Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store are app stores intended for Android devices. Being owned by Google, the Play Store comes pre-loaded on most Android phones except Huawei. Galaxy Store is exclusively available on Samsung phones and tablets.
Since Samsung devices come with both stores, you may want to decide which one you will use as your main app store. So, which of the two app stores should you use if you own a Samsung Galaxy device, and how do these stores differ from each other?
User interface
Both stores look great and have a similar design with their rounded app and game icons. Play Store and Galaxy Store have a search bar on the home page where you can type the name of your favorite game or app for quick access.
You’ll find several recommended apps just below the search bar in either store, followed by categorized recommendations as you scroll down.
From the home page, you can quickly switch between two tabs; one to search for apps and the other to search for games. To access Play Store menu options, updates, subscriptions and settings, touch your profile picture. You can access it in the Galaxy Store by touching the button Menu button.
Features and functionality
Regarding the basic features and functionalities, Play Store and Galaxy Store are similar. They allow you to browse, download, and update apps manually or automatically. You can also manage your existing apps in both stores. Additional services you can find in both stores include in-app purchases, app subscription management, and a variety of promotional offers.
The two stores only differ when you consider the additional features they offer.
In the Play Store, you can access your library of movies and books if you bought them through Google Play. These services have dedicated Android apps, but you can browse them all in one place along with your apps and games on a PC. You can also install watch faces on your WearOS watch from the Play Store.
Galaxy Store also has something extra to offer: themes and other complementary design elements specifically for Samsung Galaxy devices. These include icons, always-on displays, stickers, fonts, and AR layouts. If you want a different look and feel of Samsung’s One UI, there are thousands of free and paid themes available on the Galaxy Store to explore.
Availability of apps and games
The Play Store has a wider selection of apps than the Galaxy Store given their availability on many more devices. According to Statesmanthere are more than 3.5 million apps on the Play Store at the time of writing this article.
Galaxy Store offers a more curated selection of apps optimized for Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. Some of these apps are 100 percent exclusive to the Galaxy Store.
Just like with apps, the Play Store also offers a larger selection of games than the Galaxy Store. However, there are some popular titles like Fortnite that are exclusive to the Galaxy Store. If you like to try new games, the Play Store would be the sensible platform to search for them.
We recommend checking if a game is available on the Galaxy Store before installing it. Most likely, this version will work at least a little better due to optimization for Samsung Galaxy devices.
Make app purchases
You can buy apps from the Play Store using the payment options in your Google account. These options may include Google Pay, phone billing, credit and debit cards, and PayPal.
In the Galaxy Store, you can use Samsung Pay, credit and debit cards, or phone billing. You must sign in to your Google account or Samsung account in the respective stores before adding a payment method and making an app purchase for the first time.
Updates, accounts and security
Whenever a new version of the Play Store is available, it will automatically update in the background. You can check for updates by tapping on your profile picture and going to Settings > About > Update Play Store. Galaxy Store will ask you to update it when you launch it and have automatic updates disabled.
To use the Play Store, you will need a Google account. You probably already have a Google account on your phone, so this will be the one that the Play Store will use. If you are using a Samsung Galaxy device for the first time, you will need to create a Samsung account; These are the credentials you will use to sign in to the Galaxy Store.
Both stores offer enough protection when downloading apps and games. The Play Store seems to have a slight advantage over the Galaxy Store with the availability of a feature called Play Protect. For added protection on your device, you should consider using third-party antivirus applications.
App compatibility on Play Store and Galaxy Store
Although some apps are available in both stores, you can only update apps in the Galaxy Store if you installed them from there in the first place.
For example, if you download an app like Discord from the Play Store, you cannot perform a manual or automatic update from the Galaxy Store. You need to uninstall the Play Store version and reinstall the same app from the Galaxy Store if you want to use the latter.
On the other hand, you can update the Galaxy Store apps on the Play Store without any hassle.
Can you uninstall Play Store or Galaxy Store?
It is impossible to uninstall Play Store or Galaxy Store unless your phone is rooted. You can only disable the Play Store, but it will leave your device vulnerable to malicious apps and you won’t be able to safely update your existing apps. The Galaxy Store should be running at all times, whether you want it to or not, it’s an essential part of Samsung’s One UI.
Which app store should you use on Samsung?
The main difference between the Play Store and the Galaxy Store is the selection of apps they offer and the fact that the latter is exclusively designed for Samsung devices. You wouldn’t be missing out on much if you decide to use the Play Store, except for the ability to update the built-in exclusive Samsung apps optimized for the One UI skin.
You’d be missing out on a lot of apps and games if you ditch the Play Store, but you can still get by without much hassle if you choose not to use the Galaxy Store. But since you can’t disable or uninstall the Galaxy Store, there’s no harm in using both.