Installing Google Play store on Xiaomi phone

[Xiao Kui]

I am in the US for the summer and trying to install the Google play store on my Xiaomi Redmi Note4 from China.  I installed it from the latest version apk, and it said it was installed successfully but it will not launch.  Any ideas or workarounds ? Thanks!

[Publius]

You need

1) a rooted device

2) Google Services Framework

3) Google Play services

for Google Play Store to work

[889]

Note that some banking apps now will not work on a rooted device -- expect this trend to grow -- and that you'll have trouble installing MIUI updates after rooting. In short, don't root without some thought first about the consequences.

 

Too late for you, but anyone looking to buy a Redmi should consider getting the HK model, which comes with Google Play and other services.

 

[歐博思]

+1 on banking apps. I know for a fact Samsung Pay isn't meant to work on rooted devices. Sidenote: would an unlocked, not rooted, phone in the US on T-Mobile still receive T-Mobile updates after being unlocked? SIM would still be T-Mobile for the moment.

 

Back on subject: if OP uses any banking apps that wouldn't work after rooting, maybe they could sell their phone to one of us cheaply and buy a new phone 

[abcdefg]

I have a Xiaomi phone (Xiaomi 5) purchased new in Kunming last year. Have tried all sorts of ways to install Google Play store and related apps. Installed the Google Services Framework, since I realize that's essential. Tried it in Chinese as well as in English. Tried doing this here on the Mainland many times to no avail. Tried it again on several trips outside China, including Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, and Laos. No joy.

 

Also tried it last winter in the US. There I could download the required apps, but they would not open or launch. They just spun their wheels in place. Tried chanting semi-secret incantations that I found on YouTube. Tried burning a couple different kinds of incense. Tried it while sipping Pu'er tea. Tried it while wearing different colored shirts.

 

My conclusion, right or wrong, is that this phone has some sort of built-in "Kill Google Voodoo" features that cannot be circumvented without rooting the thing, which I'm unwilling to do. "Kill Google" is part of the Xiaomi DNA.

 

I sure do wish that Google and the Middle Kingdom could somehow make peace and shake hands during my lifetime. Would make being here so much easier.

[艾墨本]

13 hours ago, Publius said:

You need

1) a rooted device

2) Google Services Framework

3) Google Play services

for Google Play Store to work

Based on my experience owning a Xiaomi phone (mi4), you only need 2 and 3. No need to root. I have done it successfully three time (due to restarting phone) while living on the mainland.

 

Here are some comprehensive guides that outline the methods:

https://xiaomininja.com/?s=google+play

 

The bad news is that if you have installed the APK for Google Play store prior to installing the google play services, it kinda ruins the whole process.Check the last step on this guide. Start with that wiping process and then start from the beginning. Once installed, it worked just like normal. For some reason google photos is even able to sync in the background even when my VPN isn't connected. Otherwise, doing anything requires first installing the VPN.

 

If you continue to fail, an alternative source for APKs is http://apkpure.com/ but you have to manually check for updates.

 

 

[skylee]

Why is that nobody here asks why people on mainland China (or using phones bought in Mainland China) should be denied access to Google services?

[abcdefg]

Thank you 本，I will try that. It would improve my quality of life. 

 

[Lu]

3 hours ago, skylee said:

Why is that nobody here asks why people on mainland China (or using phones bought in Mainland China) should be denied access to Google services?

That is a good question, but also a different discussion. It would be good if people and phones in China got access to Google, but since it will take a while to resolve that (if it is ever resolved), people need workarounds in the meantime.

[Xiao Kui]

Thanks for all the tips, I will especially look at the guide 艾墨本 suggested. I got the redmi assuming I would be able to eventually install a working google play store since some other friends with Xiaomis were able to. Google Play is not essential for me but it would be nice to have access to all those apps, the apps available in the Mi App Store are very limited. I do have a nice iPad though so I am not starving for productivity or fun, would just be nice to have something similar on my phone.  There are rumors in the wind of a sanitized google play store soon becoming available in China, though from your comments it seems Xiaomi would probably try to block it from their phones :(. Since I am in the US for the summer I may break down and get a phone here and sell this Xiaomi when I go back to China lol.

[艾墨本]

7 minutes ago, Xiao Kui said:

. Since I am in the US for the summer I may break down and get a phone here and sell this Xiaomi when I go back to China lol.

There is a strong fanbase of Xiaomi users in the US despite the few carrier options, and they sell at a significantly higher price point due to customs fees. Considering selling while still in the states. Craigslist.

[889]

But international and cross-border Xiaomi/Redmi phones do come with Google Play and other Google services. They also may -- may -- be less infected with unseen government-mandated stuff.

 

Point is, a domestic Redmi/Xiaomi isn't any more appealing in America to others than it is to you. There are also some frequency differences between domestic and non-domestic models.

 

[hoshinoumi]

I'm writing on a rush, sorry for the lack of detail. I bought a Remi Note 4X last week and installed Google services with no need to root and everything works fine. I used an apk I got from the MIUI forums and it was easy peasy. Have a look at the forums see if you can find it, I will do my best to come back and write the address later if I have some time!

[Xiao Kui]

Thanks hoshinoumi, I found the thread you mentioned and was able to easily install the Google apps and store.   i am a bit wary but so far so good

[abcdefg]

@Xiao Kui-- Did you do the whole process on your phone? (Without using your laptop do download the installer from the PC site?)

 

I have downloaded the Google Installer APK using my laptop. Cannot download it using my phone. Get a 找不到。Does it require VPN to download? What is the magic?

 

(I am in mainland China. You are in the US.)

 

Looks like I'd better go back upthread and try Ben's method.

[Xiao Kui]

Yes, I did the whole process on my phone. Using the APK and instructions from the miui forums (found in the link in my last post). Yes, I'm in the US so I don't know if a vpn is required.

[abcdefg]

Thanks, Xiao Kuai.

 

That sounds like what I'll have to do, if possible. I have miui forums on my phone, but when I search the forum (English) for the installer, I get a 找不到 = "we cannot find it."

 

I've tried doing this before (installing the Google Play suite) several times, both alone and with help of the techs at the Xiaomi store across the street. They couldn't do it. Of course they also saw no need for subversive/decadent/imperialist Google content. "Stick with Baidu" was their advice.

[Xiao Kui]

i just visited the forums from my browser (on my xiaomi phone) rather than the app. I WAS required to reply to  the thread under step 2 and then navigate to page 1 of those replies to access the APK file which is hidden content on that page. 

[abcdefg]

 

1 hour ago, Xiao Kui said:

I WAS required to reply to  the thread under step 2 and then navigate to page 1 of those replies to access the APK file which is hidden content on that page. 

 

Thanks, @Xiao Kui-- I did that too. But it took me to a US server site for downloading the APK file. I'll try again tomorrow when my mind is fresh.

 

Hope you are enjoying your North Carolina summer. I used to say that NC was my second home, because I attended university there and liked the state a lot. But now Kunming is my second home, and it's been a real long time since I've set foot in NC. Still have fond memories, however.

[艾墨本]

Yesterday I could access google play without a VPN. I can't today. Today I can access play.google.com without a VPN but yesterday I couldn't. Something is happening. I can also access photos, drive, and gmail. I have tested sending an email without problem. I can't access google the search engine.

 

Maybe this will all be a useless topic to discuss. I would like that.