When a store says a game isn’t available in your country, the developer or the store has chosen not to sell it there, usually because of licensing, local law or a test launch. You can’t fix it with a VPN, because the App Store and Google Play decide by your account’s country, not your connection. Your real options are to wait, create a second account for the other country, or change your account’s region, and the last one has costs most people don’t expect.
Why isn’t a game available in my country? #
The most common reasons, roughly in order:
- Licensing. Games based on films, anime or sports leagues often only have the rights for certain countries.
- Local law. In mainland China, games need government approval before they can be sold, and Google Play isn’t available there at all. When Belgium and the Netherlands treated paid loot boxes as gambling, some games, including Diablo Immortal at its 2022 launch, simply weren’t released in those countries.
- Soft launches. Developers often release a new game in a handful of test countries months before a worldwide launch, to fix bugs and tune the game before the big release.
- Language and support. A small studio may not translate its game or offer support in every language, so it limits where it sells.
- Servers. Online games need servers near their players. Some studios only launch where they have them.
If a game is soft-launched somewhere else, the wait usually ends with a global release. Joining a beta is sometimes a faster route in, and our guide to beta testing mobile games explains how.
Why does the same game cost more in some countries? #
Apple and Google let developers choose a price for each country from a set of price points. Prices are set in local currency, so exchange rates move them, and in many countries the store price includes sales taxes like VAT. Many developers also charge less in countries where people earn less, which is why an in-app purchase can cost half as much in one region as in another.
That gap tempts people to switch regions for cheaper gems. It rarely works, because both stores want a payment method from the new country, and the account change can cost you more than you save.
What happens if you change your App Store country? #
Apple lets you change your Apple Account’s country or region, but its support page lists what you have to do first:
- Spend any balance left on your Apple Account.
- Cancel subscriptions that block the change.
- Wait for memberships, pre-orders, movie rentals and season passes to finish, and for pending store credit refunds to process.
- Possibly enter a valid payment method for the new country.
- Possibly leave your Family Sharing group.
Afterward, some of your apps, music and other content may not be available to redownload in the new region. Apple’s own suggestion if you’re moving abroad is to wait until you’re there and create a new Apple Account.
What happens if you change your Google Play country? #
Google’s rules for changing your Play country are stricter in some ways:
- You have to be physically in the new country and have a payment method from there.
- After a change, you must wait at least 90 days before changing again.
- Your Google Play balance stays tied to the old country. You can only use it if you switch back.
- Google Play Points are lost when you move to a new country.
- Members of a family group have to leave it first.
- Subscriptions stay on your old payment profile unless you cancel them, and some apps and games may disappear.
The safer option: a second account #
For region-locked games, many players keep a separate account for the other country instead of moving their main one. On iPhone you can sign in to the App Store with a different Apple Account (in Settings, under your name, then Media & Purchases) while keeping your main account for iCloud. Gift cards from that country are the usual way to pay.
Know the trade-offs before you do it:
- Purchases never move between accounts. Anything you buy on the second account stays there.
- Updates for that game come through the second account, so you’ll switch back and forth.
- Game progress is usually tied to the game’s own login or to Game Center or Google Play Games, so check how the game saves before you invest weeks in it. Our guide to transferring game progress explains the three ways games save.
- Buying gift cards from unofficial resellers carries a real risk of scams.
Don’t download the APK from a mirror site #
On Android, the tempting shortcut is to download the game’s installation file (an APK) from a site that re-hosts it. Those files skip every store safety check, and the region-locked games people want most are exactly the ones scammers imitate. Our guides to whether mod APKs are safe and how to spot fake game apps cover the risks.
How to change a game’s language #
Sometimes the game is available, but not in the language you want. Before you blame the region, check these:
- iPhone: open Settings, tap Apps, choose the game, and look for Language. It only appears when the game supports more than one language, and you can pick a different one from the rest of your phone.
- Android 13 and later: go to Settings, then System, then Languages, then App languages, and choose the game. The exact path varies by phone brand.
- In the game itself: many games have their own language option in settings, and it often overrides the phone’s setting.
If your language isn’t in the list, the game hasn’t been translated into it, and changing regions won’t change that.
Can’t find a game at all? Check its store name #
Games don’t always use the same name everywhere. Our own Flappy Kittens is a good example: it’s called Flappy Kittens on the App Store and Flappy Cat on Google Play, because “Flappy Cat” was already taken on Apple’s store. If a search comes up empty, go to the game’s official website and follow its store links rather than trying lookalike names.
Frequently asked questions #
Can a VPN get me games from another country? #
No. The App Store and Google Play decide what you can download from your account’s country, not your internet connection. A VPN can change what a game’s servers see after you’ve installed it, but that can break the game’s rules and get an online account banned.
Will I lose my apps if I change my App Store country? #
You keep apps already on your phone, but some may not be available to redownload or update in the new region. You also have to spend your balance and cancel certain subscriptions before Apple will let you switch.
How often can I change my Google Play country? #
Google requires at least 90 days between changes, and you have to be in the new country with a payment method from there. Your old balance stays behind in the old country.
Why is a game cheaper in another country? #
Developers choose a price for each country, and many charge less where incomes are lower. Store prices also include local taxes in many countries and move with exchange rates.