What Is Google Play Services App

Google Play Services is one of the most of import apps on whatsoever Android phone. It helps connect everything, provides piece of cake tools for app developers, and helps older Android phones get modernistic features without the need for Android Bone updates. Google Play is as well quite elusive. It doesn't advertise its beingness on your phone. That can cause some problems when it comes to troubleshooting. Allow'due south accept a look at what it is and how it works.

Read more: Google Play Store: A definitive guide for beginners

QUICK Answer

Google Play Services is a software layer between the Android OS and your applications. Information technology tin can practise many things, updates independently of Android, and helps developers make better apps.

Leap TO KEY SECTIONS

What is Google Play Services, and what does it do?
How practise I update Google Play Services?
How do I download and install Google Play Services?
How practise I disable Google Play Services?
FAQ

What is Google Play Services, and what does it practice?

Joe Hindy / Android Potency

Play Services is a software layer between the Android operating system and your applications. It serves every bit a bridge to help developers create meliorate, more optimized, more than battery-efficient apps without unnecessary work. In add-on, Play Services allows Google to add new features to Android without the need for Android Bone updates.

Here is an instance of how it works. An app developer has an app that needs to send y'all a push button notification. Play Services has two APIs for that very office here. The developer uses those APIs in their app. From there, Play Services sends button notifications when the app asks information technology to without any additional work from the developer.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of other APIs that help developers do simple tasks in a compatible style. Navigation apps request for your location probably employ Play Services to do information technology. Recollect of information technology as your phone's manager, sending you notifications, giving apps your location, and running processes in the groundwork for optimal battery efficiency.

The overnice part of Play Services is that it lets Google add new features to phones without needing Android Os updates. All they have to practice is add a new API to the Play Services library and then update the app on your telephone to back up it. Many desirable features get rolled out to users this mode every year. Of course, the downside is that it can be a real hurting to fix when Play Services starts interim up.

How practise I update Google Play Services?

Joe Hindy / Android Dominance

Information technology should update automatically in the background. It receives updates in the Google Play Store like whatsoever normal application, and then it should update when all of your other Google Play apps update. Notwithstanding, if y'all want to cheque manually, here's how to do it.

The fast way

While on your phone, tap this link. Information technology should take you lot to the Play Services folio on the Google Play Store.
Tap the Update button if necessary.

The official fashion

Open your phone's Settings menu. Navigate to the Apps section, tap All apps, and curl down until you find Google Play Services. Tap information technology.
Whorl downwardly until you see App details and tap that.
The phone should open Play Services in the Google Play Store. If information technology needs an update, tap the Update push button. Google Play will update the app, and that's all.
If you lot can't find Play Services on the list, tap the three-dot menu button and choose the Bear witness arrangement apps option.

The above procedure may vary slightly between devices. For example, Samsung doesn't crave yous to hitting All apps before showing yous a full listing of apps.

How do I download and install Google Play Services?

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

The service comes pre-installed on Google Play-enabled phones starting from Android 4.4. You know if your phone is Google Play-enabled if information technology came with the Google Play Store. Notwithstanding, some folks may want to download a specific version for specific needs, and then we'll put the procedure of installing Play Services here.

Identify the proper DPI and architecture for your phone

At that place are about a dozen different versions of Play Services. Yous need to discover the right one for your phone.
To get-go, download this app. We recommend downloading information technology from APKMirror considering it doesn't require Google Play Services.
Install the app after yous download it. If you're having trouble, utilise this tutorial to learn how to install third-party apps.
One time installed, open the app. Under the Device tab, you'll find your device's DPI. Write that number downward. Slide over to the Arrangement tab and write downwardly your CPU Architecture. You'll demand both of those.

How to download Google Play Services

The most reliable place to download Play Services is APKMirror. Y'all can find the site's repository of Play Services here. Please note: There are carve up versions of Play Services for Android TV and Clothing Bone. Make sure you don't download those unless you demand them.
In the list, select the version yous want. You lot'll want to make sure to download the one that matches the architecture and DPI from the previous steps. If you tin can't find your DPI, yous can become with the nodpi selection, and information technology should piece of work fine.

How to install Google Play Services

Play Services comes in APK format just similar any other regular Android app, and the procedure of installing information technology is the aforementioned.
If you demand additional help, you tin follow this tutorial to larn how to install apps without the Google Play Store.

Please notation that improper installation, trying to install the wrong variant of Play Services, and not installing correctly can lead to failed installations. If your installation fails, get-go at stride one and perform the steps once again.

How exercise I disable and re-enable Google Play Services?

Joe Hindy / Android Authority

You tin can disable it if y'all want to. Nonetheless, be warned that doing and so can greatly and negatively affect how your device operates. We just recommend this for troubleshooting purposes or if you intend on going for a Google-free alternative for everything, and we hateful everything.

How to disable Google Play Services

Navigate to Settings, then to Apps. Tap the All apps selection to show a list of total apps (not necessary on every phone).
Scroll down and select Google Play Services.
Tap the Disable button. It'll shoot you a warning virtually how it'll bear upon device functioning before it lets you disable it.
You lot will almost certainly get a bunch of notifications about various apps or services no longer being able to function until you plough Play Services back on. This is normal because Play Services handles a lot of background stuff.

How to re-enable Google Play Services

Perform the same steps every bit above, except hit the Plow On button.

How to remove permissions from Google Play Services

Once more, follow the steps in a higher place to get to the Play Services app page in your Settings.
This fourth dimension, tap on Permissions.
Tap the permission you desire to revoke. Tap the Don't allow option.
Your device will tell you that it may affect the functionality of some stuff. Hit Don't allow anyway to continue.

Again, we recommend using the above methods only for troubleshooting purposes. Play Services is tied to the very core of Android, and disabling it (or its permissions) can have radically negative furnishings on your device and its functioning.

Read more than: How to get a refund for apps purchased from the Play Shop

FAQs

Y'all really tin't uninstall it without root access. However, if you did, a lot of stuff on your telephone would cease to function correctly. Examples include carrier services, Android Auto, many apps that send notifications, most navigation apps, and others. Yous'll have to go new apps from sources outside the Google Play Store.

Yes, you should be able to exercise both of those things without whatever agin effects.

Information technology's unremarkably just a hiccup in the matrix. Try immigration the Google Play Store and Play Services cache, and and so try again.