uninstalling the updates. However, your phone will then automatically update it in the background. You can also update it manually as outlined in the reinstalling the Play Store section. Follow these steps to uninstall the Google Play Store:

1. Open “Settings” on your Android phone.

2. Tap “Apps”, then select Google Play Store under “All apps”.

3. Tap the three-dot icon at the top and select “Uninstall updates” from the menu.

How to reinstall Google Play Store

After uninstalling the Play Store app, you can reinstall it in one of the following four ways.

Enable Google Play Store

If you have disabled Google Play Store using method number 1 above, you just need to enable it to be able to start using it again.

To enable the Play Store, go to Settings > Apps > Google Play Store . Tap Enable.

Let Play Store update automatically

By default, the Google Play Store will automatically update in the background, as long as it is connected to the Internet after you uninstall its updates. Just leave the Google Play Store open for a few minutes and it will update itself.

Update Play Store manually

If the Google Play Store doesn't update automatically or you want to check for new updates manually, your Android phone offers a hidden way to do this.

1. Open the Google Play Store app on your phone.

2. Tap the profile picture icon at the top and select “Settings” from the menu.

3. Click “About” to expand this section.

4. Tap the "Update Play Store" button in the Play Store version. If an update is available, the Play Store will start updating. If not, you will receive a notification that the Play Store is up to date.

Tip : If you don't see the “Update Play Store” button , tap “Play Store version” to update manually.

Install or update Play Store manually using APK

Finally, you can manually install the updated version of the Play Store on your Android phone using its APK. Follow the steps below.

1. Open APKMirror.com, one of the trusted sites to download APKs.

2. Search for Google Play Store on the website.

3. Tap the latest version of Google Play Store.

4. On the next screen, scroll down to find the current version variants. Find the version compatible with your phone and tap the “Download APK” button.

5. Once the APK file is downloaded , tap on it to install it. You may be asked to grant permission to install apps from unknown sources. Do so to allow the app to install on your device.

Tip : If you are facing any problem while installing Play store from APK, read WebTech360's guide to learn how to install apps from unknown sources on Android .