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There are nearly 16,000 Google Play Certified Android devices
According to the latest statistics from the Google Play Developer Console, there are nearly 16,000 Google Play Certified Android devices on the market. This number likely vastly underestimates how many Android devices are out there, though!
The Android operating system is often compared to Microsoft Windows because of how ubiquitous it is. While Windows continues to dominate on the desktop, Android has been dominating on smartphones for years. At Google I/O 2017, Google announced that Android was installed on over 2 billion devices. That's a staggering number to consider, and it's a testament to just how successful Google's business model with Android has been. Most of us are familiar with Android devices from large brands like Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, LG, Sony, Oppo, OnePlus, Motorola, and more, but there are actually a ton of devices from manufacturers you've never heard of. Just how many? There are a little over 16,000 Google Play Certified devices, and even that number likely vastly underrepresents the true number of Android devices that have ever been made!
How to Check if a Phone or Tablet is Certified Android Before Buying
Looking to buy a new Android smartphone or tablet, but worried that it won't support the Google Play Store and Google apps like Gmail, Google Photos, Google Maps, and more? Here's how to check if your device is Certified Android BEFORE you buy it!
So you want to buy an Android smartphone or tablet. There are so many devices out there that it can be a real headache trying to decide what to get. If you can afford it, you could shell out hundreds of dollars for flagship devices like the Samsung Galaxy S9, Huawei P20 Pro, or Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium. You could alternatively go for a mid-range device like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, Honor 9 Lite, or Motorola Moto X4. Budget phones like the Nokia 1 or ZTE Tempo Go are also options. Despite vastly different specifications, features, and pricing, all of these devices have a few things in common: they're made by major Android OEMs and are Certified Android devices so they can support the Google Play Store.
Google Removes the 100 Device Registration Limit from the Uncertified Device Page
We recently learned that Google would begin blocking any uncertified device from accessing Google Play apps and services. We now have new information: the whitelist that users can sign up for now no longer has a 100 device registration limit!
Good news for the Android community today: Google has heard our concerns. When we first broke the news that Google would begin blocking Google Play uncertified devices from accessing Google apps and services, there was a lot of confusion about what this would mean for users. At first, it seemed like the webpage wasn't working at all, and then it worked with IMEI values, and then we were told it accepted the Google Play Service Framework Device ID (but only in decimal format). One last thing that users, especially developers, were concerned about is the fact that the page seemingly only allowed for 100 IDs to be whitelisted. However, a Google representative has confirmed that they are removing this limit from the uncertified device registration page and that the webpage now accepts GSF IDs in their original hexadecimal format.
How to Fix the "Device is not Certified by Google" Error
Are you having trouble with signing in to your Google account? Can't access the Google Play Store or use Google apps like Gmail, Maps, Play Music, or Photos? Seeing a "device is not certified by Google" error? Here's how to fix that.
A few days ago, we reported that Google is starting to block uncertified Android devices from accessing Google Play apps and services. That means that any device that isn't certified by Google will no longer be able to download and use apps like Gmail, Google Maps, Google Play Music, Google Photos, and more. There's a huge market for devices that don't ship with Google apps out of the box, ranging from name-brands such as Amazon all the way to less recognized Chinese brands. If you buy an Android device and you see the "device is not certified by Google" warning, what can you do about it? You don't have many choices, but we'll run down the list of available options so you can maybe unblock Google apps on your uncertified Android device.