How to install Fortnite on your Android phone following Google ban

Fortnite Installation on Samsung
Fortnite Installation on Samsung (Image credit: Android Central)

Fortnite has been banned from the Play Store for contravening Google's guidelines, but you can still download the game from Epic Games directly and install it on your phone. Downloading the app is still straightforward, and Samsung Galaxy device owners have it a bit easier. Here's what you need to know, and how to install the game on your phone.

How to install Fortnite on your Samsung phone

The Epic Games app is easiest to download on a Samsung Galaxy phone. Available on the Galaxy S7 and up, it can be downloaded from the Galaxy Store.

It's easy to forget that Samsung has its own dedicated app store and chances are you've never used before, so we'll walk through the steps of downloading the Fortnite Installer.

  1. Open the app drawer.
  2. Tap on the Samsung Apps folder.
  3. Tap to launch the Galaxy Store.Source: Android Central

  1. You should see a Fortnite banner under the Games tab at the bottom of the screen, but if not, just search for Epic Games.
  2. Download Epic Games.

Source: Android Central

Once you've downloaded the installer, the app will install the game itself. Once you open the app, you'll then have to login with your Epic Games account, and will be able to download any updates that Fortnite might acquire. The app now functions similarly to the Epic Games launcher on PC, but once you have it downloaded, you'll be able to jump into Fortnite and play it just as you always have.

How to install Fortnite on other Android phones

To play Fortnite on a non-Samsung device, you must download the Epic Games installer directly from Epic. As you'll be installing from outside the Play Store, you will have to go into your phone's settings and allow installation of apps from unknown sources. You'll need to enable the setting for Chrome, as that's where you'll be downloading the installer from. Once that's done, here's how to download Fortnite on your Android phone:

  1. Navigate to the Fortnite landing page from your Android phone.
  2. Select Get it on the Epic Games app to download the Epic Games client. This is needed to install Fortnite on your phone.
  3. Once the download is finished, hit the Open button to commence installation of Epic Games.
  4. Fortnite is now installed on your phone.

The installation is straightforward enough, but make sure you go back into your phone's settings and disable unknown sources once you're done installing Fortnite.

Marc Lagace

Marc Lagace was an Apps and Games Editor at Android Central between 2016 and 2020. You can reach out to him on Twitter [@spacelagace.