As many of us know, on Android you can install applications not only through the Play Store, which is basically the official method or, at least, the one recommended by Google and manufacturers, as it is the safest of all. You can also install them through APK files. But how to install APK on Android? Is it safe? Where can you find the files?
Well, installing applications through APK files is easy. First, we will have to get the APK that corresponds to the app we want to install, of course. And then do what we tell you below. Here we explain step by step how to install APK applications on Android easily and quickly. Let's see how to do it ...
Normally, to install applications on Android you have to go to the Play Store. Or, well, this is what most users tend to do. And, as it is the official store of Android and Google, it contains the largest number of apps and games for Android. In addition, as it comes pre-installed on most devices, it is the preferred option for users. But it is not the only store that exists, and it is not the only means that can be used to install apps, it is worth mentioning.
As a disadvantage of the Play Store, This does not allow you to download applications or their installation files. It just lets you install the apps directly on your phone, nothing more.
Now, as an advantage, we can say that it is the safest way to install applications and games on Android, since Google is responsible for analyzing all the apps that are in the store to ensure that they do not contain malicious files or harm the operation of the mobile and the security and privacy of the user.
But Android, being a more open mobile operating system than others, such as iPhone's iOS, allows applications and games to be installed through installation files known as APKs. These can be downloaded through various app repositories, and here we explain where to get them. But first let's see how to install APKs on Android, which is what interests us most on this occasion.
This is how you can install APK on Android
The process of installing an APK file on Android is quite simple. Once you have the APK, you just have to follow the following steps:
- First locate the APK file on your Android mobile. If you downloaded it through your preferred web browser, go to the downloads section and click on it. If it's not there, go to your phone's file manager or to the section where all the downloads, files and documents on your phone are located. You can use the search bar in this to type the name of the file (in case you know it) and find it more quickly.
- Then tap on the APK file to start the installation. If you get a message, warning or notification telling you that you cannot install the APK on your phone, it is most likely because you do not have the necessary permissions to install apps from unknown sources. In that case, do the following:
- Go to your mobile settings. To do this, Tap on the settings app, which you can access via the gear icon located on the home screen or the app drawer.
- From this point on, the steps may vary slightly depending on the phone, its brand, the customization layer and the operating system version you have. However, these are usually similar on most devices.
- Go to the section Apps and notifications.
- Look for the entry Advanced.
- Now activate the function of Installing applications from unknown sources.
- On some phones, this option is found in the section Security, a Configuration.
- Go to your mobile settings. To do this, Tap on the settings app, which you can access via the gear icon located on the home screen or the app drawer.
- By clicking on the APK file, wait for the installation to complete. Finally, you just have to open the application or game installed on your mobile, nothing more.
How to get and download APK for Android
Well, to install APK on Android, First we must have the APK installation file, as we mentioned before. And this cannot be obtained from the Play Store, since this store only allows the direct installation of applications and games, not the download of them.
Therefore, These must be downloaded through third-party stores, which are known as app repositories. And, at the time of writing these lines, there are many, so now we will mention the most well-known and reliable ones. You just have to enter them, then search for the application or game you want to download, click on the download button for the corresponding APK file and, finally, follow the steps we indicated above, nothing more.
These are some of the most reliable app repositories of the moment…
Uptodown
Uptodown is one of the most used and popular APK app stores on Android, being one of the safest and most reliable. Here we can find thousands of free apps and games. In addition, we can choose the versions to download. It also has a fairly simple user interface to use.
APKMirror
Along with Uptodown, APKMirror is one of the app repositories that has the most applications and games in its repertoire, as well as being One of the safest alternatives to the Android Play Store to install applications via APK files.
Aptoide
If none of the Android app and game repositories mentioned above in this list have convinced you, you can also try Aptoide, another of the stores that has the most applications today. Here you will find practically all the apps and games that are available in the Google Play Store, if not all. And, therefore, it is a very interesting option if you want to download free APK files of the most popular apps and games of the moment.
