Why can’t I change my Google Play country?

If Google Play doesn’t detect a change in your IP address location, it won’t enable you to use the ‘Country and profiles’ option. Sometimes, you even need to clear the app cache if you can’t see this option despite an IP change.

How do I change my country on Google Play without a credit card?

Setting up a payment method is required if you switch your location using your existing Google account. However, you can skip this hassle if you change your Google account linked with the Play Store.

Can I use Free VPNs to change Google Play country?

Technically, yes. But we don’t recommend using free VPNs as they usually threaten your security. They are likely to log your data, compromise encryption, offer slow speeds, and more. Furthermore, free VPNs may not effectively ditch Google Play Store to change the country due to their underlying weaknesses.

Does changing location on Google Play affect my running apps?

No. The apps already installed on your device will continue to run as usual. The only major change you will notice will be on your Play Pass subscription since you won’t be able to install further Play Pass apps from the previous location.

Will Google ban my account for changing location?

Not really. Google recognizes the various circumstances during which users may experience a location change. That’s why it offers the option to change Google Play country. However, it may penalize your account upon noticing any suspicious activities. Therefore, think twice before changing the region via Google Play. Then, once done, wait for 1 year without any attempts to change your region again. Or, use a robust VPN that manages the change of location for you without switching the country in the Play Store manually.

Is an Android phone affected by changing play store location?

Switching the Google Play store region won't harm your phone and won't result in any performance issues. You'll still gain access to new apps and those restricted in your previous region and may even receive discounts on premium apps.

What is the maximum number of times that one can change the play store location?

It depends on the method used for the region change. If you use the permanent payment method, you'll have to wait a year before switching regions again. If you use the temporary method through a VPN, you can switch between regions multiple times.

Is changing the play store's location illegal?

From a legal perspective, it is not illegal, but Google's Play Store terms of service state that bypassing or disabling security features to access restricted content is prohibited. Using a VPN to access geo-restricted content in the Google Play Store violates the terms of service and may result in the suspension of your account. Disclaimer : This review is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. The information provided is accurate to the best of our ability, but Privacysavvy is not a legal expert. Laws regarding Google Play use may vary and may contradict statements made in this article, so it is recommended to seek the advice of a professional legal consultant for specific legal concerns.

Is a VPN necessary to change my Play Store region?

No, you don’t, because traveling to the desired country is also an option. But instead of physically traveling to the desired country, you can use a VPN to access the Google Play Store from a different region. By connecting to a server in that location, the VPN masks the user's true location and routes all data through the selected server, allowing you to access region-restricted content from any location.

Learn to change Google Play country in no time (access more apps)

Abeerah Hashim Last updated: February 4, 2023 Read time: 18 minutes

This is an estimated reading time to let you know how long it will take you to read all the content on this particular PrivacySavvy.com page. However, it has a sneak peek, easy guide steps, and/or a quick list providing quick in-page navigations and easily-found answers if desired.

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If you want to change Google Play country on your device, no need to travel anywhere. This step-by-step guide explains how to change the Play Store region by using a VPN.

Sneak peek at changing Google Play country

Google Play is the official treasure trove of exciting apps for Android users that comes pre-installed on every Android device. While this ready availability aims to facilitate Android users in downloading their favorite apps safely, it also restricts the ubiquitous availability of apps due to licensing and other policy issues. Although these restrictions might not affect native citizens within a country, it’s annoying for frequent travelers who miss out on their access to their favorite apps due to a location change. To help all such users, this guide elaborates on how to change Google Play country to access your desired app store version quickly.

Google Play Store harbors many useful applications that make your smartphone a solution to every problem. You can find an app for almost everything on the Android Play Store, from shopping to travel and financial transactions.

However, this fantastic app marketplace has certain limitations. Many times, you cannot use it the way you want because of geographical restrictions. That’s where you need to change Google Play country.

But that will make me travel abroad, won’t it? We hear you ask.

Don’t worry. Through this guide, you will learn how to change your Google Play Country without going anywhere.

How to change Google Play country – Quick guide

Excited much to access Google Play apps from another region? Here is a quick step-by-step guide to changing your Google Play device location.

Subscribe to a robust VPN service. NordVPN can be a quick recommendation here due to its top-notch security features.
Set up the VPN on your device. It’ll only take a few minutes.
Clear your Google Play Store data.
Connect to the VPN server from your preferred location.
Change Google Play country via Settings > General > Account and device preferences > Country and profiles. Tap on the ‘Switch’ option to change the location.
Download the apps from the new location.

It’s that simple! Yet, if you want to learn more about how this all works, read along.

Does Play Store change country automatically?

Play Store does not switch countries automatically; it remains default to the country you selected when creating an account unless you change it manually.

To switch countries on Play Store, you need to have a payment method with a billing address matching the desired country, then follow these steps;

Navigate to your Play Store settings
Select the account to use
Scroll to the country and profiles section
Select the desired country from the drop-down menu

This will change your country and show relevant apps and prices.

How does Google Play Store know my country?

How Google Play detects my locaiton — (Unsplash)

Before discussing how to change the country on the Play Store, let’s first understand how this feature works.

As a standard, Google fetches your real location via your IP address. Hence, when you connect your Android device to the internet and sign in to the Play Store, Google presents the Play Store version for your country. (Google also mentions the same for the users on Play Store, as visible in the screenshot below.)

This specific version includes the apps available in your region, but it skips the restricted ones. Hence, you won’t even see those apps even if they are present on the Play Store.

However, to facilitate users who move or frequently travel to another country, Google provides a dedicated feature to change location on the Play Store – ‘Country and profiles’ – in the ‘Account’ menu (as visible in the image above).