If you decide to go ahead and sideload apps on your Android device, we have one important piece of advice for you. Perhaps Google just wants to keep a tight rein on stats, as anyone downloading an APK in these ways is doing so without having an associated Google Play account recorded alongside.

You specifically agree not to access (or attempt to access) Google Play through any automated means (including use of scripts, crawlers, or similar technologies) and shall ensure that you comply with the instructions set out in any robots.txt file present on the Google Play website.”Īs we can see in the terms of service, our usage of Google Play implies that we cannot access APKs without using Google's interface (although this might be worked around by using Google Chrome). “3.3 You agree not to access (or attempt to access) Google Play by any means other than through the interface that is provided by Google, unless you have been specifically allowed to do so in a separate agreement with Google. It would seem that Google isn't too keen on users accessing the APK files directly. It's even possible to grab APK files from other sites. Surprisingly, downloading an APK directly from Google Play is actually simple. Google Play doesn't run on your older Android tablet. Your tablet or smartphone is short of space, and you don't have time to clear space You want a backup of the app, and don't want to root your device You can't install an app because of a broken Google Play services update ( what is Google Play services?)Īpp restricted by location – perhaps there is a legal reason why the app is blocked Many reasons exist for Android users to consider looking for a way to download APK files without the inconvenience of Google Play.ĭevice will run app, but Google Play says otherwise (always confirm this with Google searches) If you're looking at this post thinking 'party time for pirates', then think again. Before proceeding, make sure you read our guide to sideloading to familiarise yourself with the process.

Sideloading is simple, and means that you copy the APK from your desktop computer to your Android smartphone or tablet before installing it. Download the APK (the installer file, Android's equivalent of an EXE file on Windows) directly from Google Play (or elsewhere) to get the app sideloaded to your device in minutes. Installing an app for Android means using Google Play for the most part, but the restrictions of the interface can lead to problems, such as erroneous claims concerning device compatibility.ĭon't let these limitations stop you.

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