Oliver Haslam on April 18, 2018, 6:31 am

How To Check If An Android Device Is Certified By Google Before Buying

If there is one thing that is both a blessing and a curse of Android, it’s the fact that it can come in so many different shapes and sizes. Whether you are looking to spend big and get yourself the latest flagship smartphone from Samsung or want to save a bit of money and get that less well known tablet from Amazon, there is always an Android device for just about any budget.

That usually comes with something that many may not realise, but it’s more important than you might think.

All of the big-name tablets and smartphones are Certified Android devices, and the same goes for many of the cheaper devices as well. Things start to get murky when you start dabbling with the no-name market, though, with those devices less likely to be certified and as a result, they don’t have access to Google services including the Play Store.

That is not to say that those no-name devices are no good. If you know what you are doing, then you can absolutely bag yourself a bargain, especially if you do not mind having to do the heavy lifting involved with installing apps manually. But what if you’re less sure of yourself and just want to know whether that new smartphone or tablet is certified ahead of making a purchase? Now you can confirm everything before spending a dollar. Here’s how.

Step 1: Head on over to this Google page.

Step 2: Under “Full list of supported devices” you need to click on either the option to view as a PDF or as a CSV.

Step 3: Whichever you choose, a list of devices will be downloaded, with each and every one of them certified for access to the Play Store.

Step 4: Open the file and search for your devices by pressing Ctrl + F (Windows) or Command + F (Mac) and entering the device’s name, whether that is the name it sells as or the codename it has. If your device is listed, or the one you’re going to buy is, then rest easy.

Of course, if your device is not listed, then you’re going to have to come to terms with the fact that it is not a certified device. Whether that bothers you or not will depend on you and what you use the device for.