I bought a BOOX eReader because I wanted the freedom to install Android apps. I didn’t know that navigating the Google Play Store on an E-Ink screen was a total pain in the neck. Fortunately, I found three ways to install apps faster on my BOOX tablet.

Sign in to the Play Store if you haven’t already

Some BOOX tablets, incl Tab Ultra C Prothey allow you to connect to the Google Play Store without much hassle. Other models are a little less user-friendly. Signing in to the Play Store on my BOOX Poke 5which I bought for a trip a few months ago, it was a somewhat frustrating experience.

You can find a Play Store Activation Guide on the BOOX website. But the instructions are relatively simple, so I’ll just give you a summary here.

Turn on your BOOX tablet, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen and turn on Wi-Fi. Next, open the Apps tab on the home screen and tap the hamburger menu icon (the circle with three horizontal lines) at the top right of the screen. Select “Manage applications”, scroll down and tap “Enable Google Play”. A new option titled “GSF ID” will appear on the screen. Tap it and enter your Google account login details.

It may take a few minutes (or hours) for the Play Store to activate on your BOOX tablet. And if you’re unlucky like me, your BOOX tablet may decide to abandon the login process before it can send you your login details. I had to go through the whole operation twice to get it to work.

To reiterate, this process is only required on certain BOOX tablet models. If the Play Store is already on your home screen and lets you sign in to your Google account without jumping through any hoops, there’s no reason to mess with your tablet’s settings.

Use the Play Store on your computer

After signing in to the Play Store on your BOOX tablet, put the tablet down and return to your computer. Visit Google Play website and sign in to the Google account associated with your BOOX device.

From here, search the browser-based Play Store for an app you want to send to your BOOX device. You will see a button labeled “Install” or “Install on multiple devices” below the app listing, click this button and Google Play will ask you which device you want to install the app on.

See, I told you it was easy. The next time your BOOX tablet connects to the Internet, it will automatically install any apps you’ve sent to it via the Google Play website. Your computer and tablet do not need to be on the same network to perform remote installation. (If the installation process does not work, it may be because you have disabled background processes in the BOOX tablet settings. Return the settings to normal or open the Play Store to manually trigger the app installation.)

Note that you can complete this installation process remotely from a smartphone or tablet browser if you don’t have a computer handy.

Alternatively, open the “Manage apps” menu on your BOOX tablet

Are you using an Android phone? If so, the Play Store will give you a list of all the Android apps that are associated with your Google account. You just need to find the correct Play Store menu on your BOOX tablet.

Open the Play Store on your BOOX tablet and tap the profile icon in the top right corner of the screen. Select “Manage apps and devices” from the pop-up menu. Next, tap on the “Manage” tab.

You should see a list of all the apps you have installed on your BOOX tablet. That’s great, but we want to see the apps you’ve installed other devicestap the “This Device” drop-down menu and select “Not Installed”.

Every app you’ve ever installed on an Android device, whether it’s a smartphone or tablet, will appear on the screen. Scroll down this list, select each app you want to install on your BOOX tablet, and tap the download icon at the top of the screen. (If you’re a long-time Android user, you might want to tap on the “Name” filter and select “Recently Updated” before scrolling down, as this will save you the trouble of scrolling through a bunch of apps obsolete, abandoned.)

Are you using two different Google Accounts? Try Nearby Sharing instead

All Android smartphones and tablets offer a tool called “Share nearby.” is an often overlooked feature that makes it easy to transfer data wirelessly between Android devices. You can use Nearby Sharing to transfer photos, videos, files, and even apps. It’s a great option for privacy-conscious people who they use a separate Google account on their BOOX tablet.

Open the Play Store on your Android phone and tap the profile icon in the top right corner of the screen. Select “Manage apps and devices” from the pop-up window and you will see the option labeled “App sharing”. Tap the “Send” button, select the apps you want to send to your BOOX tablet and press the blue “Send” arrow.

Now on your BOOX tablet, open the Play Store and go to the same “Manage apps and devices” menu. Tap the “Receive” button. Your BOOX tablet should appear as an option on your smartphone screen. Select it, confirm that your devices display the same code, and press “Receive” on your BOOX tablet.

This is a somewhat cumbersome process, but it’s much easier than manually searching for apps on your BOOX tablet.