How does PlayStore select available apps?

[Android Central Question]

I bought a cheap tablet with Android 9, chalk it up to money spent on a learning experience, I guess. PlayStore doesn't list a CNN app (except for CNNTurkey and some other countries). The NYTimes app is outdated and won't work once I sign into my NYT account. Does this tablet only check into Chinese apps approved by the Chinese Communist Party or is there some other weirdness going on? I ordered a Samsung tablet to replace this, but I'm still curious about how PlayStore selects available apps.

 

[SpookDroid]

The Play Store doesn't completely 'decide' which apps can be installed, it's a few factors:
1) Region your account's location is tied to. Some apps are geo-restricted and cannot be installed outside certain countries.
2) Region on some devices. Restricted regions may place additional locks on available content through custom-made app repositories. Check if the Play Store on your device is actually the Google one, and that Play Services is up to date.
3) DEVS can restrict app availability (or restrict certain newer versions) to specific hardware/software requirements. For example, if they select to do that, only approved (i.e. tested for functionality) devices on their specific manufacturer/model list and/or specific OS versions can install the app or update it to newer versions. This is entirely managed by each app dev, and most of the time what's restricting the app availability on 'off brand' devices.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! What's the brand and model number of the tablet you have? Was the Play Store preinstalled, or did you have to install it yourself?

Please register on this forum, which will allow you to engage in discussion more easily, as well as post images. https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/409154-join-android-central-community.html

 

[mustang7757]

The Play Store doesn't completely 'decide' which apps can be installed, it's a few factors:
1) Region your account's location is tied to. Some apps are geo-restricted and cannot be installed outside certain countries.
2) Region on some devices. Restricted regions may place additional locks on available content through custom-made app repositories. Check if the Play Store on your device is actually the Google one, and that Play Services is up to date.
3) DEVS can restrict app availability (or restrict certain newer versions) to specific hardware/software requirements. For example, if they select to do that, only approved (i.e. tested for functionality) devices on their specific manufacturer/model list and/or specific OS versions can install the app or update it to newer versions. This is entirely managed by each app dev, and most of the time what's restricting the app availability on 'off brand' devices.

Well said !

 

[EternalNewbie]

Google Play Store is version 18.3.13-all[0][PR]288027794 and was preinstalled. It's a no-name tablet, but at the bottom of "About tablet" it says Custom build version vEN52SO. Don't know if tthat's of any use. Any way to discover the "region?" It's currently registered with my US gmail account. (And now registered here!)

 

[B. Diddy]

I'm not sure how to determine from the device itself what region it's intended for. I don't think that information is typically included, since a device is expected to be sold in the region it's intended for. This is an occasional problem with grey-market items. My guess is that your device was intended for Eastern Europe/Central Asia, given the fact that it's bringing up CNN Turkey. You can try looking into location-spoofing apps to fool the device into thinking it's somewhere else, but that might not do much.

 

[EternalNewbie]

That's discouraging. Is it possible to delete Play Store and restore it from another source? Or would that most likely result in the same situation because the tablet was made for an Asian market?

 

[B. Diddy]

I think it's a firmware issue.