Installing applications without using Google Play on Android- the task is quite simple. In addition, it has several types of solutions. With this guide you will learn how to use each of them.
Why do you need to install applications without using them? Google Play? And won't this harm the phone? Among the main reasons why you have to use third-party sources are saving traffic (sometimes you spend more money on downloading a game than buying it), saving money (you can often find free APK files those applications for which Google Play you will have to pay money), and, in addition, the lack of an application on Google Play(some developers distribute their applications bypassing the Store from Google to monetize development with the help of site visitors. Example - streaming video player SopCast). Therefore, the ability to install applications without Google Play will always be useful to you.
Installing third-party apps from trusted sources like , will not harm your phone. All applications on our website are checked for viruses and malicious scripts, and therefore your phone will always remain completely safe. It is worth noting that even installing the application using Google Play does not always guarantee complete security for your device.
In order to smoothly download and install applications from third-party sites, you need to allow your phone to install from unverified sources. This is done simply. In new versions Android the corresponding settings can be made by going to SETTINGS, and further into the section SAFETY. One of the columns in this section is the column "Unknown sources", in which you must check the box and then agree to the changes.
In addition, you will need any file manager. website recommends using for these purposes Total Commander. Click on to download it using Google Play.
That's all! Now you can install applications not from Google Play.
1. The first and easiest way is to install applications directly from your phone.
In order to upload the application to your smartphone, you need to download it immediately. Use your phone's internal browser for this (the screenshot shows an example from Google Chrome for Android). Enter the website address (for example,) into the address bar of your browser, find and download the one you need apk file. On the site, links to download applications are located under the reviews, where you can download them for free.
Next, you need to tap on the link, after which the application file will begin downloading to your device. Usually, by default, the download occurs in the folder sdcard/Download in your phone's internal memory. After downloading, you can exit the browser to proceed to the next step.
Next you need to launch your file manager (in our case it is Total Commander), then find ours in the device’s file system APK file. As already mentioned, it is usually located in the folder Download in the phone's internal memory.
Once you have found the downloaded application file, you need to open it. Total Commander When you click on the application icon, it gives you three options: Install, Open as ZIP and Google Play. Choose "Install". Next, the device itself will ask you about installation again. Press again "Install". We are waiting for the installation process to complete - that’s it! The application is downloaded to your device!
2. The second method that will help save mobile traffic is to install an Android application from a personal computer using USB cable.
We launch any Internet browser from the computer and go to a site with applications, for example, on. We look for the program we like and download it, as in the previous method. Save apk file to any folder on your computer.
Next, connect your device to the computer using USB cable. After that, pull out the “curtain” on the Android device and select “Connect as storage device” or "Media device". After that we go to "My computer" and look for your phone or tablet there.
Copy the one you downloaded earlier APK file to any folder on the Android device and remember it. After copying is completed, the smartphone can be disconnected from the PC.
Using the same Total Commander or any other Explorer, look for the folder in which you saved the application. Found it? You're almost there.
As in the previous method, open APK file, tapping on it and double-clicking "Install". We are waiting for the installation process to complete and rejoice. The application is uploaded to your smartphone!
3. The third way to install applications on Android concerns the installation of games with cache.
The fact is that some developers, in order to reduce the size of the downloaded file, separate some of the game elements from apk file. In this case, you have to install the game separately and the cache separately. The exception is games that, after installation, themselves “download” the necessary files.
So what do we need for this type of installation? The easiest way is to install using PC. To get started, download apk file application and accompanying cache. Save both files to any folder on your computer. Next, using the second method described above, install the application file (APK).
After that, we move on to the cache. On the site, the installation instructions always describe in which folder you need to put your cache. We search and open it using "My computer". Open the cache file in a separate window. It is usually archived in ZIP or RAR- file. Using the appropriate archiver, extract the cache folder from the archive. After that, copy it to your phone in the folder specified in the review. Most often, this is the folder sdcard/Android/data/obb, however, there are exceptions. For example, the cache sometimes has to be copied to folders sdcard/Android/data/ or sdcard/gameloft/games/(games from Gameloft). In any case, you can't go wrong by downloading applications from. The main thing is to pay attention to the instructions.
After the cache has been copied to the desired folder, disconnect the smartphone from the PC and launch the application. Ready! Good game!
In most cases, the question of whether it is possible to install applications on Android via a computer refers to a situation where the user does not have access to wireless networks, but has a wired Internet connection on a stationary terminal. Next, we will look at several basic ways to install Android applets using exactly these methods.
How to install applications on Android from a computer: options
Among the simplest ways to install Android applications from a computer, there are several main ones:
- downloading the installation distribution to a mobile device from a PC;
- installation via Play Market storage;
- use of control utilities and emulator programs.
Although all the methods seem quite simple at first glance, in some situations you should pay attention to the nuances of the settings, without which all efforts will be in vain.
Downloading the distribution and transferring it to your mobile device
In the simplest case, installing an application on Android via a computer is quite simple. Let's say a user has access to the Internet only from a fixed terminal with a wired connection. All you need to do is find and download the installation file of an application or game in the standard APK format, recognized by all versions of the Android OS without exception, and then connect your mobile device using a USB cable and copy it from the hard drive to the internal drive or SD card.
Next, on your smartphone or tablet, you just need to launch the transferred distribution and go through the standard installation procedure. But the problem of how to install applications on Android from a computer is not limited to this. The fact is that if you download files from unofficial resources (meaning Play Market), the system may not install the program, considering it unsafe.
To prevent this situation from happening, before starting the installation you should go to the system settings and in the security section enable permission to install software from unknown sources (in some versions of the system this parameter may be in the section intended for developers). Only after this can any application, no matter where it was downloaded from, be installed without problems.
Using access to Play Market
You can also use direct access to the Play Market storage directly from your computer via a web browser.
In this case, installing applications on an Android tablet from a computer will also be easy. But there are two mandatory conditions: connecting the mobile device to the computer and going through the authorization procedure in the Google Play service itself.
To find the required applet, log into the service, then enter your registered Gmail email address and the password specified during registration. As is already clear, this is done exclusively on a PC. After this, a similar procedure must be performed on the mobile device (if the entry is inactive by default). When both registration records are synchronized, all that remains is to find the desired program and activate the installation start (the compatibility of the installed software with the connected tablet or smartphone will be determined automatically). Next, you need to select your device from the list (it should be marked in gray), click the install button and wait for the process to complete.
Installing applets using emulators and control programs
Another technique that allows you to solve the problem of how to install applications on Android from a computer is to use special programs that can emulate the operation of the Android system in a Windows environment.
Today you can find a lot of such programs on the Internet. One of the most popular is a small utility called BlueStacks. After installing it on your computer or laptop, if everything is done correctly, you can run the installation files in APK format directly on the Windows terminal.
In some cases, when the application also contains a special cache folder, you will have to transfer it to the mobile device manually. This is usually the obb directory, which should be saved in the data directory located in the Android root folder on the internal storage. But do not confuse the name sdcard with a removable card!
How to install Android applications on your computer?
Now another interesting point. Not all users know that you can install programs on your computer that are designed to work on Android systems. But this will require some kind of management utility.
You can use, for example, the Mobogenie program. Its remarkable feature is that it works as an emulator and allows you to run Android applets in its environment. In this case, the environment itself must be installed on both the computer and the mobile device, but there is no need to install installed programs on the mobile device. You can perform testing directly in Windows.
A few conclusions
Probably, many have already noticed that the question of how to install applications on Android from a computer or install Android programs in a Windows environment is solved quite simply. Any final advice? Naturally, the easiest way is to simply copy the required file to your smartphone or tablet and install it on the device itself. But in some cases, the rest of the described methods or programs are also perfect. And don’t forget about some permission settings and manual transfer of cache folders to the internal drive. Without this, the programs either will not install or simply will not work.
Owners of Android devices who do not have the ability to connect to a wireless Wi-Fi network very often wonder whether they can connect from a computer with Internet access. This is done quite simply. Let's look at a few basic options.
How to install applications on Android from a computer: basic options
Of course, the easiest way to install an application or game you like on your mobile device is to directly access the Google Play service from the gadget or an Internet resource with the program, if it is not available in the official repository. But there are situations when there is no wireless network at home. In this case, you can only use a directly connected computer.
This is where the problem arises: how to do it from a computer (Google Play is not available due to lack of connection on the mobile device)? There is an exit. The simplest methods for installing applications are the following:
- Using access to Google Play through any web browser.
- Installation of downloaded applications as APK files.
- Installation using computer management utilities.
How to install applications on Android from a computer via Google Play?
The first and easiest method is to use the most common Internet browser. We assume that the mobile device is already connected. If there is no connection via the USB cable, you can connect it in the following steps.
So, first in the browser we enter the official page of the Google Play service. It looks exactly the same as on a smartphone, except that the size is larger. First, you need to log in by entering your registered Gmail email address (login) and password in the appropriate fields. Next, find the desired application or game. To do this, you can use the search bar or select a program by popularity rating, category, installation type (paid, free), etc.
After this, you should connect the device to the computer and go through identification directly, if the account is not activated by default. When it is synchronized on the computer and mobile device, the compatibility of the downloaded software with the Android device will be determined automatically.
Now all that remains is to click on the start installation button. After this, the service will prompt you to select the device on which you intend to install the selected application. There may be several of them on the list. Perhaps the user has both a tablet and a smartphone. All devices to which the account was previously linked will be marked in gray. Select the connected device, click the install button and wait for the process to complete.
Installing applications downloaded from unofficial resources
Now consider the issue of downloading from a computer from third-party Internet resources. But here you will need to perform several preliminary steps.
First, you need to go to the settings on your device and select the security section. You should check the box next to Allow installation from unknown sources. Otherwise, the system will not allow you to install the program from a standard APK file. Download the required file to your computer. After that, copy it to the removable storage device of your mobile device (SD card). Next, installation is performed directly from the device. This applies to cases when the computer system does not have a single program for controlling a smartphone or tablet.
Installing applications with cache
Now let's see how to install applications on Android from a computer to HTC devices or devices from other manufacturers (there is no difference), for which a prerequisite is to create a cache folder on the mobile gadget and copy the necessary content into it (as a rule, when downloading, the installer and cache are downloaded separately). The installation principle is the same as in the previous case. The installation APK file is copied to the device, and then the main program files are installed.
After this, using any file manager, the same standard Windows Explorer or the corresponding program on a mobile device, you need to create the obb folder in the data directory of the Android directory. Although usually cache data downloaded from the Internet is located in exactly this folder after unpacking the archive. All that remains is to copy it to the desired location. If the obb folder already exists on the device, only the contents of the original downloaded directory are copied into it.
Note: Do not confuse the sdcard directory with the SD card! In the Android system, the sdcard is an internal storage device. The full path to the cache folder is sdcard/Android/data/obb/. Sometimes it can be sdcard/Android/obb/ or other variations. A striking example is the installation of a mobile version of the popular music sequencer FL Studio. True, in addition to copying the cache, you will have to work hard here, since you will need to create a tools folder. But for most programs such actions are not required.
Using Control Programs
Finally, one of the universal solutions to the problem of how to install applications on Android from a computer is to use special programs for managing mobile devices. Which one will be chosen is not so important. The general installation principle is that a connection must be established between the computer and the mobile device (USB cable, Bluetooth or Wi-fi). Let's look at the simplest option of how to install applications on Android from a computer via a USB connection using applications like Mobogenie or highly specialized programs like Sony PC Companion and the like.
There are several options here. For example, you can specify the installation from a file saved on your computer, as is the case with Sony PC Companion. Or you can select the application directly from the program (Mobogenie) in a special section. Or even with its help, go to the same practically no different from the methods described above, which in this case are simply combined into one whole.
But the advantage of applications like Mobogenie is that they are able to emulate Android on Windows or any other OS. In other words, a game or program installed on a mobile device can be launched through a control application directly on a computer or laptop.
Conclusion
As can be seen from all of the above, the problem of how to install applications on Android from a computer is solved quite simply. What to give preference to? Installation via a browser from the official service seems to be the easiest, but authorization is required. Copying the installation file to the device looks more attractive in this regard, but it requires setting permissions and preliminary checking the distribution for viruses. Many people will also enjoy using control utilities, but they also need to be installed on the PC first. So the question of preference and choice of installation type remains with the user.
Quite often, users cannot find their favorite applications on Google Play because they have been removed. Yes, indeed, this happens all the time. Either programs for downloading music from VK will disappear from the Market, then the well-known XModGames, which helps with online games, will disappear, or something else. In the end, you simply may not have enough traffic to download this or that application, because not all of them weigh 10 megabytes. Some games have even “stepped over” the one gigabyte level. What to do in such cases? Are there really no workarounds? Eat! That is why we decided to tell you how to install the application on Android from your computer! There are more than enough ways, but we thought carefully and settled on the two most effective, simple and popular. They will suit everyone!
How to install an application on Android from a computer
As mentioned above, we have prepared two options: the first involves installing a specialized program called “InstallAPK”, the second involves using your own Google mail. Well, the easiest way is to connect your smartphone to your computer via USB and drop the downloaded .apk (application or game) onto your phone and then run the installation file through Explorer. In some cases, installing a cache is required; to do this, read the instructions: “ ”.Both are extremely simple. Even the most inexperienced user can master them if desired.
Option one - installing applications via InstallAPK
First of all, you must download this program. And if for one reason or another you need to install an application on Android from a computer, you can use the above-mentioned software - it is the best in its business and works almost flawlessly. You can use it on any version of Windows, starting with XP.Unfortunately, some devices are not supported by the program. But you shouldn’t despair - there is a 100% option that really works flawlessly.
Gmail as an app installer
Perhaps you still thought that Google mail was only intended for exchanging letters. But no, this is far from true - you can also install applications through it. What does the computer have to do with it?
As you can see, both methods are extremely simple, but few people know how to install the application on Android from a computer. The main thing is not to forget about the “tick”, because without them you cannot count on a successful installation.
Installing applications and games from the store usually does not cause difficulties even for inexperienced users. Since the installation process is as simplified as possible here, I clicked on the “ Install" and the application was installed.
But when the user is faced with the task of installing an application from an APK file located on the computer, this can already create some difficulties. If you find yourself in such a situation, then this material should help you, here you can find out how to install APK from a computer to Android.
Step No. 1. Allow the installation of applications from unknown sources in the settings of your Android smartphone.
By default, APK files can only be installed on an Android device from the Play Market application store. In order to be able to install APK files from your computer, you need to allow installation of applications from unknown sources. To do this, go to the settings of your Android device and go to the “ Safety».
After that, enable the " unknown sources».
After enabling this feature, you will be able to install any APK files.
Step No. 2. Transfer the APK file from your computer to the memory of your Android device.
The next step is to copy the desired APK file from your computer to the memory of your Android device. To do this, you can connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable. If you wish, you can use other methods to transfer the APK file. For example, you can reset it using Bluetooth.
With this, you can copy the APK file to any folder on your device. The main thing is that you remember where you copied the APK file.
Step No. 3. Launch the APK file on your Android device.
In order to complete the installation of the APK file from your computer to your Android device, you need to run this APK file. To do this you need to use any file manager. If your device does not have a file manager, then you can install it from the Play Market or from our website. There are many free file managers available there.
Launch the file manager, open the folder where you copied the APK file and run it. After launching the APK file, a window will appear on the screen asking you to install the application. To install the APK file, simply click on the " Further».
After this, the application will be installed on your Android device. After installation is complete, an icon of the installed application will appear on the desktop. Also, the new application icon will appear in the list of all applications.
