It’s very frustrating when you see an app that isn’t available on the Android store that you have access to. There can be many reasons for this, from the app you want is locked to certain regions to Google refusing the developer to add the app to the store in the first place.
APKs are the files that Google uses to install apps onto Android phones, but these types of files don’t have to come from the app store that you use. Instead, you can find them online, and installing them is a simple matter of taking a few steps. Let’s take a look at what you have to do to go through this process.
Finding Your APK
The first step in this process will involve finding the APK that you want to install. Websites like APKdojo are ideal for this, providing you with the means to find APKs that have genuine user reviews. You can find other websites that provide this sort of service, but you need to make sure that you trust the ones that you use. Most of the APKs that you find online are completely innocent, but some are stolen and others will even have viruses inside them.
Installing Your APK
Once you’ve downloaded an APK onto your Android device, it will be time to install it. This can be done from the Downloads Folder, and you just need to touch the file you’ve downloaded to start the process. You may have to answer a prompt or two during this process, with many phones asking their users to verify that they want to install APKs from unknown sources. This will install the app in the same way that the Google Play Store does, though you won’t be able to get automatic updates.
Using Different App Stores
Of course, while APKs provide a good way to install apps when you can’t find them elsewhere, there is more than one App Store available for Android. The Amazon store is a good example of this, providing you with access to an app store that doesn’t have the same restrictions as the Google one. Using tools like this comes with the benefit of giving you updates and included security features.
Safety Considerations
It would be wrong to ignore the safety issues that can come with installing APKs. You need to make sure that you trust the source of the APKs that you download, and this is more complicated than simply finding a snazzy website that has them up for grabs. You need to make sure that you know who made the APK and why it isn’t on the app store. Using apps that have been stolen and redistributed is bad for the original developer.
With all of this in mind, you should have a good idea of what it takes to install an APK onto your Android device. This is much easier than installing apps onto an iPhone without using the App Store, but it can still come with some risks that need to be kept in mind.
