The apps, games, and digital content you see in the Google Play Store vary by country. This means you won’t be able to download apps restricted or limited to a specific country, for example BBC iPlayer in the UK.
If you’re moving or traveling to another country, you may not be able to access some apps specific to the new country if your Play Store location is still set to your home country. If this happens, CyberGhost VPN offers an easy solution.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to changing your Google Play country on both computers and smartphones.
Why You Need a VPN to Change Your Google Play Country
Google Play looks at your IP address to determine what country you’re located in and shows you apps and other content based on your location. This is why you may not be able to access certain apps after you’ve moved to a different country. A simple way to get around this problem is to change your Google Play country.
Google checks your location based on your IP address. So, to change your location, you should first change your IP address. That’s where CyberGhost VPN comes in. We have a vast fleet of servers worldwide. Connecting to one masks your IP address and replaces it with one from the server’s location. 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 and download the apps and content available in that country.
How to Change Your Google Play Store Country on Mobile
The first step is to get CyberGhost VPN and install our Android VPN app. Once that’s done, follow the steps below:
- Open CyberGhost VPN on your phone and connect to a server in the country you want to switch to. For example, if you want to change your Google Play country to Germany, connect to a server in Germany.
- Go to your phone’s Settings and scroll down to the Apps option. Tap on it and locate the Google Play Store app. Open the app’s Storage & Cache settings and tap on Clear Cache.
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.
- Now, open the Google Play Store, tap your profile icon at the top right corner, and tap Settings.
- Tap General and then Account and device preferences.
- If the Play Store detects that you’re connected to the internet with an IP address from a different country, you’ll see an option to switch your country.
- Tap Add credit or debit card. A pop-up box will appear. Tap Continue, and follow the on-screen instructions to add a payment method for that country.
This isn’t a problem if you already have a legitimate payment method in your destination country. However, if you don’t have one yet, a good workaround is to create a new Google account and log in to the Play Store with it or use an account that doesn’t have a payment method linked to it.
Remember that you probably won’t be able to use your old payment method in the new country. Note that any balance on your old account won’t carry over to the new country, and you may lose access to the apps and other content associated with your original account.
How to Change Your Google Play Store Country on a Computer
You can use a VPN for PC or Mac to change your Play Store country on a computer, too. Before you do, though, you need to create a new payment profile for the other country. Don’t worry, it’s much simpler than switching Play Store countries on your smartphone.
- Open pay.google.com on your browser. This will take you to the Google payments center. The page you land on depends on whether you’re using an established account or you’re using a completely fresh account.
- If you’re using an existing account, add a payment method. If not, you can skip this step. When you set up a new payment profile, add your credit or debit card details with your new address in the new country. If you don’t have one, you can use the address of your hotel or other accommodation.
Sometimes, your card may not work in a different country, and you may see the following message: “Your card issuer has declined the request.” If this happens, don’t worry – you can still create your payment profile. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll find your profile set up for the new country.
- Now, go to the Settings tab and click on the pencil icon next to Country/Region. The dropdown will give you the option to create a new profile. Click on it.
- Select the country you want to switch to from the dropdown box. (Remember, it has to be the same country as your VPN server location.)
- Enter your address in the new country and click Submit. You can use the same one as in step 2, or you can enter a different one.
- Go to your profile settings to confirm. Once you’re done with this, you’ve successfully created a payment profile for the new country.
- The next step is to use CyberGhost VPN to change your IP address to the country you’re switching to. Just connect to a server in that country, and that’s it. For example, I got a German IP address with CyberGhost VPN to access the Play Store in Germany. Choose a server in the country you want to change to.
- Open the Play Store in your browser and search for the app you want to download. You can also go to the top charts section to see all the popular apps in the country you chose. In this example, you can see the German version of eBay and other apps.
How to Change Your Google Play Store Country Manually
To change your Google Play country manually, you should be physically present in the country you wish to change to. Note that the change may take up to 48 hours to be effective.
On Mobile
- Open the Google Play Store app on your mobile device and tap the account icon at the top-right corner of the screen.
- Go to Settings > General > Account and device preferences.
- Tap Country and Profiles.
- Based on your IP address, Google Play Store will show you the country you can change to. Add a payment method from that country, and you’ll be able to access the new region’s Google Play Store library.
On Desktop
- Open http://pay.google.com/ on your desktop.
- Go to Settings, click on Payments profile, and click the edit icon next to Country/Region.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to create a new payment profile for the new country or region, and click submit.
- Your store region will update within 48 hours.
⚠️ Remember: the Google Play Store only allows you to change your country once per year. You won’t be able to use your existing balance in the new country, and you may lose access to some apps, TV shows, movies, games, and e-books you’ve bought that aren’t available in the new country. The good news is, you can get around this by creating a new Google account for the new country.
Countries With the Best Google Play Store Apps
If you love movies, TV, and sports, the US has some of the best apps in the Google Play Store, including many popular streaming services such as Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube TV, Fubo, Sling TV, Peacock, Crackle, Tubi, and many more. For a British twist, you can find BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, and My5 in the UK’s Play Store.
The Play Store in Japan has some great exclusive and region-focused apps, including TVer, Renta!, Pigg Party, Tantan, LINE, and many more.
Ultimately, it depends on your language and preferences, but in general, countries with a large population or reputation for cultural contributions are likely to have good apps.
Alternatives to the Google Play Store
The Play Store is the most popular platform for downloading apps. However, if you can’t or don’t want to change your Play Store country, you may still be able to download the apps you want via other platforms.
Amazon App Store
The Amazon App Store offers a wide range of apps, including games, productivity tools, and entertainment services. It’s not always easy to find the Amazon App Store in the Google Play Store, so your best bet is to download the app directly from the Amazon website. If you already use Amazon, you can use your existing account and payment details, which offers a high level of convenience.
APKMirror
APKMirror is known for its massive library of safe and verified APK files of both new and older versions of apps. This can be useful if you want to install an app that isn’t available in your region or if you need an older version of an app that’s no longer available on the Play Store. APKMirror doesn’t have its own app, so you’ll need to download and install APK files manually from its website.
F-Droid
F-Droid is the go-to platform for free and open-source software (FOSS) apps. The platform offers alternatives to most of the kinds of apps you’ll find in the Play Store, including utilities, photo and video editors, e-readers, health, privacy, finance, productivity, and more. While you don’t have to pay for any app on the platform, you can make donations to the app developers.
Aptoide
Aptoide is a community-driven app store that allows users to create and manage their own app stores within the platform. This means you can find a diverse range of apps, including those that may not be available on the Play Store. Aptoide offers both free and paid apps, covering categories including games, social media, and utilities. It’s known for its flexibility and the wide variety of content it offers.
GetJar
GetJar is one of the oldest alternative app stores. It offers a large selection of free apps and covers a wide range of categories, including gaming, communication, entertainment, and productivity. The interface isn’t as modern or user-friendly as some other app stores, but this platform is a reliable source for discovering new and interesting apps.
Change Your Google Play Store Country with CyberGhost VPN
CyberGhost VPN makes it easy to change your Google Play Store country and access the apps you want in any location. We have a vast server network spanning 100 countries, so you’ll always be able to find one in your preferred country. CyberGhost also gives you super-fast VPN speeds, so you can download even the largest app files without long load times.
FAQ
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. You can use CyberGhost VPN to get an IP address from the country of your choice and change your Play Store country with ease.
To change your Play Store country, you need an IP address from the country you want to change to. If you’re not in the country yet, you can use CyberGhost VPN. We have servers in 100 countries, so you can easily get an IP address in your preferred location. 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!
You don’t have to pay to change your Google Play country. If your account already has a payment method, the Play Store asks you to add a new payment method when you change your country. If you don’t want to do that, use a fresh Google account and just skip the option to add a payment method.
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 apps, games, or digital content that’s not available in the new country. Third, you can only change your country on the Play Store once a year.
If you can’t change your Google Play country or don’t see the option to do so, chances are that you have already changed your country in the last year. If that’s not the case, update your Play Store app and try again.
In case that fails, it might be because something on your device is leaking your original location. Try clearing your cache, updating the app, or deleting your old payment profile before downloading a VPN and using it to change your Google Play country.
Yes, it is legal to change your Google Play Store country unless you’re doing so to break laws such as copyright. If you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to check the laws in your current location, the Google Play Store terms of service, and those of any apps you might be planning to download.
If you’ve recently moved or changed your country settings, it can take some time for the Play Store to update. If you’re using a VPN to get an IP address from another country, but haven’t updated your Google Play Store country, you might see this error. To fix this, either update your Google account or create a new one set up to match your IP address location.
If your current Google account doesn’t have a payment method associated with it, you can just update your country in the Google Play Store. If you’re not in the country you want to change to, use CyberGhost VPN to change your virtual location. If you do have a payment method registered, you can create a new Google account for the new country, and just skip the prompt to register a payment method.
The cheapest region in the Google Play Store can vary based on specific apps and currency exchange rates, but typically, countries like India and Indonesia have been known to offer some of the lowest prices for apps and in-app purchases.
Yes. The Play Store will let you update your country when it detects your IP address has changed. CyberGhost VPN has servers in 100 countries, making it easy to get an IP address in the country of your choice.
If your Google Play Store isn’t working with your VPN, chances are that your Play Store and browser have stored a previous IP address. Try clearing your cookies and cache, and reconnecting to your VPN or choosing a new server. If that doesn’t work, get CyberGhost VPN with our 45-day money-back guarantee.
You won’t be able to use the funds in your Google Play balance when you change countries. However, your credit card will still be linked to your old country, so you can access it again if you return to your previous country.
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