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How to Install APK

In this case, however, one enters a somewhat more advanced field compared to a classic installation, so I understand why you have come here asking how to install an APK. It should be noted, among other things, that in recent years there has been a revolution in this field, which may actually cause some confusion even for those who were used to the previous situation.

In any case, I would say you have arrived at the right guide. In the following chapters, I will not only explain what the current situation is, but I will also focus on practical examples related to the various methods of manually installing apps on Android. That said, I have nothing else to do but wish you happy reading!

Table of Contents

Preliminary Information

Before delving into the details of the actual procedures related to how to install an APK, I think it might interest you to understand better the general framework in which this possibility exists on Android.

It is important to know that in recent years, the number of devices lacking Google services has increased, partly due to the situation with certain brands. However, in this context, it is not necessary to resort to a manual installation, as there is usually another integrated digital store. I refer, for concrete examples, to the AppGallery and the Amazon Appstore, which can also be installed on Android devices from other brands. As you can imagine, since these refer to well-known companies, opting for this type of solution allows for a safer app installation.

When entering the realm of sideloading, or the actual manual installation of apps, there are security issues to consider, and it is always advisable to carefully verify the source from which you download files. The recommendation is to proceed only if you are sure how to do everything safely, although many users have successfully installed applications over the years.

You may not know that recently, we’ve moved beyond the classic .apk files. Because of app development needs, what are called bunldes have been introduced. Without getting too technical, know that these contain the usual .apk file as well as the related additional files that are necessary to install and run the application correctly. It is in this context that you may encounter files in .apkm and .xapk formats, which require the use of a third-party application to be “read.”

Since there are now many applications that require such files to be installed and used correctly, in the following chapters I will explain not only how to proceed with the usual .apk files but also with regard to the other variants. Don’t worry: it’s not complicated, as long as you know which applications and online communities to approach. Lastly, in the final section of the tutorial, we will see how to install these file types on devices other than the usual smartphones/tablets.

How to Install APK on Android

Now that you are aware of the current Android issues, I think it’s worth diving deeper into how you can install APK files and their related variants on your trusted Android smartphone/tablet. Below are all the details.

Install APK Files

Installing a classic .apk file on an Android smartphone/tablet is quite straightforward, as the operating system directly supports this file type.

Once you have downloaded the .apk file of the application you are interested in (which you can do from user-friendly portals), all you have to do is open it and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the operation.

To clarify, you can use, for example, a file manager app (even the pre-installed one) to navigate to the Download folder of your device and open the previously obtained .apk file. At this point, you may be asked to toggle the setting regarding permissions to install files from unknown sources to ON. I can’t be more precise with my instructions, as the prompts may vary depending on your device model, but just follow the instructions to achieve your goal.

Finally, after providing all the necessary permissions, simply click the Install button related to the pop-up that appears on the screen to complete the installation. For more information, you can check out my guide on how to download APK files, where I’ve provided further clarifications on the subject. However, since many apps that can be manually installed have abandoned the .apk format in favor of other variants, I recommend continuing to read the tutorial to better understand what you can do in this context.

Install APKM Files

One of the options at your disposal for installing Android app bundles described in the preliminary chapter is through .apkm files. These are related to a popular portal and can be installed using the APKMirror Installer application, currently in beta version (also available on the Play Store).

To install this app on your device, navigate to the APKMirror page for the Installer. After doing this, scroll the page until you find the All versions area, where the latest app version is highlighted.

Once you click on the box, tap the SCROLL TO AVAILABLE DOWNLOADS button, then select the link to the APK file (not the BUNDLE). By doing this, you will be able to press the DOWNLOAD APK button to obtain the application in this format and proceed with the installation in the ways explained previously.

After that, simply launch the APKMirror Installer app for the first time to manage cookies again (tapping on the Consent option, for example) and then tap on the Browse files option, allowing all the requested permissions. Generally, it’s just a matter of toggling the option Allow access to manage all files to ON. After that, you will see all the files present in the Download folder of your Android device, including those in .apkm format.

Now all that’s left is to select the app file you want to install and sequentially tap on the Install package (in the bottom right) and Install app (or alternatively Watch ad and install app, if you need to view an ad to proceed). You might be further prompted to provide additional permissions, like toggling ON the Allow from this source option associated with the APKMirror Installer app, but you will see that with a bit of attention, you will not have many problems reaching the classic final Install pop-up.

Note: The download of .apkm files can occur from the APKMirror site, essentially in the same way indicated previously for .apk files. However, if the app is distributed in this format, you will see the DOWNLOAD APK BUNDLE button appear on-screen (instead of DOWNLOAD APK).

Install XAPK Files

Another common format for the installation of Android app bundles is the .xapk format, which is associated with the widely-known independent store APKPure, thus requiring its application to perform app installations.

To proceed with the download of the store, go to the APKPure website, managing cookies as preferred (perhaps clicking on the I consent button, for example). Then simply click sequentially on Download the APKPure App and Download anyway, if required, to obtain the .apk file for the store, which you will install using the procedure explained at the beginning of the guide.

Once you launch the APKPure store application for the first time, you will be asked whether you want to enable notifications (you can also tap Do not allow if it’s not of interest). At this point, you may need to skip a screen that offers to install a selection of apps: you can do this by pressing the X icon that appears in the upper right corner, consequently skipping any potential advertising pages that show up on the screen.

Now you are ready to install apps in .xapk format. You can download these directly from the APKPure portal, selecting the app name and sequentially tapping on the options Download APK and Download XAPK. Then, you simply need to go to the Download folder of your Android device and open the involved .xapk file, providing all the requested permissions on-screen. To clarify, you may need to first press CHECK NOW and then ALLOW, thus enabling the Allow access to manage all files option to ON.

You may need to reopen the .xapk file, but you will see that after pressing the INSTALL button and potentially toggling ON the Allow from this source option, the mandatory Install pop-up will appear on-screen. Perfect, now you know everything there is to know regarding the various formats in which Android apps are distributed for manual installation.

How to Install APK on PC

What do you say? Do you want to go beyond the Android device issues and install files of this type on your PC? Are you wondering how to install APK on Windows 11? If this is the case, then this is the chapter of the tutorial that suits you. What I recommend is to understand how to install APK on BlueStacks, one of the most popular Android emulators for computers.

Upon the first launch of the program on Windows, you will be asked to log into the Play Store and configure Google services: this operation is not necessary for the purpose of this guide, and you can avoid it by clicking the Later button. Now, click on the + button visible in the upper right corner of the BlueStacks window to open the sidebar of the program (if necessary), press the Install APK button (the rectangle with the downward arrow and the text APK), or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+B.

Finally, use the panel presented to select the APK file of interest, and after double clicking on the relevant preview, wait a moment for the installation to complete; you will be able to run the newly installed app from the My Games tab of BlueStacks.

To install an APK file in BlueStacks for macOS, reach the folder where the file is located using Finder, right-click on the preview of the package in question, and select the Open with > BlueStacks option from the contextual menu that appears; once installation is complete, you can start the app using the icon that has been created in the Home tab of the program.

In any case, as everything also depends on the emulator version and the operating system in use, I recommend checking out my specific guide on how to open APK files on PC for more information. If you are wondering how to install APK on Chromebook or how to install APK on ChromeOS Flex, you might be interested in looking at my tutorial about how Chromebooks work (usually in that context you need to enable developer mode).

How to Install APK on Fire Stick

What do you say? Are you asking how to install APK on Fire TV Stick? It can be done, but it’s important to be aware of one fundamental aspect of the issue: not all Android apps are compatible with Fire OS and/or with viewing on TV, so uploaded APK files may behave unexpectedly, or may not work at all.

With that necessary premise out of the way, let me explain how to proceed: in this case, I will use an Android app, called Apps2Fire, available for free on the Play Store and on non-Google service devices: it allows uploading and installing APK files on Fire TV Stick, whether they are packages of already installed apps or packages downloaded from the internet. Before proceeding, obtain (if necessary) the APK package to send and connect your Android smartphone or tablet to the same Wi-Fi network used by the Fire TV Stick.

All clear? OK, let’s proceed. First, bring up the Fire TV Stick main menu as follows: highlight the Home option at the top using the up directional arrow on the remote, move to the right until you reach the Settings option, then press the down directional arrow and move to the right until you highlight the My Fire TV option.

Now press the central button on the remote to access its menu, select the Developer Options from the menu that appears on-screen, press the central button again, select the ADB Debugging option and press the central button of the remote again to toggle the setting from OFF to ON; then repeat the same operation on the Apps from Unknown Sources option and press the Home button on the remote (the one that looks like a house) to return to the main menu.

After preparing the Fire TV Stick, switch to the Android device and download Apps2Fire: navigate to the relevant area of your app market, tapping the Install and Open buttons to download the app to the device and then launch it.

At this point, tap on the I agree option to accept the terms of use of Apps2Fire, and once you reach the initial screen of the app, tap the Settings tab and then tap the Search in Fire TV button to start the automatic searching for the device.

Now, patiently wait for the app to find the Fire TV Stick on the network and tap its name to add it to the app. Following this, a request for USB debugging authorization should appear on the Fire TV Stick screen: using the remote, check the box next to the option Always allow from this computer and press the OK button to authorize communication between devices again.

When you’re finished, return to the Android device and tap the OK, Done, and Save buttons to associate the Fire TV Stick with the app. At this point, you can proceed with sending and installing packages: if the APK file to be transferred to the Fire TV Stick is already installed on the device you are operating from, tap the Local Apps tab, tap the name of the app you want, and tap the Install button to send and install it on the Fire TV Stick.

If, however, you wish to add an APK file not installed on the device, tap the upward arrow symbol located in the upper left corner of the app, tap the Done button and, if requested, allow Apps2Fire to access the device’s storage.

Now, navigate through the folders of your device using the proposed panel, tap the APK file to send to the Fire TV Stick, and tap the Install button to complete the process.

All apps installed this way will be accessible from the My Games and Apps section on the Fire TV Stick home screen: after reaching it, press the See All button, select the app of your choice, and press the central button on the remote to launch it.

If you want to foreground the app (so you can access it directly from the Fire Stick home screen), select it, press the ☰ button on the remote and choose the Move to Front option from the menu that appears.

How to Install APK on Android TV

Have you recently purchased an Android TV (i.e., a television with Android operating system) and would like to know how to perform manual app installations in this context? I have some quick tips for you.

As mentioned in the Fire TV Stick chapter, not all Android apps are displayed correctly on TVs; in this case, what you could do is transfer the .apk files of interest onto a USB key to later connect it to one of the USB ports of the television.

At this point, you can use a file manager (which might be integrated) to view the contents of the USB key and initiate the installation of the .apk file of your interest, proceeding similarly to the procedure described in the beginning of the tutorial. You shouldn’t face too many issues navigating this context, although it all depends on the model of the television involved.

How to Install APK on iPhone

As I have already explained at the beginning of this guide, APK files are installable packages exclusively on Android and consequently cannot be used on other platforms. Thus, if you have an iPhone, know that you cannot install APKs on the smartphone in any way.

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