How to install android app from google play

How to download .apk from Play Store

This Note originally published on my Personal Blog here. Read original note so that you won’t miss any content.

There are three ways to download Android apps from Google Play Store for your attention:

1. Via third party websites (easiest, but not the most secure way)
2. Via Chrome extension (intermediate way)
3. Via device on Android (the most secure and exact way)
4. Via google-play-cli (automation friendly way)

To download APKs via these methods you need to know app bundle identifier.

Via third party websites

As I said, this is not secure method and can be illegal, so use it at your own risk.

Via Chrome extension

Tbh, there is no difference with the previous method (:

Via device on Android

1. At first you need to install app from Play Store to your phone
2. Secondly you should enable “ Unknown sources” in your phone’s security settings (Settings > Security > Unknown sources)
3. Then connect your phone to your PC using a USB cable/WiFi ( adb needs to see it)
4. Make sure you have installed adb
5. And download an apk:

Via Google-Play-CLI

The best way to make this process automated.

2. Set environment variables in your bash.profile:

• GOOGLE_LOGIN — email address used on a mobile phone.
• GOOGLE_PASSWORD — The password used to access the Play service.
• ANDROID_ID — the device GSF ID for Google. You can get the gsf id e.g., using the device id app.

3. And download an apk:

Conclusion

Downloading apps from Google Play Store can be pretty easy process as manually as automated.

Also you might to find an answer how to download IPA from App Store here.

Источник

How to install apps from outside the Google Play Store

The Google Play Store is the simplest and safest way to download apps onto your device. However, sometimes there are reasons to install apps from other sources, as is the case with Fortnite for Android for example. Or you may simply be looking for apps that can’t be found on Google Play or your local version of it. Whatever the reason, if you can find the APK, you can install it via sideloading. Read on to find out how.

Jump to:

Setting up your device

While there could be some slight variation in exactly where you’ll find this setting on your Android phone, it’s usually buried within the Security & privacy or App menus. These are the two most common paths:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Find the Security & privacy option and tap on it.
3. Scroll down and look for ‘install from unknown apps’. If it’s not there, try under ‘more’.
4. You should be presented with a list of apps. Find your browser — Chrome, for example.
5. Tap on it and then select ‘Allow from this source’.

If the above path doesn’t work for you, try the following:

1. Head to Settings.
2. Go to Apps & notifications and then select configure apps.
3. Scroll down. Find and tap advanced options or special app access.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the special app access menu, where you can find the Install unknown apps option.
5. Find your browser, (e.g. Chrome), tap it and select Allow from this source.

How to find the sideloading options on an HTC. / © NextPit

If you still have trouble finding these options in settings, you can simply use the search option and type in ‘unknown’, which should save you some time.

By checking ‘allow from this source’, you’ll now be able to install APK files downloaded from your browser. You can always go back to the settings menu and disallow this after you’re done installing your APKs of choice. Keep in mind that there can be additional security prompts or prompts to allow the installation of files from unknown sources on some devices or older versions of Android.

On devices running Android 7.0 Nougat or earlier, try the following path: Settings>Security>allow installation from unknown sources.

This will enable you to install apps downloaded from any source outside of the Google Play Store. Allowing this kind of blanket access can be risky, so if you want to do this, it’s a good idea to head back into settings and toggle off the unknown sources option once you’ve got the app you wanted.

What are the risks of sideloading?

There’s a reason that installing APKs from unknown sources is switched off by default in Android: it’s inherently unsafe to download random APKs from the web and install them on your phone. While that might seem contradictory with providing a guide on how to install from outside Google Play, as long as you know (and trust) where your apps are coming from.

The efficacy of anti-virus has long been up for debate, but if you do think they’re worthwhile on an Android device, they’ll often scan apps before you install them, providing another potential line of defense.

By leaving the installation of all unknown apps on by default, you’re opening the door for any malware-infected or malicious apps to silently download other nefarious software silently in the background. If you disallow by default and only allow on a case-by-case basis, there’s a much smaller risk of this.

Downloading and installing an APK

By now, you know that where you download your APK from is key. Let’s take a simple example like downloading and installing WhatsApp from outside the Play Store.

In this case, WhatsApp provides its own direct download page that you can either visit on a desktop and then transfer the file to your phone, or visit on your phone browser (requesting the desktop site from your browser settings) and then download it directly to your device.

Once downloaded, you can check out your Downloads in the app drawer and select the downloaded APK file. Clicking on that will start the install process, and if required, will ask you to allow the app permissions to continue.

If you want to install Fortnite on your Android smartphone, you can follow our guide here.

Sideloading an APK from a PC

If for some reason you have trouble downloading an APK directly to your Android, you can also download the file to your PC, then connect your phone to the PC via cable (select Transfer Files) and copy the APK into your phone. This requires a dedicated file explorer app to access the APK. You will also need to grant the File Explorer permission to install from unknown sources.

Many apps can’t be downloaded directly from the company that makes them, however. In this instance, you’ll want to check out one of the more trusted app repositories like APKMirror. From there you can download manually vetted apps that use the same digital signatures as the apps on Google Play.

Where to get an APK?

If you can’t find what you’re looking for on the Play Store or APKmirror, there are some alternative app repositories out there. We’ve taken a look at the most important ones in this article.

You still get to see the list of permissions before installing. / © NextPit

What you can use sideloading for

Many impatient Android users first discovered sideloading thanks to Pokémon Go and Niantic’s choice to release the game in waves to different countries. However, the recent decision of Epic Games to bypass Google Play and offer Fortnite to players directly through their website, is likely to make other developers follow suit. The 30% revenue cut that Google takes from apps/games on their store is quite significant.

We think you should expect more apps requiring sideloading in the future. For the retro gamers among you, sideloading is also the best source of discovering emulators that Nintendo and Sony have purged from Google Play.

Have you tried to install apps from outside Google’s Play Store? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

Источник

How to Install APK on Android

Have an Android app not on Google Play? Install it from its APK

What to Know

• Allow Chrome to install unknown apps by going to Settings >Apps >Menu >Special access >Install unknown apps.
• Install a file manager (such as Cx File Explorer or File Manager) so that you can find the APK file after you download it to your phone.
• Download an APK file and open it to install it. Alternatively, transfer the APK Installer from your computer using USB.

If you want to use an app from outside of the Google Play Store, you can install the app’s APK file. This article explains how to install APKs on Android 7 or later.

Allow Unknown Apps on Android

Before you can download APK files using Chrome or any other browser, you must first allow unknown apps:

Go to your device settings and tap Apps & Notifications (or Apps in older versions of Android).

Tap the three dots in the upper-right corner.

Tap Special access.

Tap Install unknown apps.

Tap Chrome (or whichever web browser you use)

Move Allow from this source to the On position.

Install an Android File Manager

Now that you’ve configured your phone to let you install unknown apps, you’ll need a way to find the application file (APK file) on your phone so that you can run it.

Android phones typically come with a file manager app you can use, but if you don’t have one, search for one on Google Play. Some of the best options include Cx File Explorer and File Manager.

Download the APK Installer From Your Android

The easiest way to install an APK file on your Android is to download the file using the default browser, Chrome.

Find a website offering the Android app and tap the link to download the APK file. Accept any pop-ups, including “This type of file can harm your device.”

Only download APK files from reputable sources. A quick Google search can often let you know if an app (or company that makes the app) has a questionable reputation.

If your phone’s web browser doesn’t give you the option to open the file after downloading, open your file explorer app, go to the Downloads folder on your device, then tap the APK file.

Allow the app any required permissions it asks for. Then, at the bottom of the installer window, tap Install.

Now you’ll see the app available in your list of installed apps.

Transfer the APK Installer via USB

If you don’t have internet access on your phone, or for any other reason you can’t use a browser to download the file, you can still install apps from your computer. Using your computer web browser, download the APK file just like described above. Once it’s downloaded, connect to your Android phone and transfer the file.

If you’ve never connected your Android to your computer, enable USB Debugging. You can then plug your phone into your computer with a USB cable, and it’ll mount the phone like it would a memory stick.

Once your phone is connected to your computer, it shows up as another drive in your computer’s File Explorer. Move the APK file you downloaded from the app website to the /sdcard/download folder on your phone.

Once the file is transferred, use the file explorer app on your phone as described in the previous section to tap the APK file and install the app.

If you don’t have a USB cable, another solution is to install WiFi FTP Server from Google Play. Then, use an FTP client on your computer (like FileZilla) to transfer the APK file from your computer to the /sdcard/download folder on your phone. However, this is an advanced option and requires an understanding of how to use FTP files.

Advanced: Run APK Installer With Minimal ADB and Fastboot

If the APK installer isn’t running when you tap it, there’s an advanced solution that might work. You can install the APK file on your Android from your computer using a tool called Minimal ADB and Fastboot.

Connect your phone via USB and enable USB Debugging.

Download and install the latest version of Minimal ADB and Fastboot on your computer.

Run the tool, and a command window opens. With your phone connected to your computer with the USB cable, type the command adb devices.

If the tool detects your phone, an ID for the device appears under List of devices attached. Now you’re ready to transfer the APK file.

Using Windows File Explorer, find the downloaded APK file on your computer.

Right-click the file and select Copy.

Using Windows File Explorer, navigate to the Minimal ADB and Fasbtoot folder (typically c:\Program Files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot\).

Paste the APK file into that folder.

Rename the APK file to something short so that it’s easy to type as a command.

Back in the same command window you had open before, type the command adb install app name (replace with the name of your APK file).

When you see the word Success, the app is installed on your phone.

What Is an APK?

An APK (Android Package Kit) is a type of file that installs an application for Android. It’s just like an executable (EXE) file for Windows or a package installer (PKG) for Mac.

If you’ve ever installed an Android application from the Google Play store, then you’ve used an APK file without realizing it. When you tap the Install button, Google Play automates the process of transferring the APK file to your phone and running it for you.

Why Use an APK?

If the Android app you want to install isn’t available on Google Play, you can download the APK file from the web and install it manually.

Finding APK Installers

There are many websites where you can find non-Google Play apps to install. Three of the most popular are APK Pure, Reddit’s APK Directory, and APK Mirror.

Источник