One of the drawbacks of the Android app world is the restrictions imposed on some applications, such as geographical restrictions or even restrictions based on device model. This means that not all apps, even if perfectly compatible with your device, are available for download.
This happened to me very recently, for example with Facebook Home, an application restricted to the newest or most powerful devices currently available. With the practical tutorial I'm about to show you , we'll be able to bypass these restrictions, both geographical and device compatibility.
Requirements to meet
The only requirement is having a rooted device with superuser access to all system files. If you don't have a rooted device and want to easily obtain root access , there are various tutorials available to help you do it in different ways:
- How to Root your Android terminal with Framaroot
- How to root Samsung Galaxy S4
- Xperia Z, Root and Recovery
- Xperia T, Root and Recovery with Jelly Bean
- Xperia S, Root and Recovery
- Xperia U, Root and Recovery
- Xperia P, Root and Recovery
- UnlockRoot, a tool to root a good number of devices
- How to Root your Android terminal with SuperOneClick
Once the device on which we want to bypass the restrictions of the Android Play Store is rooted , we must activate the permissions to install applications from unknown sources.
How to install applications not compatible with our device
To achieve this, we will need to download a free application available on the XDA Developers forum , called Market Helper , and here is the link for its direct download.
Once the APK is downloaded, we will navigate to the download directory using any file explorer and install it by clicking on it.
When you open Market Helper , you will see a screen like the following:
From that screen we can change the terminal model, the geographical area or even the mobile phone operator.
As you can see in the screenshot, I have selected Phone , Samsung Galaxy S3 and the geographical area United States with AT&T as the operator.
Finally, we will select the Gmail account linked to our device and click on the Activate button.
A new screen will appear asking for Superuser permissions , which we will always grant.
This will allow us to bypass the corresponding restrictions and gain access to the entire US app market . Furthermore, we will have tricked the Play Store into thinking we have a Samsung Galaxy S3 instead of our usual device.
More information – How to root your Android device with Framaroot , UnlockRoot, a tool for rooting many devices , How to root your Android device with SuperOneClick
Download - Market Helper
