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Are you facing problem in installing APK files on your android. Here in this article we will tell you how to install, open & play apk files on android tablet or phone.
There are different ways to install Android Apps on your tablet and the most preferred way is installing apps directly from Google Play. But there is also option for side loading, which means installing the Apps without using Google Play with help of .Apk files. But this option is generally disabled in many phones by default due to security concerns. In order to enable side loading of Android Apps, you need to modify the default settings and enable Installation from Unknown resources by checking this option in your tablet. The reason this option is disabled by default is there are many spyware and malware apps from 3rd parties which can corrupt your phone and steal important personal information. Hence when you are going to install Apps outside Google Play, you should be careful about such malware Apps and pirated games which can harm your phone and also result in theft of confidential information.
Once you have enabled the setting, you can download Android apps in .Apk format and install them on your device. You can either download the .Apk file from Google play to your Desktop and copy that to your Android tablet using USB cable or through Bluetooth. Then you can browse through the storage in your tablet using file manager and tap the Apk file in order to install it. Side loading permits you to install different variety of Apps which are not readily available in Google Play such as Amazon Appstore, XBMC Android Media Center, Humble Bundle App and various 3rd party Apps. In most Android tablets, this option might be disabled by default and you should be enable by ticking the Allow Installation from Unknown Sources Checkbox.
In order to install Apk files on your Android tablet, you require USB drivers to be installed on your Desktop and a USB connection between your Desktop and Android device. You can also transfer through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth if you have that connectivity. Before installing, you should download the .APK file for the application which you wish to install. If it’s a 3rd party App you can download it from respective website and in case if it’s an App already available in Google Play, you can download it from the Play. In order to browse through and install the .Apk file, you should have already installed a File manager App on your Android tablet. There are many free file manager apps available in Google play such as File Expert, Astro File manager etc.
Install the USB or Wi-Fi drivers for connecting your Android tablet with your Desktop and once connected, copy the .Apk installation file to the memory card of your tablet. Now go to settings in the tablet and under Applications menu check the Unknown Sources option. Now use the Astro file manager to browse the .Apk file on your tablet and click on the file to start the installation process. In case you want to install a custom App which you have developed yourself or any 3rd party App in .Apk format, then you can install it differently. You should connect your Android tablet to Desktop using USB and make use of a command-line utility called Android Debug Image (ADB) which helps your Android device in communicating with your Desktop. Then as mentioned earlier, you should modify the settings in your device to accept 3rd party application. Connect your tablet through USB to your linux machine and trigger the ADB server. You can browse through available Android devices with below command,
$ adb start-server
Once done view the list of available devices by using the below CLI,
$ adb devices
39DSDF425198800CEC device
You will find the device serial number using which you can copy the .Apk file to the tablet’s memory card. The command used is below,
$ adb -s 39DSDF425198800CEC push application.apk /sdcard/download
Now you can open the .Apk file using any file browser and then install it manually.
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