How to Install APK files on Android mobiles?

Android is the most used mobile operating system right now. It has redefined our mobile usage. Android is known for its open nature and simplicity. Even a noob can become a master user in no time. Moreover Android offers flexibility. You have full control over your mobile. You can customize the Android OS the way you like. It offers tonnes of customisation.

With Android smartphone, you can almost do anything. Browse the web, stream videos, play games, improve your productivity, stay connected with friends and use social media. Thanks to the plethora of apps that filled the PlayStore. These apps help you to achieve anything that you wish.

Most of these can be downloaded and installed for free from PlayStore. There are several free apps and some apps are available as freemium apps and others come with in-app purchases.

To enjoy the benefits of all these apps the reliable way is to Install them from Google PlayStore. It is the official and secure way to install Android apps.

But the above method requires the consumption of mobile data. It is okay for apps with low memory but to install apps and games you need to spend more of your limited mobile data. In order to save the data people often share Android apps with their friends, with the help of popular sharing apps like SHAREit. Apps like SHAREit transfer the Android Package(APK) file of the app.

Also, there are apps like GBWhatsApp, GB Instagram and Tubemate that aren’t available on PlayStore. These apps can be downloaded as APK files from their respective websites and have to be installed on our devices using the APK files.

APK files can’t be installed just like the way we install apps from Google Play. To install these you need follow a simple procedure which we have explained below.

Install APK files on Android

Installing apps from APK files is known as sideloading and by default Android OS doesn’t allow you to do so as it weakens the security by allowing apps from untrusted sources. It is disabled by default to sideload apps. But it is optional and users can enable it at their own risk.

If you wish to install a trusted APK file of an Android app you can install it by temporarily disabling the above option. Here below we have explained in a step by step manner about how you can install Android APK files on your Android smartphone.

Procedure:

• First of all open settings on your Android smartphone.
• Now head over to security settings.
• Under security settings, scroll down a bit and you will find an option labelled as “Unknown sources”. This option is by default disabled and in order allow the installation of apps from unknown sources you need to enable this option. Toggle the switch to ON.
• In some smartphones, the option is present under privacy settings listed in additional settings. i.e Settings->Additional Settings->Privacy-> Unknown Sources.
• Also, you can make use of the search bar in settings to quickly open this option.

By enabling this option you can now easily install APK files that you transfer from friends or downloaded from third-party sites other than PlayStore.

Precautions:

Before you install apps from Unknown sources you need follow some precautions. Here below are few precautions you should be aware to stay safe and protect your device from malware.

• Always install APK files that are safe and that you get from trusted sources.
• Make sure you download apps from sites that are don’t distribute malware.
• Never downloaded MOD apps from unknown sources. Research a bit and find a trusted source to download.
• Always remember to disable this option once you finish installation of the required app.
• Use anti-virus apps to scan APK files.

Conclusion:

So this is how you install or sideload APK files in Android in a secure way. This is common for all the devices running Android OS. This guide will help you in installing apps like GB Instagram and GBWhatsApp about which we have already written.  Do read them and enjoy the benefits.