If you are newbie in the Android world and you want to start to download applications and modify your Android experience, you need to know certain things about APK files. An APK file is the file format used for installing software (usually games or apps) on the Android operating system.
Downloading the APK file allows you to install applications on your android without the access the site such as Google Play. To install these files, it is not necessary to have the access to the Internet.
Installing APK file allows you to install applications that are leaked before their official release. Simply APK files let you bypass certain operators to get the latest Google update. In addition, if your Android device does not have access to the Google Play Store, APK files may be the only way to get applications to your device.
Installing APK file on the computer
First of all you must have the latest version of Google Chrome. While finding a proper APK file on line, make sure to check if the APK file you are downloading is safe and that is not malware. Once you find the APK extension you find safe, download the APK Downloader extension on your computer. Now it is safe to open Extensions from Chrome menu. The next step is to drag the APK file downloader which can download from your disk in the Extension window in Google Chrome. Once you have installed the APK Downloader extension, click on the option to set it.
Installing APK file on your Android device
Now you need to download this app on your phone that will show you the JID and Devide ID of your Android device. If you do not want to do this, you can simply type * # * # 8255 # * # * and overwrite the data. When you collect the required data, enter them in APD Downloader extensions together with the mail address to which you have registered your phone.
All you are left to do is to open Google Play Store via the Google Chrome browser on your computer, find the desired application or game whose APK file you want to download and click on the icon extensions, located in the top right corner next to the star for bookmarking site and download the APK file.
Installing APK files directly from your browser
Alternatively, you can install the APK file from the browser on your Android. Open your browser, click on the “download APK files” option and you can follow the downloading process in the status bar of your phone. When you are finished, open the “Downloads” icon, click the .apk file, and click on “yes”, the application will start downloading to your Android.
While doing that, bear in mind that the safest place for downloading these applications is Google Play Store. The fact is that there are numerous sources of APK files online, just make sure you select wisely the site you will download from. Some APK files may contain malware that could pose a threat to your Android device. We definitely advise Google Play Store, although, there is never too much caution.