How to install an application on Android using an *.apk file. How to install applications on Android from a computer

Installing applications without using Google Play on Android- the task is quite simple. In addition, it has several types of solutions. With this guide you will learn how to use each of them.

Why do you need to install applications without using them? Google Play? And won't this harm the phone? Among the main reasons why you have to use third-party sources are saving traffic (sometimes you spend more money on downloading a game than buying it), saving money (you can often find free APK files those applications for which Google Play you will have to pay money), and, in addition, the lack of an application on Google Play(some developers distribute their applications bypassing the Store from Google to monetize development with the help of site visitors. Example - streaming video player SopCast). Therefore, the ability to install applications without Google Play will always be useful to you.

Installing third-party apps from trusted sources like , will not harm your phone. All applications on our website are checked for viruses and malicious scripts, and therefore your phone will always remain completely safe. It is worth noting that even installing the application using Google Play does not always guarantee complete security for your device.

In order to smoothly download and install applications from third-party sites, you need to allow your phone to install from unverified sources. This is done simply. In new versions Android the corresponding settings can be made by going to SETTINGS, and further into the section SAFETY. One of the columns in this section is the column "Unknown Sources", in which you must check the box and then agree to the changes.

In addition, you will need any file manager. website recommends using for these purposes Total Commander. Click on to download it using Google Play.

That's it! Now you can install applications not from Google Play.

1. The first and easiest way is to install applications directly from your phone.

In order to upload the application to your smartphone, you need to download it immediately. Use your phone's internal browser for this (the screenshot shows an example from Google Chrome for Android). Enter the website address (for example,) into the browser address bar, find and download the one you need apk file. On the site, links to download applications are located under the reviews, where you can download them for free.

Next, you need to tap on the link, after which the application file will begin downloading to your device. Usually, by default, the download occurs in the folder sdcard/Download in your phone's internal memory. After downloading, you can exit the browser to proceed to the next step.

Next you need to launch your file manager (in our case it is Total Commander), then find ours in the device’s file system APK file. As already mentioned, it is usually located in the folder Download in the phone's internal memory.

Once you have found the downloaded application file, you need to open it. Total Commander When you click on the application icon, it gives you three options: Install, Open as ZIP and Google Play. Choose "Install". Next, the device itself will ask you about installation again. Press again "Install". We are waiting for the installation process to complete - that’s it! The application is downloaded to your device!

2. The second method that will help save mobile traffic is to install an Android application from a personal computer using USB cable.

We launch any Internet browser from the computer and go to a site with applications, for example, on. We look for the program we like and download it, as in the previous method. Save apk file to any folder on your computer.

Next, connect your device to the computer using USB cable. After that, pull out the “curtain” on the Android device and select “Connect as storage device” or "Media device". After that we go to "My computer" and look for your phone or tablet there.

Copy the previously downloaded APK file to any folder on the Android device and remember it. After copying is completed, the smartphone can be disconnected from the PC.

Using the same Total Commander or any other Explorer, look for the folder in which you saved the application. Found it? You're almost there.

As in the previous method, open APK file, tapping on it and double-clicking "Install". We are waiting for the installation process to complete and rejoice. The application is uploaded to your smartphone!

3. The third way to install applications on Android concerns the installation of games with cache.

The fact is that some developers, in order to reduce the size of the downloaded file, separate some of the game elements from apk file. In this case, you have to install the game separately, and the cache separately. The exception is games that, after installation, themselves “download” the necessary files.

So what do we need for this type of installation? The easiest way is to install using PC. To get started, download apk file application and accompanying cache. Save both files to any folder on your computer. Next, using the second method described above, install the application file (APK).

After that, we move on to the cache. On the site, the installation instructions always describe in which folder you need to put your cache. We search and open it using "My computer". Open the cache file in a separate window. It is usually archived in ZIP or RAR- file. Using the appropriate archiver, extract the cache folder from the archive. After that, copy it to your phone in the folder specified in the review. Most often, this is the folder sdcard/Android/data/obb, however, there are exceptions. For example, the cache sometimes has to be copied to folders sdcard/Android/data/ or sdcard/gameloft/games/(games from Gameloft). In any case, you can't go wrong by downloading applications from. The main thing is to pay attention to the instructions.

After the cache has been copied to the desired folder, disconnect the smartphone from the PC and launch the application. Ready! Happy gaming!

Android OS involves the use of numerous applications that allow you to do anything on your device: play games, read, communicate on social networks and much more. These programs can be downloaded in various ways, but all of them are in apk format. So you need to know how to install *apk file on Android.

Android devices use .apk files as archives for installing programs

APK is a special executable format that was created for Android. The largest database of these archives is provided by the Google Play application store, through which everyone basically installs any software on their devices. But installing apk on Android can be done in other ways, which are also important to know about.

In general, all installation methods are divided into those that are performed without a PC, and those that require a computer. But even this division is conditional. It is quite possible to do without the help of Windows when downloading any software. If you don’t know where to install apk files on Android, then don’t worry: everything here is not like with Windows, the system itself will unzip it into the desired directory.

Google Play

Downloading and installing the “app” is the easiest way. To do this you need:

1. Go to the application store.
2. Select the program you are interested in.
3. Click the “download” button.
4. Then click the “install” button.

After this, the application will be installed automatically. You don’t need to do anything else, this method is the main one and is suitable for most software downloaded on Android.

File manager

It happens that the required installer is not available on Google Play. This happens quite rarely, but some software, for example, Kate Mobile, simply does not want to be installed using the standard method. Then it’s worth knowing how to install apk files on Android using file managers. Any such program will do, for example, ES Explorer.

1. Download the required installer through the browser. You can also download the archive via a computer, and then transfer it to a memory card or using a USB cable directly to a smartphone or tablet.
2. We launch ES Explorer and find our installer in one of the folders (usually “Downloads”).
3. Click on it, after which the installation process will start.

That's it, now the required application has loaded. New Androids will not always allow you to install unknown programs. To get around this, you need to check the box next to “Unknown sources” in the settings, in the “Security” section.

In addition, there are special utilities called . If the file manager allows you to simply browse through folders, then the file manager is used as an apk installer for Android. One such utility is SlideME Mobentoo App Installer. Just download it for your device and run it. And then she herself will check whether there are installers in the SD card or device memory, after which it will be possible to easily download the necessary software.

Browser

Another method is to install apk on Android. You will need any browser for it, standard Google Chrome will do.

1. Open the browser.
2. In the address bar enter: content://com.android.htmlfileprovider/sdcard/[FILE NAME].apk.
3. Press "Enter".

The installation will begin. If this does not happen, you can try typing: file:///sdcard/[FILE NAME].apk. Also check that the archive name is spelled correctly and make sure that it has been downloaded to your device.

QR code

This is the new trendy way to install apps. Very often on billboards or various websites you can see a QR code by which you can install some program. A QR code is a kind of link, by opening which we gain access to the installer. To follow this link, you need it, you can download it through Google Play, there are enough such utilities today. After that, we simply scan the code, then we are most often transferred to Google Play, from where the “app” will be downloaded.

Computer and special programs

Some users may also find it useful to know how to install apk on Android. This can only be done if you have special utilities on your PC. One of these is InstallAPK.

1. Download this program to your computer.
2. We connect a smartphone or tablet to it using a USB cable.
3. On your PC, click on the desired archive.
4. A window appears asking you to install it on your Android device.
5. We agree.

After this, the desired application will be downloaded. As you can see, everything is very easy.

Now you know how to install an apk file on Android using a variety of methods. It is also important to remind you once again that if you are unable to run the installer, then check whether you have a checkmark in the “Security” section. You should not download installers from unknown sources, as this may lead to the appearance of virus software on the system. Download only from sites that are truly safe.

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Unlike iOS and other closed systems, Android developers have provided the ability to install various applications independently, without the participation of Google Play Store and other content stores. Having an .apk file in your hands, you can install a paid application yourself, without paying a penny for it.

"Why resort to self-installation using .apk files?"- you ask, and then that not all applications are presented in the Google Play Store and, moreover, most of them are paid and cost money. All applications for Android have .apk extensions - in fact, this is a kind of archive, the contents of which can be viewed by anyone archivist.

Where to start?

The first action you need to perform is to allow the installation of applications from unknown sources, go to Settings -> Applications and put a tick next to the item Unknown Sources and click OK.

1. Installing applications using a file manager

After this simple step, you can copy the .apk file to the SD card of your phone. Next, to install the application, you can use any file manager that recognizes and understands apk files. ASTRO File Manager or ES File Explorer are suitable for these purposes.

Launch the file manager, find the apk file, tap on it and install the application using the standard Android installer.

2. Install applications using the application manager

In addition, to simplify the procedure for installing applications for Android, there are special programs - application managers. One such program is SlideME Mobentoo App Installer.

This popular application manager for Android will automatically scan your smartphone's SD card for the presence of apk files and help you quickly, in one click, install the required application. Isn't it convenient?

3. Installing applications using a computer and USB

However, the most convenient way to install Android applications is by connecting your smartphone to your computer via a USB cable. To do this, you will need the InstallAPK program and USB drivers. Install it on your computer, don’t forget about the drivers, connect your smartphone via USB cable and double-click on the apk file.

InstallAPK will automatically identify the apk file and start installing the application on your Android phone. You will only need to agree to install the application and click the "Install" button.

4. Other ways to install Android applications

If you do not want to install any additional programs, then you can install the application from apk files the old-fashioned way. Launch a standard Android browser and enter the following link in the browser's address bar and the installation will start automatically:

content://com.android.htmlfileprovider/sdcard/FileName.apk

This method is not very convenient and is suitable for those who rarely install programs for Android.

Conclusion

In this article, we tried to describe all the methods known to us for installing an Android application from apk files. If you know other ways to install programs, write to us about them in the comments and we will definitely include these methods in this article. Stay tuned.

In order to expand the standard functionality of their smartphone, users prefer to download and install additional applications on it. And while iPhone owners need to use the iTunes Store to do this, Android users can perform the action using built-in tools.

First, you should set the settings so that you can install applications from unknown sources.

1 . Open settings on your smartphone.

2 . Go to "Applications».

3 . Place a highlight next to the line "Unknown sources ».

Now let's take a closer look at what an APK is. All applications and files designed for Android have this extension. In essence, they are ordinary archived documents. They can be opened using special programs, archivers. Android OS devices recognize such files and by default know what to do with them.

Installation of .apk files

There are several ways to install applications with the .apk extension. The simplest one is to use file manager. To do this, the document with the .apk extension must be saved to the memory card installed in the smartphone. Then you should open any file manager (for example Total Commander) and find the required file in it. After this, the installation will begin using the standard system installer.

Another way to install an apk file is to use the Play Market. In order to complete the installation, you need to go to the application and find the desired program. After this, press the button “ Install", and the process starts automatically. The only requirement that must be met to use this method is the presence of an , through which you will need to log into the application.

Installing applications and games from the store Google Play usually does not cause difficulties even for inexperienced users. Since the installation process here is as simplified as possible, I clicked on the “Install” button and the application was installed.

However, the creator's policy implies another way to install applications - directly from the device. For this you need download apk file, transfer it to your device and install it. This is for those users who are unable to connect to Google Play Market. Therefore, today we will talk about how this process works in general.

What do we need:

The device itself (smartphone or tablet).
Apk file downloaded to your computer
File manager installed on your device.

By default, on Android the device can be installed APK files only from the app store Play Market. In order to be able to install APK files from computer, you need to allow installation of applications from unknown sources. To do this, go to the settings of your Android device and go to the “ Safety».

After that, enable the " Unknown sources».

After enabling this function, you will be able to install any APK files.

After that you copy the file APK either to the main device or to a memory card.

To complete the installation APK file from computer to Android device you need to run this APK file. To do this, you need to use any file manager. Launch the file manager, open the folder where you copied the APK file and run it. After launching the APK file, a window will appear on the screen asking you to install the application. To install the APK file, simply click on the " Next».

After this application will be installed on your Android device. After the installation is complete, an icon of the installed application will appear on the desktop. Also, the new application icon will appear in the list of all applications.

Be careful: if the application can make calls or send SMS messages, it is quite possible that it was created to steal funds from the subscriber’s personal account, since the same SMS messages are sent in such a way that the owner of the device will never guess about it, while his personal account is slowly emptied, After all, these messages are paid.

How to install an apk file on Android without a file manager?

Not all users have a file manager on their devices. So, launch any browser and write the following phrase in the address bar: file:///sdcard/. This will open the file system of your device.

Well, then it’s a matter of technology. Click on the apk file and install it. In our case, however, when you click on a file, it is downloaded. Then you need to call up the curtain and in the curtain click on the file again to install it.

In any case, this will not cause you problems.