Epic Games launches battle royale hit Fortnite With a big catch on Android devices in 2018: the then-new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 was exclusive to Samsung-made phones for a few days as a way to help market it.
Back then, prospective players had to deal with a waiting list and/or a limited list of qualified Android phones. It’s much easier these days – but you still have to download it directly from Epic. (Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says this is basically Avoid paying Google’s 30 percent cut on in-app purchases.) Epic uses its own website and Fortnite Installer program to distribute the game more widely on all compatible Android devices.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown to make sure you’re ready and understand the best way to start playing. Fortnite on Android. But before we get to the heart of the matter, a quick warning:
Avoid Play Store
First of all, do not download anything from the Google Play Store or a third-party web source. Epic has made it clear that it only distributes Fortnite On Android via their website and Samsung’s Galaxy Store. game wanted A simple “No results” message will be sent to you in the Play Store. (Originally, searches would return a custom warning from Google reading, “Fortnite Battle Royale Not available on Google Play by Epic Games, Inc due to concerns about fake versions loaded with malware.)
Download the installer and then the game
Due to the unique distribution model here, you will need to download two separate apps. will be the first Fortnite Installer, which is the official APK file that then installs the game.
To do this, you may need to turn off special permissions in your Android settings that allow you to download third-party apps, depending on the version of Android you have and what your current security settings are. After that, you’ll have to go through a series of downloads that are a little more involved than your standard app installation.
Here is a detailed example of the steps you will take:
- If you have a Samsung phone, go to the Galaxy Store. Download the installer for Epic Games. Then you can proceed to step 6.
- otherwise go straight Epic’s site. You will find a page that recommends you visit. fortnite.com/android On your phone or scan a QR code.
- Whichever method you choose, you will be taken to a page that gives you some instructions on what to expect. You will also see a popup for the installer; Tap “Open”.
- Chances are, you will get a security alert saying that your phone is not allowed to install unknown apps from that source. Tap on “Settings”. A page labeled “Install unknown apps” lets you turn on “Allow from this source”.
- Next, you will be asked if you want to install the application. Tap “Install”. When you see the “App install” pop-up, tap “Done”.
- The installer will appear as Epic Games on your home page and in your phone’s app list. You can also get a download notification for the APK. Tap the icon or APK notification.
- You will be taken to a page containing Fortnite graphic. Tap on that and then tap on “Install”.
- You will likely get this message about installing unknown apps again. Tap Settings once again and toggle “Allow from this source”.
- The app will then install, install updates and open.
Once complete, you should be able to boot Fortnite, log in to your account and start playing. In the past, Epic has given users Fortnite Installer program as it will be responsible for updating the game with new patches.
Update October 20, 2021 at 11:50 pm ET: This article was originally published on August 13, 2018; The game installation process has been updated.
