How To Get Google Play Services On The Chinese Asus Zenfone 2

Chinese devices have started taking over the market and for good reason.  They offer incredible specs for an incredible price, often matching those expensive flagship phones in processing power while offering a price that’s a fraction of the competitor’s.  While it’s great getting a device like that they can sometimes come with a bit of a downside: no Google Play Services installed on the device.  Sometimes getting Google services on a phone is easy and is done via simple installer that does all the work for you.  Other times it’s a little more difficult and requires a bit of legwork and time, but there’s almost always a way to do it.  Asus is shipping many different versions of the ZenFone 2 and while most of them come with Google Play Services and apps included, the Chinese version does not.  There’s no easy way to just install Google Play Services on these devices either, as you’ll experience force closes and a number of other problems.

Thankfully the fine folks in the community at XDA Developers have worked hard for a way to make this all possible and they’ve finally made a breakthrough.  The Chinese model of the ZenFone 2 will come with firmware version CN_xx, denoting that it’s a Chinese ROM intended for use in mainland China and nowhere else thanks to the lack of Google Services as well as a complete replacement for Google by Baidu and a number of other China-only services.  Using the WW_xx, or the worldwide ROM, is the key to getting Google Services pre-installed on your ZenFone 2.

Follow the XDA link below for the full tutorial, as this is the work of a number of people that have collaborated with each other to get this working.  As is the normal etiquette of the XDA Developers forum please make sure to thank the original poster and ask any questions there related to difficulties that may be encountered.  This process used to be quite a bit more complicated but now can be done in just a few steps with a Windows-based PC.  Once you’ve got the update flashed you should be able to receive future OTA updates straight from Asus too.

Nick SutrichSenior Staff Writer / PodCasting Co-Host

I’ve been into games and technology since before I could spell, and while I’ve had my share of technology allegiances throughout the years Android is the OS I call home. I started off my Android journey with an HTC G2 (Vision for the International crowd), enjoyed all the Galaxy Note phones up to 3, and now I’m rocking a OnePlus One. I’m a professional IT guy and live with my wife and son in balmy Florida.

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Tags = Asus, Chinese, Google, Play, Services, Zenfone