Most of us Android phone users keep installing and trying different apps and games from Google Play store on a regular basis. These apps are installed automatically and only appear on our phones when we click the install button. However, there is another way to install apps and games and even live wallpapers on your phone without using an app store like Google Play. That’s where APK files or Android app bundles come into play.
Anyone who has ever used an Android phone and likes to install a lot of apps and games has probably heard or read about APK files. The APK file extension is a special file format that works much like a standard EXE or executable file on a Windows computer. It is an executable program file that installs an application on your Android smartphone.
These files are very easy to use, but you must first set up your phone to install apps from third-party sources. There’s an option for that in your phone’s settings, usually found in the app or security settings sections. Once you verify that, you just need to copy an APK file to your memory card, and you’re good to go.
However, the hard part is finding a reliable source for these files. You cannot just download files with APK file extension from any website. Quite a few websites not running proper antivirus checks and checking the application files uploaded there. Some of these can easily be viruses or other malware designed to allow someone else to access your phone’s features such as the camera, microphone, image gallery, and contact lists, thereby violating your privacy. However, as long as you download APK files from reputable sources, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Most of the time, you will find discontinued apps or live wallpapers like Flappy Bird online in the form of APK files that other app users have uploaded to websites. They are also a very good source of custom apps that users created for their own use. Those simple, small, and mostly ad-free apps are great for adding some new features to your phone, like a flashlight or RSS reader. However, you have to be very careful which file you download from where because not everyone can make good quality apps and some can even mess up your phone if run on an incompatible device.
