If you've changed the region of your Google Play Store in order to download a game or app unavailable in your home country, you'll appreciate Google's latest addition to the Play Store. The new Country and profiles feature quickly allows visitors to what used to be called the Android Market, to check out what apps are available in different countries. First, keep in mind that Google is offering this feature only to Android users who meet a certain criteria.

Those given the opportunity to use the new Country and profiles feature are those who have previously made a valid purchase using a valid payment method from a version of the Google Play Store belonging to a different country than the one the user lives in. The entire process of switching to the Google Play Store in a different region takes just three steps:

  1. Open the Google Play Store app on your device and click on Account.
  2. If you have met the criteria, you will see on the Account page a new option called Country and profiles. If you have it on your Play Store app, click on it.
  3. You will now see which country your Google Play Store app is set to, along with a list of countries that you can choose from. Select the one you want and you are taken to that country's version of the Google Play Store.

If you are not the adventurous type and have never strayed from home when making a purchase from the Google Play Store, you most likely will not see the Country and profiles option on your phone.