I’ve been getting tons of comments, tips, and emails over the past 24 hours from various users and readers saying things like “My Android Market has gone missing and I can’t download apps.” Or the Android Market is no longer on my phone, what the crap Motorola. This is a public service announcement for all those that missed the news (newbies) that Google has actually replaced the Android Market with what they are calling Google Play. You still have the Android Market and all the hundreds of thousands of apps, just under a new name.

Not everyone has time to keep up with the latest and greatest Android news, or know everything about all the updates to their smartphone and the Android ecosystem. Apparently more than a few people somehow agreed to the new Google Play update and after using it once, didn’t realize that its moved and has a new name. I’m sure many readers are probably laughing right now, but not every roots their phone, installs custom kernels, and knows the inner workings of these awesome little mobile devices.

For those that are new, not the most technologically advanced or what we’d call “tech-savvy” the icon in the picture above is what you should be looking for. The Android Market was previously just titled “Market” and the new “Play Store” is probably just a few rows or slight ways down the list from where the old used to be.

I find it funny that these type of things need to be talked about, but then again I’ve had to explain why you need a password on WiFi to my parents like 15 times — so it could be worse. So for anyone that is new to Android or seem to have lost the Android Market over the past day or so just look for the Play Store and you’ll be back to browsing apps, downloading games, or buying Adele songs and more in no time flat. Enjoy!

61 COMMENTS

    • I think the update is rolling out at different times for different users/devices (like many other Google features on their webservices)

  3. I have neither the Play Store or the Market… What should I do? I tried reinstalling the Market by opening Vending.apk (Name of the actual Market file) in a file manager. I’ve also restarted my phone conventionally and by taking out the battery. Nothing seems to work. I have an HTC Inspire 4G.

  4. i hope everyone here was intelligent enough to read the terms of agreement before accepting ignorantly… google is teamed up with mayor corporations and government to soon control where you surf and make you pay for viewing youtube and other favorite sites you enjoy. bet your wondering now why didn’t you read huh?

    •  “i hope everyone here was intelligent enough to read the terms of agreement before accepting ignorantly”

      Yes, there’s nothing I like more than having to get a legal degree before being able to use MY device in the manner I see fit.

      Opaque user agreements are so ubiquitous, and so impenetrable, that users who, you know, ACTUALLY HAVE LIVES TO LEAD and work they want to do,  pretty much automatically click the OK button so they can get on with things.

      I know what you’re saying, I do. Read before you sign is longstanding and very good advice.

      But these kinds of things are blindsiding a lot of people unnecessarily.

      Intelligence has nothing to do with it.

  5. the government couldn’t pass the SOPA or PIPA bill but they will find a way around it and blindly get everyone to agree before you realize later what actually happened.

    • Google Play refuses to work over mobile carrier data connection on HTC Desire HD, only WiFi connection.  Absolute rubbish phone and O/S.

  7. Thank u. The house has been a volitile spot whilst accusations flew as to who had deleted this on mummys phone. Thank u for writing this article. The house is relaxed again. Its true, trying to keep up with technology for the more mature folks is stressful.

  8. If they had just called it “Google Play” I would have found it easily, that is what I was looking for.  But they had to use the cryptic “Play Store” instead.  Wish they would have told users that when they auto-updated, would have saved alot of trouble and frustrated users like me.

  9. Google play shows up in my apps under settings, but I just lost the icon to get to it…it just disappeared.  Now I don’t know how to get to Google Play…any suggestions?

  10. “for all those that missed the news (newbies)”

    I am reasonably tech savvy — I’ve installed pre-TCP-IP networks on coax, and set up and run a Microsoft Exchange server — but you know what? I don’t want to have to pay attention to news and updates for my BLOODY PHONE.

    I want a (partially customizable) tool, not an ongoing project.

    And I very seriously despise being forced to “upgrade”, apparently out of the blue, when all I want to do is install a simple little app.

    Give me the option to skip, at least for a few downloads, and above all, don’t give me a bunch of marketing crap about how great it’s going to be, tell me what, exactly, the upgrade is going to do to make my life better than the old version did.

    And Holy Crap, I’m really getting worried, scared, even, about Google mediating my entire life.

    I understand that when I get a service for free, like Search or Gmail, I am the product being offered. Fine.

    But I pay for the Android Market, I assume, with my phone service. I pay for all Google services on my Android; I don’t have a choice.

    And by Turing’s Gay Hairy Balls, that means I do not want my life sold to third parties.

  11. i appreciate it. i am a newbie. for the first 5 days it had ‘market’ app and then it was gone. but in the app list it had ‘play store’. so im all good Thank you very much

  12. Thanks for explaining what happened for us “newbies”. It should be obvious that when you run an app it will flash a screen referring apparently to a completely different app, then with any input change its own name and hide itself. Thanks especially for your condescending tone.

  15. On my Notion Ink Adam my Market no longer works (to be expected), but there are no signs of Google Play. On my smart phone running Android as well, Google Play turned up after turning the phone off then on. But not so with the Adam. Any suggestions out there ?

  19. Well, I’m a reasonably educated EE and ex software developer, and I somehow missed it too, so I can see how non-techies might easily miss it.  (it hadn’t actually come to me via normal update, but when my phone had replaced at the sprint store yesterday)  I got home and realized I could only download apps via amazon’s app tool, until a quick google search yielded this thread this morning.  So, THANKS for the PSA.

  20. My dad has the Play Store. My droid should’ve already gotten it as well, same phone same service yet all I have is the droid green button with market under it. I asked my dad this morning about it and he, being tech savvy, couldnt figure out why mine hasnt updated. I noticed my market missing on saturday not too worried about it but I do have apps that might need their latest versions. Any thought on when they will have this update complete? Also my google quick search has stopped working.

  21. You sound like a total smug DOUCHE BAG. “I find it funny that these types of things need to be talked about” and “apparently more than a few people somehow agreed to use play without realizing that it changed and they now had to look for a different name”, actually whatever update happened on my samsung galaxy S2 happened automatically, which is typical of many phones when people check “allow for automatic updates”. So of you haven’t changed or downloaded anything, then look for your market and it’s not there, and you have 200 apps installed, it’s very easy to overlook the new icon and name. If you’re so “tech savvy” , then why would you not realize that most phones have automatic updates, and see how easy it is to miss the change, especially if you know you didn’t “agree to use google play” and you went to sleep knowing you used the market before bed, woke up and now it’s gone? Not everyone who doesn’t root their phone, or even give a flying F about rooting and jail breaking it is automatically not “tech savvy” , that’s the douchiest thing I’ve every heard. I’ve got a degree in systems admin and network engineering and am far more tech savvy than you could ever hope to be, and I missed the change and was confused by it. Honestly, people who are overly engaged in hacking their phones are usually the nerdiest dorkiest, war craft playingist smug idiots out there, and for you to imply that it’s laughable for people not to automatically KNOW the market changed names and icons just proves that. Why don’t you do a little research before blurting out condescending words to your readers who made easy mistakes or oversights about something that,g , frankly, isn’t that important to people with real jobs, and don’t make android phones the center of their virgin lives? “oh ha ha ha I can’t BELIEVE that someone would NOT know that the market had changed names, god it’s SO obvious to anyone who subscribes to all of the google newsletters and tags their daily tech forums, how could anyone possibly miss that info lol?? Well gotta go, my raid starts in ten minutes , lvl 80 death night frost spec, I’ve got to kill some huntards, god huntards are SO annoying, they took the easy route, I’d like to see them TRY to match my DK with S7 GEAR, 9750 gear score! Lulz,, not gonna happen, I’m so powerful in my little world”

    • well honestly by taking it too far with ”
      Well gotta go, my raid starts in ten minutes , lvl 80 death night frost spec, I’ve got to kill some huntards, god huntards are SO annoying, they took the easy route, I’d like to see them TRY to match my DK with S7 GEAR, 9750 gear score! Lulz,, not gonna happen, I’m so powerful in my little world” you showed you’re really nerdy and dorky and probably a virgin.. I mean wtf? I don’t understand any of that..

  23. rargh! doews anyone know why my phone hasn’t updated the market to google play? Nothing has changed on my phone except that when I click android market it crashes. Any ideas?

  25. Being updated on the latest Android news doesn’t make someone tech-savvy. Also these little mobile devices are not that awesome and are in fact overrated. Yes, a name change to the Android Market may sound like something to be savvy about but to normal people it is a waste of time and resources. By normal people, I mean real tech-savvy people.

  28. How can i make my phone update from android market to google play store? If any knows please tell me.. it would be a big help!

  29. Who in google decided to call it “Play Store” Why not call it “Google Market” Or something that people might see as related to the old market app? “Play” to me has connotations of gaming. Something I and I’m sure a lot of people aren’t interested in.
    I work in IT and have done for years and years. I am what you might call “tech savvy” and I had no idea what had happened. All in all this has been badly managed and only serves to alienate your customers. Congratulations!
     

  30. i thght i lostt maa market……..andd serchinngg how to dwmld itt…..dan got diss pagee,,,,,,,nw i hv plyaa storee..hahhahah

  32. Your really patronising and clearly don’t get what has happened, my market changed to “Play” which is all google does play about, then told me there was no link then dissapeared from my phone. Its not there! not under Play, Play Store, Google anything, Market or Android anything, this is an update that has uninstalled, due presumably to an update bug.
    Now how do you re-install, its not findable in the market, via my PC, I found a download but when I copied it onto my phone it couldnt be “parsed” and the download has now been removed from the website.
    This at the same time that Android updates have turned down the voltage of Nexus phone such that they dont turn on ! These guys make apple look like great coders.

  33. I have a mytouch 3g slide and I still have the android market but my friends have the google play store..why hasn’t my phone updated like there’s has??

  35. I find it amusing when a vendor changes something and expects the enduser to automatically pick it up, and then some person like you calls yourself tech savvy instead a patronising wanker because you happened to know about the change

  38. Thank you very much. I spent ages trying to work,out where market went. I run a busy business and don’t have time to read every change google makes. I appreciate your post.

  39. Thanks for making me feel dumb, but thank you more for getting me the info.  I will trade you. place your studs 16:oc and a 12 pitch on your roof should’nt be walked on, and it should have cdx rated sheathing on it, secured by 8d or penny nails.  See what difference a perspective  makes.

  40. This is typical of the tech industry in general – Microsoft – Blackberry – Droid – on and on and on. I call it ‘Gratuitous Change’. C’mon developers and decision makers, real people with real lives have more pressing things to do than keep up with every nuance of your ‘save the world’ software or device. Don’t make us learn something that really isn’t new, just name and menu changing. This stuff is supposed to HELP us organize not take over with endless administration requirements.

  41. Seriously – I am NOT a total idiot and it took my 3 separate sessions trying to figure out A- where Marketplace went, B- What Google Play is C- How to find the stupid store. I searched and searched online to try to figure out how to download Google Play Store, and D -FINALLY, figured out that it is called PLAY Store (not Google Play Store, Or Google Market, Or App something.) A simple text or email or something would have made the transition simpler, rather than just deleting and replacing an app without any clear explanation of how to find its replacement. BTW Google – I do love the new store, it just took me a month to figure out how to access it!

  43. I never had market to begin with.. I have a Samsung Galaxy Mini (GT-5770 I think..) and I don’t have Market or Google Play.. What do I do? Where do I get it?

  45. i cant get the play store at all on my samsung galaxy apollo does anyone know why because i have know idea at all it wont work i have tried everything on the google play website but it wont work can anyone help????? 🙁
    my phone is android

  46. i cant get the play store at all on my samsung galaxy apollo does anyone know why because i have know idea at all it wont work i have tried everything on the google play website but it wont work can anyone help????? 🙁
    my phone is android

  47. You’re a DIG. ”Play store” are you kidding
    me, it sounds like a store for downloading music on demand. Being very technically
    and working with computers and IT stuff every day… but can’t read fucking minds,
    now can I? And on top of that it’s then being referred as “Google Play” but labeled
    “Play store”. Are we playing hide and seek?

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