Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets (just Fire tablets these days) are some of the best-value Android tablets you tin can purchase, available from simply £49.99, buy they don't run Google apps out of the box, which tin can make getting your favourite apps on them tricky. As ever, at that place is a workaround, and if you lot're running Fire OS 5.three.1.1 or above then it'southward actually pretty simple, and anyone can do information technology.

To install apps from outside the Amazon Appstore you have two options: 'sideload' an APK file that you download from the internet (more than risky); or install Google Services (the recommended, safer option).

Now, every bit you'll find, even that latter option involves installing Google Play and Google Services by downloading APK files from the web, but thereafter you can download apps directly from the relatively safe confines of the Google Play Store.

We'll explain how to practice both in this article.

How to sideload Android apps on Amazon Burn tablets

Before you tin can install any apps on your Kindle Fire you must give information technology permission to install software from outside the Kindle Shop. You can do this by launching the Settings app and choosing Security & Privacy, and so enabling the toggle beside Apps from unknown sources. A warning message will pop upwardly - click Ok to continue.

Allow unknown sources Kindle Fire

From here you tin launch the Silk Browser, then search for '[App proper name] APK' using the URL bar. As an case here we're using 'Words With Friends ii APK'. You should see several options in the results, but nosotros'd advise looking for a proper app directory such as APKPure.

Click the listing in the search results, then roll downwardly the page to find a 'Download APK' button. You lot'll be prompted to afford the Silk Browser permission to admission your storage in order to download files, so click Go along in this pop-up, so Allow when information technology asks to access photos, media and files on your device.

Download APK Kindle Fire

Look to the bottom of the screen for a new window that in essence asks if y'all really want to download this file, warning y'all that this type of file can impairment your device. If y'all're certain that information technology has come from a legit source click Ok.

Once the file has downloaded you'll again meet a pop-up at the lesser of the screen prompting you to Open the file. If you miss this notification yous can likewise tap on the 3 lines icon at the peak left of the Silk Browser and cull Downloads, and you lot'll be able to open up the file from this list.

Find Download Kindle Fire

Click Install to begin installing the APK file, and when it has finished either click Done or Open. You will then notice the app shortcut on the abode screen as if it were installed through the Kindle Store. It volition be at the bottom of the list, but you tin can tap, concur and elevate apps to reorder them.

Install APK Kindle Fire

How to install Google Play and Google Services on Amazon Fire tablets

The app in our example above, Words With Friends two, works fine when sideloaded to a Kindle Fire tablet. Nevertheless, some apps will not work unless you likewise install Google Play. The Ring Doorbell app is one such instance, which seems crazy when Amazon owns both the Burn tablets and Ring, so you might wait to be able to operate one from the other. The just workaround here is to install Google Services.

In order to get Google Play and Google Services running on your Kindle Burn you lot will need to follow the process we've outlined above to sideload the necessary APKs on your device.

You will need to download and install the post-obit APKs in exactly this order:

  1. Google Business relationship Manager
  2. Google Services Framework
  3. Google Play Services
  4. Google Play Store

Install Google Play Kindle Fire

Once you lot accept installed all four, tap the Google Play Store icon that has been added to your domicile screen. Y'all will be prompted to sign into your Google account, and thereafter can use your Kindle Fire equally you would any other Android tablet.

Sign into Google Kindle Fire

Google'due south apps are updated all the fourth dimension, which means you may see warnings that a newer version is available when y'all go to download the APK files in a higher place. Nonetheless, once y'all are signed into Google it's easy enough to keep all your apps updated through the Play Store.

Pull downward from the top of the screen and you may meet an notification prompting you to Update Google Play services. Tap this notification and it will bring up the necessary page on the Play Store, and so you lot tin simply click Update. Y'all should now discover yous can install and use any Android app on your Kindle Fire.