There are no arguments that the Android Play Store is the largest mobile app store in the world. With almost 3 million apps and games to choose from, in theory, you should never need to go looking for another source of apps for your device. There are three very good reasons why you should look for an alternative source, though. Many of the apps and games in the Play Store must be paid for, you can’t download anything other than stock apps, and a lot of the apps are geo-restricted – they may not even work for you.
That’s where ACMarket steps into the limelight as the best Play Store alternative of 2020.
What is ACMarket?
ACMarket is, hands down, the best alternative Android app store in the world. Not only does is it completely free – and that includes everything in it – there are thousands of unofficial apps and games, and you can download apps that wouldn’t normally work in your country. Here are some of the best reasons to use ACMarket instead of the Play Store:
- It is supported on all versions of Android, including Android Pie
- There’s no need for rooting your device
- It is completely free and always will be
- Thousands of Android Apps and games
- Several themes included
- Loads of 3rd-party apps and games
- User-friendly app
- Plenty more features.
ACMarket offers a great choice of tweaked and unofficial Android apps and games – And the support is second to none, with round-the-clock assistance for reporting bugs, asking for help, and even asking for specific apps to be included.
It is the very best alternative for Android users, so let’s see how to get this incredible app on your Android device.
How to Download ACMarket:
Downloading ACMarket is quite simple to do but is a little more involved than downloading from the Play Store.
- Before you do anything, open your Android Settings app and tap on Security
- Enable the option to Allow Unknown Sources – if you don’t do this, ACMarket will not work
- Next, download the ACMarket APK File onto your Android device from ac-market.org
- Find it in your Downloads folder and tap to install it
- When it’s finished, the ACMarket app icon is on your home screen.
How to Use ACMarket:
Using ACMarket couldn’t be easier, either:
- Tap the app icon to open ACMarket
- Either browse the content or use the search box to find something specific
- Tap the app or game and follow the on-screen instructions to install it
- Enjoy your free app or game!
Fixing ACMarket Errors
While ACMarket is stable and pretty reliable, there are a couple of errors that you may come across when trying to install it.
App Not Installed Error
If you get this error when you install ACMarket, there are a couple of reasons for it – your app data and cache needs clearing, you didn’t enable Unknown Sources, and so on. It is easy enough to fix:
Method 1: Clear App Data and Cache
- Open Settings and tap Apps (or Manage Apps)
- Under System tap on Package Installer
- Tap Clear Data
- Tap Clear Cache
Android 6.0 Marshmallow users will see these options in Storage
If that doesn’t clear the problem, try the next method
Method 2: Enable Unknown Sources
- Open Settings and tap on Security
- Enable Unknown Sources
- Try using ACMarket – it should be OK. If not, uninstall it and start again, ensuring Unknown Sources is enabled
Method 3 – Rooted Devices
If you rooted your device before installing ACMarket:
- On your device, open the browser, and download a reputable root explorer app
- Open the app and copy the APK
- Open System and tap on App
- Make sure permissions are enabled for the app and close Settings – ACMarket should be installed.
How to Fix ACMarket Stopped Working
This is another irritating error that may occur for one of three reasons – you need to change app preferences, clear your cache and app data, and you didn’t enable Unknown Sources:
Method 1: App Preferences
- Launch Settings on your Android device
- Tap on Apps (or App Manager)
- Tap on the menu for All Apps
- Tap on Reset App Preferences
- Tap Reset Now on the popup window
- Try using ACMarket, and you should find it works
Method 2: Clear Data and Cache
- Go into Settings and tap Apps
- Tap System Apps and then Package Installer
- Tap Clear Data and then Clear Cache
- ACMarket should now work
If not
Method 3: Enable Unknown Sources
- Open Settings > Security
- Tap to enable Unknown Sources
- ACMarket should now work. If not, delete it and try again, making sure the option is kept enabled.
You won’t find a better alternative to the official Play Store than ACMarket. It may not offer the same amount of apps but, here, it’s quality, not quantity that counts. Give it a try and see what you think of it.
