Installing an APK takes about a minute. The part that varies between phones is the permission screen, because Android changed how it works in version 8 and manufacturers label menus differently.

Before you start

Only install APKs from the developer's own website or a source that has the developer's permission to distribute the file. A modified or repackaged APK can contain code you can't see. On each app page here, the download section tells you where the file comes from.

Steps

  1. Download the APK from a trusted source. Use the official link on the app's page. Your browser may warn that this type of file can harm your device. That warning appears for every APK; it isn't a scan result.
  2. Check the file details. Compare the file size and, if the source publishes one, the SHA-256 hash with the file you received. Our guide to checking an APK file explains how.
  3. Open the APK. Open it from your browser's download list or a file manager (often called Files or My Files).
  4. Allow the install when asked. On Android 8 and later, you'll see a message that your phone isn't allowed to install unknown apps from this source. Press Settings, switch on Allow from this source, then go back. The setting applies only to the app you're installing from, such as Chrome or Files.
  5. Follow Android's installation prompts. Press Install. Google Play Protect may scan the app and show a warning if it doesn't recognise it.
  6. Review permissions. After installing, open the app. On Android 6 and later it will ask for sensitive permissions such as camera or location when it first needs them. Deny anything that doesn't make sense for the app. Our app permissions guide shows how to change them later.
  7. Delete the installer file if you like. The APK in your Downloads folder isn't needed once the app is installed.

Differences on older and newer phones

On Android 7 and older, there's a single switch called Unknown sources, usually under Settings > Security. It allows installs from anywhere, so switch it off again afterwards.

Menu names differ by manufacturer. Samsung phones call the per-app setting Install unknown apps under Settings > Apps > Special access. If you can't find it, search for "unknown apps" in the Settings search bar.

If you see "App not installed", the most common causes are: an older version than the one already on your phone, a different signature from the version you have (for example, a Play version and a website version), or a file built for a newer Android version than yours.

After installing

Apps installed from an APK don't always update through Google Play. Check whether the app updates itself, or read how to update Android apps for manual options. To remove the switch you turned on, go back to the Install unknown apps setting and turn it off.