Amazon Kindle Fire Tablets operates on Fire OS. You can’t find many apps on the Amazon store for your Fire Tablet. However, you can easily set up your Amazon tablet to install apps from the Google Play Store. Amazon Fire is an Android-based OS, and most of the Android Apps from Google Play Store will work on your Amazon Fire Tablet.

Xda-developers Amazon Kindle Fire Kindle Fire General Q Apps Won't Install From Amazon Appstore by bigtimebooch XDA Developers was founded by developers, for developers. It is now a valuable resource for people who want to make the most of their mobile devices, from customizing the look and feel to adding new functionality. If you're looking to download a few Google Android apps without the hassle of rooting your Kindle Fire, we offer you five easy steps for downloading any Android application onto your new Kindle Fire.

The first step to install Android Apps on Android Fire is to install Google Play Store on Fire Tablet. Once you have Google Play Store on Fire HD tablet, you can install all the Android Apps that you want on Amazon Fire and operate it just like an Android Tablet. There is no rooting required to install Android Apps on Fire HD Tablets. Those who want to buy Amazon Fire HD, you can get 8GB version just for $49.99 from Amazon.

Now let’s go through the process step by step to install Google Play Store and Android Apps on Amazon Kindle Fire HD.

Editor’s Note: In this workaround, we demonstrated the solution for All-New Amazon Fire tablet (Fire HD 8 7th Generation) with Amazon Fire OS 5.6.0.0. Please see the Troubleshooting Step 7 if you find any Package Parse Error or Gray INSTALL button.

Step 1: Change Fire Tablet App Installation Permission

Google Play Store app is not available on the Amazon App store. To install Google Play Store App, we have to depend on Android App’s APK Files.

To install APK files or any other third party apps on Amazon Fire, you have to change the permission on Android Fire Tablet. Open your Fire Tablet, head over to;

1. Amazon Fire Settings
2. Tap on Security
3. See Apps from Unknown Sources on Advanced screen.
4. Tap to Turn On
5. Click OK on Warning.

Now your Fire Tab will allow you to install third-party apps including the APK files that we are going to install soon.

Step 2: Download Google APK Files on Amazon Fire

Next step is to download and install APK files on your Amazon Fire Tablet. There are four APK files required to download and install on Amazon Tablet. Fire Tablet comes with a default browser called Silk browser. To proceed with APK Install, please open this article on your Amazon Tablet Silk Browser (if you are on a desktop now) and tap on the links provided for each APK file.

The APK File Version that you need to install on the Fire Tab may vary depends on the model of the Fire Tab you have. To check the Fire Tab versions, Open Fire Tab Settings > Device Options & System > Device Model > Get the model name. You can also click on the Amazon link provided for each model below the APK links. Please check your Fire Tab Version and download the correct set of files (four) provided.

Editor’s Note: When you tap on these APK links, the APK files will start to download on your Amazon tablet. You may see a warning about “old version” or the availability notification of “new version”. Just ignore those messages. Please download and install all these four files in the same order provided below.

Kindle Fire Won't Install Apps

Fire 7 (9th Gen)

You can check the model details: Amazon Fire 7 Tab 9th Gen

Fire HD 8 (8th Gen)

You can check the model details: Amazon Fire HD 8 Tab 8th Gen

Fire HD 10 (6th, 7th Gen), Fire HD 8 (6th, 7th Gen)

You can check the model details: Amazon Fire HD 10 Tab 7th Gen | Amazon Fire HD 8 Tab 7th Gen

Fire HD 10 (5th Gen) / Fire HD 8 (5th Gen) / Fire HDX 8.9 (4th Gen) / Fire HD 6 (4th Gen) / Fire 7 (5th, 6th, 7th Gen)

You can check the model details: All Amazon Fire Tab Models

When Amazon Silk browser completes the downloading each file, the pop-up will ask you to download the downloaded APK file.

Click OK and proceed to download the files on your Fire Tablet. Once the download completes, the pop-up screen will ask you to install the APK file on Fire Tablet. Please be aware that, all four APK files should install in the same order we provided above. Follow the same steps to download and install all four APK files mentioned above links.

Related: Complete Guide to Self-Publish eBook on Amazon Kindle

Step 3: Find Downloaded Files on Amazon Fire

Just like File Explorer in Windows or Android phone, Amazon Fire OS has the app called “Docs”. All downloaded files are available in the Fire Tablet Download folder. You can use this Fire OS “Docs” App to open the “Download” folder. If you miss any files to install after downloading, then download the rest of the files first. After downloading all four files,

1. Open the Docs App
2. Tap Local Storage Tab
3. See the Download Folder
4. Now you can see All downloaded files.

Note: There is an alternative solution to find the download files on the Amazon Fire Tablet. Open Amazon Fire’s default browser; Silk Browser. Tap on Hamburger Menu on the Top left to get Amazon Silk Menu > Downloads. Now you can see all the downloaded files over there.

Step 4: Install Google APK on Amazon Fire Tablet

Once you find the downloaded APK files and locate them like Step 3 says, go head to install them one by one. Just tap on these files one by one to install the APK files.

Once you tap on the files, you will get a screen with an install button on the bottom right. Tap on INSTALL to install these APK files on Fire tablet. If you find the INSTALL button in Grey and unable to install, please read troubleshooting Step 7.

Step 5: Verify the Android Apps on Amazon Fire

During the installation of each APK, you can see all the information about each APK files like the screenshot we provided below.

Once you complete all of the APK installations, you can verify the installed App on Amazon Fire App Section.

1. Open Fire Tablet Settings
2. Tap on Apps& Games
3. See Manage All Applications screen
4. Tap on Downloaded tab.

You can see all Android Apps installed on the Fire Tablet used with the APK files. Please make sure that all four files are installed there to proceed to the next step.

Step 6: Register the Google Play Store to Install Android Apps

Now it’s time to open the Google Play Store App installed on your Fire tablet. Tap on the Google Play Store app and register with your Google Account to start with Google Play Store. Once you register onto Google Play Store, you can install any Android App you want (Check here to clean and speed up the Android phone).

We have installed a few apps that include Google Chrome, Google Map on Amazon Fire Tablet directly from Google Play Store. Just to make your life easy, Google introduced Lite Apps that use fewer resources from your device. If you don’t want to spare much system CPU and memory for Android Apps, you can install these Lite Apps from the Android Store.

As you can see in the screenshot below, we installed a couple of Android Apps like Google Maps, Chrome, Gborad, Waze, Gmail on the Amazon fire tablet through Google Play Store.

Both Amazon Settings and Google Settings App will work on their own to handle the Amazon tab settings and Google Account Settings respectively.

Step 7: Troubleshooting Steps

Depending on your Amazon Fire Tablet OS and the APK files you are installing, you may find some issues with this APK installation process. We listed a couple of errors we faced in the entire process.

Parse Error on Amazon Fire Tablet

Depending on the Fire OS, you have to install the right APK Version on Fire OS. If you have an old Fire Tablet with OS version 4 or below, these APK files may not work with the Fire Tablet. Once you try to install the wrong APK version files, you will get a Parse Error on Fire tablet with a message “There was a problem parsing the package”.

You may get the same Parse error if you try a different version of APK files on Fire tablet. We linked the right APK files version that we tested on Amazon Fire HD 8 7th Generation with Fire OS 5.6.0.0. Please try to use the same version of your Fire Tablet.

Fire OS Install Button Gray (Not Active)

This is the second error we got while we try to install the APK files. We noticed this error (maybe a Fire OS bug) on new Fire OS 5.6. There is a workaround to solve this issue.

Once you are on the left screen with Gray INSTALL button, press and release the Amazon Fire Power Button just one time. Do not shut down the tablet at this point. You have to just press and release the power button one time, that will turn off the screen. Then press and release the power button again to turn on the screen and unlock the tablet. Now you will see the INSTALL button in yellow (active). You can tap on the Install button to proceed APK File installation.

Play Store Is Not Working

You shouldn’t face any problem if you installed the right version of APK files based on your Fire Tablet. If you’re facing an issue with Google Play Store, reboot the Fire Tab. Hold down the power button until you see “Power Off” and tap on it. Press the power button to turn that Fire tab On.

Unable to Sign in Google Play Store

You may need to clear the app data if you end up on this sign-in issue. You have to clear the Google Play Store data and have to start like a brand new.

1. Open Fire Tab Settings.
2. Tap on Apps & Notifications.
3. Select Manage All Applications.
4. Tap on Google Play Store from the list
5. Now, tap on FORCE STOP
6. Tap to CLEAR DATA.
7. Finally, tap to CLEAR CACHE

App Not Downloading On Kindle

Now you have stopped the Play Store and cleaned the data. Now you can open the Play Store app again to start and try to Sign-in with your Google credentials.

Additional Tip to Utilize Fire Tablet

Do you think the Amazon Fire Tablet is underutilized? The above solution will bring all Google Play Store apps to your tablet. We have brought Show Mode Charging Dock for Alexa tablet to transform our Fire HD8 to a full-screen Alexa. You can use this to show the weather, play songs, read the news, call friends and family, etc. You can buy Show Mode Charging Dock for Fire HD 8 ($39.99) or Fire HD 10 ($54.99) from Amazon.

Install Android Apps on Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Amazon Fire is an excellent tablet with dual camera and powerful hardware. However, you may not find your favorite Apps on the Amazon App Store. Here you have to depend on Google Play Store to install your favorite apps on the Amazon Fire Tablet. Once you have the Google Play Store on the Amazon Fire HD tablet, you are free to install any Android Apps from Google Play Store just like an Android tablet. Now you have an excellent tablet with tons of Apps from Play Store and Amazon’s powerful hardware.

Apps Not Loading On Kindle Fire

• Some third-party apps may not be supported for use on Kindle Fire. Supported devices can be found on the app's detail page on the Amazon website.
• If you are having trouble switching between an Audible audiobook and a Kindle book, verify that Whispersync for Voice is available for the title. Go to Whispersync for Voice-Ready for a list of books that support Whispersync for Voice, or go to the product detail page and check if the option to Activate Immersion Reading is available for your book.