Identify Correct Architecture for Google Gapps

Just yesterday, I was trying to find Google Gapps for LineageOS 15.1. I realized that the Google Gapps packages now come in various forms. I did not only need to know that I need Google Gapps for LineageOS 15.1, I also had to be sure about what architecture my phone was based on. For example, I was finding Gapps for OnePlus 6, so the Gapps package that I had to download was supposed to be for ARM64 architecture. It turns out that almost all the famous Gapps packages vary architecture to architecture. There is no standard or unified Gapps package that would work on all the architectures. 

So, if you are planning to flash an AOSP based custom ROM, you are definitely going to need the Gapps package. The most popular Gapps nowadays come from Opengapps. They have the Gapps available for all versions of Android and all the architectures. Whether you are using Android x86, ARM or the ARM64 architecture and any version of Android from Android Gingerbread to Android Oreo, Opengapps has got you covered.

Now if you are not sure of the architecture of your handset, you will find this guide useful. Follow the simple and easy steps given below to identify correct architecture for Google Gapps. We will use a simple tool to find it out.

How To Identify Correct Architecture for Google Gapps

There are many ways to check the exact platform of your phone’s CPU. If you know the CPU model of your phone, you can find the architecture online as well. An average Android user, who doesn’t pay much heed to the tech specs of a phone, doesn’t really have an idea about the specifications of the CPU. So in such cases, a handy application happens to be fruitful. To identify the correct architecture for Google Gapps, I have given a try to the Droid Hardware Info.

Droid Hardware Info shows you each and everything about the tech specs of your phone. For example, you want to determine the DPI of your phone in order to check out the compatibility of an application, you can find it in Droid Hardware Info as well. It also shows you the exact specifications of almost all the hardware components of the phone including the display, the camera, battery and other such elements.

These are the steps to check out whether your phone is based on ARM or ARM64 in order to download correct Gapps.

The architectures are backward compatible, here is how they will work.

1. ARM or ARM-v7a apps on ARM-v7a will work.
2. ARM or ARM-v7a apps on ARM64 or ARM-v8a will work.
3. ARM64 or ARM-v8a apps on ARM64 or ARM-v8a will work.
4. ARM64 or ARM-v8a apps on ARM or ARM-v7a will not work.

Determine correct architecture for Google Gapps:

Here is how to know what version of Google Gapps is suitable for your Android phone.

1. Download and install Droid Hardware Info on your phone.
2. Now open Droid Hardware Info from the application drawer.
3. You will land in the Device tab by default.
4. Here at the bottom, you can find the exact OS version of your phone. Note it down.
5. Now click on the System tab.
6. In the System tab, you will see Instruction Sets. This is the architecture of your phone.
7. Note down the architecture and now download the Google Gapps from Opengapps.

Conclusion:

That’s all. I hope it was very easy for you to achieve the goal here. If you have any queries or questions, feel free to reach out to me through the comments section below.