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When you’re looking for a new app to pour hours of your life into, the first place you go is the Google Play Store. That’s understandable; the Play Store has an absolute ton of apps and games that you can sink your teeth into. However, the beauty of Android is the ability to sideload apps onto your phone.
Sideloading apps is a large part of the Android experience, and if you want to get into it, here’s a handy guide to get you going. We’ll go over how to sideload an app, but we’ll also go through what makes it great, what makes it dangerous, and how to stay safe while doing it. So, let’s get started.
What is sideloading?
A guide on how to sideload apps wouldn’t really be useful unless you know what sideloading is. As said before, most people using Android use the Google Play Store to download their apps. It’s an extremely safe storefront that’s jam-packed with apps. However, it’s not the only option for downloading apps.
You’re able to install apps from different sources. There are other storefronts that let you download the APK files that Android installs. They could either come from third-party app stores installed on your device or from the internet.
Sideloading is when you install an app that’s not from the first-party app store. In this case, we’re talking about the Google Play Store. So, when you download from the Galaxy Store, Amazon Store, Palm Store, or any other storefront, that’s sideloading. Installing an APK that you found on the internet is also sideloading.
How to sideload apps on your Android phone
Now that you know what sideloading is, let’s talk about how to do it. Sideloading apps is a little different from installing apps through the Play Store. Downloading apps on the Play Store is as easy as pressing the install button. When it comes to sideloading apps, there are a few extra steps.
Enabling installations from unknown sources
Before you can sideload an app, your system needs to allow installations from unknown sources. Google refers to any app that’s not from the Play Store as an app from an unknown source.
Since this is Android, the process of changing this setting may differ depending on what company built your phone. In this guide, we’ll show you how to do so using stock Android, as most phones default to using stock or near-stock Android.
Go to your settings and go to the Apps page. There, scroll to the bottom and click on the Special app access button. On the resulting page, tap on the Install unknown apps button. This is where you’ll be able to choose the app that can install apps from unknown sources. Make sure you choose the file manager that you use to view the APK. Toggle the setting on.
Downloading
After you toggle that, you’re free to download the app and install it. When you actually download the app, you might get a message that this file could be harmful to your device. Depending on where you’re downloading this app from, that could be either true or false.
The thing is that Google doesn’t 100% like you downloading apps that aren’t from the Play Store. So, the company posts that message to discourage you from downloading the APK. However, if you’re downloading the app from a trusted source like APK Mirror, and you know that it’s harmless, then you’re free to ignore the message and download it.
Installing/updating
After you download the app, all you have to do is tap on the APK file. The system will give you the option to install the app or cancel. Tap on Install and you’ll see the system install the app. After that, the only step remaining is to enjoy the app!
When it comes time to update the app, it won’t update automatically like an app does through the Play Store. You might see a notification appear through the app itself telling you that you need to update the app. When you choose to update it, the app will download the updated APK file. After that, you’ll need to push the update button to install the update.
The dangers of sideloading apps
So, it’s easy to sideload apps to your Android phone, but it can turn into a nightmare if you’re not smart about it. The thing is that it can be dangerous. Google pours a ton of time and effort into making sure that every app you download is safe. Bad apps definitely sneak through, but the issue would be exponentially worse if it wasn’t for Play Protect.
When you sideload an app, you don’t have that protection; your safety is in the hands of the app store you’re downloading from. If you download from the Galaxy Store, you’re as protected as Samsung allows you to be. This means that if you’re downloading an APK from a small-time website that you discovered on the internet, there’s a very low chance that it’s been scanned or inspected to be sure that it’s safe.
When you’re sideloading apps, it’s best to stick with trusted storefronts that put some sort of effort into managing the apps. If you’re not, then you run the risk of downloading malware. Considering that you keep a ton of sensitive data on your phone, it’s best not to let that happen. If you sideload an app onto your phone, and you notice weird behavior from your device, uninstall it immediately.
Benefits of sideloading apps
Sideloading apps can be scary, but there are benefits to installing apps this way. For starters, it allows you to install apps outside of the Google Play Store. Sure, there’s a massive number of apps on the Play Store, but it’s not going to have every app. Branching out to other app stores will help you discover apps you’ve never seen before. Who knows what gems you’ll find?
Another benefit is rediscovering old apps. No app stays on the Play Store forever; companies decide to delist their apps when they’ve served their purpose. When an app is delisted, it won’t show up on the Play Store and you can’t download it.
Well, if that app’s APK was extracted and uploaded to an Android APK website, you can still sideload it to your phone. There are tons of old apps on different sites and storefronts. Being delisted from the Play Store doesn’t mean that you can’t install it on your device. Just know that if the app requires an internet connection, then you might not be able to play it. Most likely, if a company delists an app, then it will also shut down that app’s servers.
Lastly, sideloading lets you reinstall older versions of your favorite apps. Some storefronts have multiple versions of the same app. Every time the developer releases a new version of the app on the Play Store, people will extract the APK for that version and upload it to the storefront.
Now, if the company releases an update that removes one of your favorite features or makes for a buggy experience, you can install an older version of that app. You can install the version before the update and continue using it as normal.