To install an application from Google Play on your Android device, you can download the apk file to your computer directly from the application store. Then, the downloaded file, you need to download using any file manager to your device and install the application.
You may ask: “Why is this necessary? Isn't it easier to go through the device directly to Google Play itself and install the desired application or game?
Yes, indeed, in most cases there is no need to use this method of installing applications, but there are several reasons due to which it is not possible to use Google Play directly:
- When you try to install an application or game, a message appears stating that they are not compatible with your android device. In turn, you are sure that this application or game should work on your mobile device.
- The app or game on Google Play is not available for installation in your country/region.
- You want to install the application on a device that does not have Internet connectivity or does not support installation from Google Play at all.
How to download apk file from Google Play to computer
Now let's take a look at how to do it step by step:
2. Find the app or game you want.
3. Go to the main page of the application and copy its address in the browser.
4. Open the app.evozi.com apk downloader page in your browser and paste in the field Package name or Google Play URL previously copied address.
5. Press the button Generate Download Link
6. After processing the link, information about the downloaded apk file and a button for downloading it to your computer will appear below. Click it.
That's all. After the download process is complete, you will have a full-fledged apk file for installing an application or game on your android device.
As you can see, downloading an apk file from Google Play to a computer is very simple, but there is one limitation - you can only download free applications and games. This is done in order to prevent the use of this service for the purpose of illegal (pirated) use of paid applications.
There are many interesting and useful applications for the Android operating system. Not infrequently, these applications are of interest to users who do not have an Android smartphone. Fortunately, this problem can be solved without buying a new device. Instead, you can just open the APK file on your computer and use the app you want.
To run APK files on your computer, there are many different programs. We have already described some of them in the article "". But, most of these programs are too heavy and complex. Therefore, you do not want to install them for the sake of one APK file. In this article, we will offer you an easier way to open APK files on a Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10 computer.
So, in order to open the APK file on the computer, we need the NOX APP PLAYER program. This program is free, and you can simply download it from the official website of the developer (). The process of installing NOX APP PLAYER is extremely simple. Run the installation EXE file and follow the instructions that will appear on the screen.
After the installation is complete, the Android operating system will start loading. This will take another 20-30 seconds. Then you will see the desktop.
The first thing you need to do is go to NOX APP PLAYER settings and enable ROOT. To do this, click on the button in the form of a gear, which is located in the upper right corner of the program.
After that, we translate the ROOT function to the On position and save the settings using the button at the bottom of the screen.
Once ROOT is enabled, you can open the APK file. To do this, click on the APK download button, which is located on the right side of the NOX APP PLAYER program window.
After that, the program will inform you that APK files can be opened by simple drag and drop. But, this function works incomprehensibly, so we click on the “I know” button in order to continue.
After that, the usual window for selecting a file will open. Here you just need to select the APK file that you want to open on your computer.
After that, the installation of the APK file in the NOX APP PLAYER program will begin. After the installation is completed, the application will start automatically, and an icon will appear on the Android desktop to launch this application manually. Please note, sometimes, and the first time the application refuses to start. In this case, you just need to open it again, and it will work.
If you need to simulate any functions of an Android smartphone to interact with an open application, then there is a toolbar on the right side of the program window for this.
It should be noted that you can also open the APK file literally. To do this, right-click on the APK file and select "Open with - Other application".
After that, a window for selecting an application will open. Here you need to select any archiver (for example, 7-zip) and click on the "Ok" button.
After that, you will see all the contents of the APK file that you have opened.
If necessary, you can extract any data from the APK file.
apk. What to open?
If you do not know what kind of format it is - APK and how it can be opened on a computer or phone, then read the text of the article. We will talk in detail about its features, ways to work and modify its individual elements.
What is APK?
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Android Package Kit (APK) is an executable file format for the . Represents an archive containing the source data of the application (program code, compiled resource files, settings, assets, libraries).
Peculiarities:
- Cannot be converted to another format.
- Archived using JAR-based compression.
- It is a subset of the ZIP format.
- Can be modified using Google Android SDK, Eclipse with ADT plugin.
- APK files are not encrypted.
APK files are stored in Google Play and other app stores for Android devices. They are unpacked and installed automatically, without the use of additional software. The data is stored in the root folder at /data/app. You can access them only through the explorer.
Android applications with the APK extension are developed using Google's Android SDK program. It is available for free download from the official website and is based on Java.
How to open on phone
Read also: RAR for Android: How to use the archiver on mobile
How to open apk file on phone
If a mobile application for the Android platform is downloaded from a third-party resource or computer, then it will have the apk extension. Then it can be installed on the phone manually.
How to open apk file from phone:
After that, the unpacking of the application will begin. Read the terms and conditions, grant access to features if necessary, and proceed with the installation.
APK format
If you cannot copy the APK package via USB, then send it via Bluetooth or e-mail. Or separately connect a mini SD card to the computer using an adapter and transfer the file to it.
Error when opening
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How to allow installation from unknown sources
If, after copying the APK file to the device, it cannot be launched, then most likely the ability to install through was disabled by the manufacturer.
Follow these steps to enable it:
- Go to the "Settings" menu and find the category "Personal data" here.
- Select "Security" and check the box next to "Unknown sources (Allow installation from unknown sources)".
- Run the APK file and proceed with the installation.
If an error appears, then in the same menu, uncheck the box next to "Check apps". Then Android will not prohibit the installation, which can harm the device. Use the method only if you are sure that the APK file being installed is safe.
other methods
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If you want to view the contents of the APK file from your phone, then you can use the mobile version or special software for this.
Consider the most popular programs that allow you to edit APK packages:
- APK Editor
APK Editor interface
Works both with packages and those already installed on the device, . Allows you to change individual manifests, edit resources, replace files. It features a user-friendly graphical interface, Cyrillic support.
- DroidEdit Free
DroidEdit Free interface
Free mobile application for creating and editing individual manifests. It will not work to open the APK itself with its help, and changing individual elements (after unpacking) is no problem.
- SmartAPKTool
SmartAPKTool Interface
Allows you to sign files in APK, ZIP formats. Unpack and pack APK. Suitable for pre-editing applications. SmartAPKTool may require additional software (ApkTool, Java virtual machine) to work.
After that, you will be able to change already existing lines of code, notifications. In some applications, you can add additional actions or remove existing ones (for example, showing ads). Please note that after that it will be different from the original, so you will not be able to update it through Google Play.
How to extract APK
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APK Extractor Interface
If you need to get the APK of an application already installed on your phone, then you can do this using special software. There are several free programs in the Play Market, but we will use APK Extractor for this purpose.
The procedure will be as follows:
How to extract apk using APK Extractor
How to open on a computer
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APK files
You can unpack the apk file to view or edit the contents using a regular archiver. In this case, you will not be able to install or run the application. This requires special software.
APK than to open on different operating systems:
- Windows - 7-Zip, WinRAR.
- Linux - 7-Zip, unzip.
- macOS - Archive Utility.
If during the installation of the archiver the extensions were not configured (which will be associated by default), then the program may not recognize the apk file. Then it will be an "unknown" format.
To open it, click on it with the mouse and select the desired software from the list of suggested programs. After that, you will have access to all the original data of the application.
Emulators to run APK files on PC
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If you want to install on a computer, then the file will have the .apk extension. To install it, you need a special emulator. They are available for free download.
BlueStacks Interface
It has good performance in games and allows you to run resource-intensive applications. The main feature is the Bluestacks TV feature. Needed for online broadcasts on.
Using the emulator, you can run mobile applications through apk packages or install them directly from the Play Market. To use Google services, you will need to log in with your account.
To run the apk packages themselves, it is not necessary to connect an account. But if the game or program requires linking to a social network or other services, then you will need to log in or go through a simple registration.
When downloading smartphone applications through a computer, the user may find that their installation file has an APK extension. Few people know, but this format can be launched not only on Android, but also on Windows, and how to do this will be described later in the text.
What is APK
Before proceeding with the consideration of ways to run APK files on a desktop device, it is worth telling what this format is in general.
So, its full name sounds like Android Package. Accordingly, already from this we can conclude that it is intended to work within the framework of a mobile operating system. Here you can draw an analogy with the EXE format, which is used in Windows and is an installer for an application. So APK is an archive with all program files, as well as instructions for extracting them. In simple terms, this is an Android app installer.
How to open an APK file on a computer
At the beginning of the article, it was said that APK files can be run not only on smartphones running Android, but also on Windows. Of course, this will require additional tools. They can be divided into two categories:
- to view the list of installed files;
- to install the application.
In the first case, any well-known archiver will do, it is with its help that you can open the APK and see what files are in it. But to install Android programs in the Windows operating system, you need to use more serious applications called emulators.
Using archivers
We'll start with how to open an APK file with an archiver. The question may immediately arise as to why this is needed at all. But, as mentioned earlier, in this way you can view all the files of the installed application, and most importantly, make some changes to them, for example, translate the text into Russian.
To perform all operations, the WinRAR archiver will be used, which each user can install for himself, because the application is distributed free of charge.
- Click on the APK file with the right mouse button (RMB).
- Select the "Properties" option from the menu.
- In the window that opens, go to the "General" tab.
- Opposite the "Application" line, click the "Change" button.
- A dialog box will appear asking you to select a program to open the file. If there is no WinRAR in the list, then specify the direct path to it by clicking on the link "Find another application on this computer".
- A file manager window will open. In it, you need to go to the directory with the WinRAR executable file. By default, it is located in the following path: "C:\Program Files\WinRAR\".
- After going to the folder with the archiver, select the executable file and click the "Open" button.
- In the Properties window, click Apply and then OK.
After following this instruction, all files that have the APK extension will be launched through the archiver, just double-click on them with the left mouse button (LMB).
Launching the emulator
If the purpose of downloading the APK file to the computer was to install it further, and not open it, then you will need to use the Windows operating system emulator. There are quite a lot of them on the software market, so all of them will not be considered in the article, but only the most popular ones.
BlueStacks
BlueStacks is the most popular Android emulator, so it makes sense to start with it. So, in order to install an Android application within the Windows desktop, you must perform the following steps:
- Launch BlueStacks.
- On the left panel with a list of tools, click on the "APK" button.
- A file manager window will open, in which you need to go to the folder with the previously downloaded APK file.
- Highlight the Android app and click the "Open" button.
- The installation process of the application in BlueStacks will start, wait for it to complete.
- The emulator menu will display the icon of the newly installed program, click on it to run it.
Droid4X
Droid4X is one of her popular mobile operating system emulators, so it can run Android apps on Windows computers. It's much easier to do this:
- Install the Droid4X program on your computer.
- Open File Explorer File Explorer.
- Navigate to the folder with the downloaded APK file.
- Right click on it.
- Select "Play with Droid4X" from the context menu.
- The mobile application installation process will start. Wait for it to complete.
- Click LMB on the icon of the installed program in the emulator menu.
Genymotion
Using the Genymotion emulator, installing an APK file on a computer is much more difficult, but still it is a good alternative to the previous methods. However, please note that you first need to create an account on the Genymotion website and install the VirtualBox virtual machine.
- Start GenyMotion.
- Click the "Add" button on the top bar.
- In the window that appears, click "Next".
- In the subsequent after it, also click "Next".
- Wait for the download to complete and in the VirtualBox window that opens, click the "Run" button.
- Return to the Genymotion window and click the "Start" button.
- The emulated Android window will appear. To install the APK, you must first install Genymotion ARM Translation. To do this, open the folder with this file and drag it with the mouse into the emulator window.
- Restart the emulator and virtual machine.
- Open the APK file folder and drag it to the emulator window.
Immediately after that, the application will be launched, and you will be able to interact with it through the emulator window.
If your computer has antivirus program Can scan all files on the computer, as well as each file individually. You can scan any file by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate option to scan the file for viruses.
For example, in this figure, file my-file.apk, then you need to right-click on this file, and in the file menu select the option "scan with AVG". Selecting this option will open AVG Antivirus and scan the file for viruses.
Sometimes an error can result from incorrect software installation, which may be due to a problem that occurred during the installation process. It may interfere with your operating system associate your APK file with the correct application, influencing the so-called "file extension associations".
Sometimes simple reinstalling google android sdk can solve your problem by properly linking the APK with the Google Android SDK. In other cases, file association problems may result from bad software programming developer, and you may need to contact the developer for further assistance.
Advice: Try updating the Google Android SDK to the latest version to make sure you have the latest fixes and updates.
This may seem too obvious, but often the APK file itself may be causing the problem. If you received a file via an email attachment or downloaded it from a website and the download process was interrupted (for example, by a power outage or other reason), the file may be corrupted. If possible, try to get a fresh copy of the APK file and try to open it again.
Carefully: A corrupted file can cause collateral damage to previous or pre-existing malware on your PC, so it's important to keep your computer up to date with an up-to-date antivirus.
If your APK file associated with the hardware on your computer to open the file you may need update device drivers associated with this equipment.
This problem usually associated with media file types, which depend on the successful opening of the hardware inside the computer, for example, sound card or video card. For example, if you are trying to open an audio file but cannot open it, you may need to update sound card drivers.
Advice: If when you try to open an APK file you get .SYS file related error message, the problem could probably be associated with corrupted or outdated device drivers that need to be updated. This process can be facilitated by using driver update software such as DriverDoc.
If the steps didn't solve the problem and you are still having problems opening APK files, this may be due to lack of available system resources. Some versions of APK files may require a significant amount of resources (eg. memory/RAM, processing power) to open properly on your computer. This problem is quite common if you are using fairly old computer hardware and a much newer operating system at the same time.
This problem can occur when the computer is having a hard time completing a task because the operating system (and other services running in the background) can consume too many resources to open apk file. Try to close all applications on your PC before opening Android Package File. By freeing up all the available resources on your computer, you will provide the best conditions for trying to open the APK file.
If you completed all the above steps and your APK file is still not opening, you may need to run hardware upgrade. In most cases, even with older hardware versions, the processing power can still be more than enough for most user applications (unless you're doing a lot of CPU-intensive work like 3D rendering, financial/science modeling, or intense media work) . Thus, it is likely that your computer does not have enough memory(more commonly referred to as "RAM", or RAM) to perform the task of opening a file.
Additionally
