If you are interested in this question, then you want to start editing it, let's start the lesson!
An example of what the application consists of is carried out on the application - Google Now
The applications that you install on Android can be opened with an ordinary archiver, for small and simple editions of applications, as well as decompilation for complex and complete changes to apk applications (hereinafter referred to as apk).
Opening apk using Archiver
What does an Android application consist of?
Assets folder- assets in this folder are files that define the “capabilities” of the application
META-INF folder- this folder contains signature files. Each company that publishes applications has its own signature, which indicates that it is its property since it has its own encryption key.
RES folder- this folder contains the visible, audible part of the application. This folder contains files that allow you to build an interface, pictures and melodies
AndroidManifest.xml file- passport apk application. This file contains general information about the application.
resources.arsc file- compiled “visible part” of the application ( RES folder)
If you try to open any file, you will get this:
not decompiled AndroidManifest.xml file
Most applications can always be downloaded from the official Google Play store, however, not all existing programs are presented there, and some applications simply have a high price. They can also be downloaded for free on the Internet. When you find what you need, you will notice that it is what is called an apk file. A logical question arises: how to open and install it. This can be done using standard settings and third-party software.
A little theory and the essence of the problem
Before talking about the methods, let's find out what this apk file is. This is the format of the installation package for the Android operating system. The extension is an abbreviation for the English Android Package. In fact, this file is the most ordinary archive, which contains various pictures, program code and other components that are essential for the correct operation of the program. If you want to see what's inside, just use the most common file manager, for example, Total Comander.
However, many users use the word “open” to mean “install” the application. Here everything is a little more complicated, since you need to use the installer so that all the contents are correctly unpacked. When downloading from the Play Store, this is done automatically. But if you manually downloaded the apk file, then you need to open it in a different way.
Using standard tools
Android OS (unlike iOS) is an open OS. This means that every user can install third-party software without any restrictions. For this purpose, the system provides standard tools that allow you to install APK files.
Let's find out how to install an apk file on Android. Here you need to take a few simple steps:
- Go to the “Settings” section of your gadget.
- Find the "Security" item.
- In the menu, find the “Unknown sources” item, and then check the box next to it. This will allow you to install third-party applications.
- Send the apk file to your phone (you can take out the memory card, write it to it and insert it back).
- Go to standard explorer and find the installation package.
- Click on it and confirm the installation.
After these steps, the smartphone will install the program for several tens of seconds. In the list of applications you can find what you are looking for, and then launch it.
If the procedure seems extremely complicated to you, and you have any difficulties, try using a file manager. The Play Market store has a huge selection of such managers. We recommend using ASTRO File Manager or one of the most popular - ES Explorer.
They have a nice interface and also allow you to quickly and easily open the required APK file. The instructions are practically no different from those described above:
- Download the installation file to your SD card.
- Launch the file manager, and then find the file on the card.
- Click on it to start the installation.
An alternative option is application managers. They are more “tailored” for working with programs, so they are ideal for opening an apk. You can use SlideME Mobentoo App Installer. It's worth choosing it for one simple reason - it automatically scans your memory card and then finds available installers. You won't have to look for them for long. Just select the desired apk and click on it.
An apk (Android Package) file is an archived executable application for Android devices. This format was developed by the Open Handset Alliance together with Google.
Any Android application is compiled and packaged into a file that includes the complete program code, assets and resources, as well as a file with the .manifest extension. The application name can be anything, but the extension is only .APK.
Such files are stored on Google Play and can be downloaded from it to a smartphone or tablet for later use. The user can also install a file with the extension .APK manually. They are not encrypted, they belong to the ZIP archiver format group. Essentially, Android Package applications are archives designed to be executed in a so-called virtual machine.
How to open ".apk" on a computer
In order to open a file with the .APK extension on a personal computer or laptop running the Windows or Linux operating system, you will need a 7-ZIP, unzip or Winrar archiver. If you have a MacBook and MacOS, you will need a program called “Archive Utility”. How to open an apk file on a computer?
You just need to launch one of the available programs that process archives and use it to unpack the Android application. Before unpacking, experts recommend checking the archive for the presence of malware - viruses.
Thus, there is no need to download any rare programs; any user usually has applications for unpacking.
You can encounter an APK extension file, for example, if you decide to install an application on your computer that you used on your tablet. After downloading a file from the Internet, the time will come to think about how to open the apk file on your computer?
What is a fileAPKand its purpose
APK (abbreviation for Android Package) is a format of archived application files for Android. Any application written for Android, after compilation, is packaged into one file of this extension. The file name can be anything, but the extension must be .APK.
Encryption is not used when storing data in the archive of this type.
Thus, each .apk file is an archive that can be executed by DalvikVM (virtual machine) and can be installed not only on Android OS.
APK files are stored in the system in the /data/app directory, which is accessible only through Explorer.
To develop your own applications, you can use Google's Android SDK, a development environment.
You can download files of this extension either from where they are stored, or on third-party resources on the Internet (which is undesirable). Once downloaded, you can manually install the application contained in the apk file on your tablet or smartphone. It is not recommended to install applications from unknown sources - they may contain malicious code, while all applications available through Google Play are tested and signed. The procedure for installing the Android APK application on a tablet or smartphone via USB is described below:
- You need to copy the .APK file to the device in any convenient way (via USB, transfer via Wi-Fi, etc.);
- Using the file manager, go to the directory where the application was saved;
- Open the selected apk file.
A number of manufacturers disable the ability to install applications from unknown sources. If you need to enable this feature, go to Settings. Select the “Security” section, check the “Allow installation of applications not obtained from the Market” option.
Video tutorial on APK file format
View file contentsAPK
Wondering which program to open an apk file to see what's inside?
Since .APK files use compression algorithms similar to ZIP, the contents of such archives can be obtained using almost any archiver - .
To view the contents of a file using one of the specified archivers, you need to change the APK extension to ZIP.
File installationAPKon computer
Are you wondering how to open an apk file on your computer? Below is a list that will help you with the installation - it will show you how to open the arc file under any required operating system.
So, how to open APK files under different platforms:
Where else can you encounter files?APK?
Files of this extension can be used by other applications and services discussed below.
- As a file for the GameSpy arcade game service. This extension is used in a shareware MMO game. The utility, which allows players to find available multiplayer games, connect to them, and communicate between players, uses APK extension files that store service data.
- Storage of Active Tutor projects - an environment that provides tools for multimedia development (Creator - 4C Soft Inc.).
- Activity data storage. APK files are also used in the train simulation game (Microsoft Train Simulator), released back in 2001.
So, we looked at the APK file format - what is it used for, what program to open the arc file, where else can you use files of this extension. We hope the information will be useful to readers.
In this article we will talk about how to install applications or games from *.apk files on Android. Sooner or later, owners of devices running Android are faced with a situation where the standard functionality of the system becomes boring, and an irresistible desire to expand it appears.
Unlike iOS, where installing applications is based on working with the iTunes Store, Google developers have provided the ability to install programs using standard tools. But to do this, you need to allow the installation of applications from unknown sources, go to Settings -> Applications and check the box next to Unknown Sources.
All applications for the Android operating system come with the *.apk file extension. As for the structure of such files, essentially an apk file is an ordinary archive, the contents of which you can view with any archiver. The Android operating system independently recognizes such files and understands what to do with them. Thus, you can install applications on Android in several ways.
1. Install *.apk file on Android
The first, and in our opinion, the most common way is to install a *.apk file on Android using a file manager. All you need to do to do this is transfer the *.apk file to the SD card of your device. Then use any available file manager with the ability to install applications. We recommend using ASTRO File Manager or ES File Explorer.
Then launch the file manager, find the *.apk file and install the application using the standard Android installer.
In addition, you can install the application without using file managers, using a standard browser. Just enter content://com.android.htmlfileprovider/sdcard/FileName.apk into the address bar and the installation will start automatically. In this example, the *.apk file is located in the root folder of the SD card.
2. Installation using application manager
The second, easiest way to install *.apk files on Android is to use application managers. These programs were created to simplify the installation of applications via *.apk files as much as possible. And indeed it is! We tested a program called SlideME Mobentoo App Installer, which we recommend to you.
SlideME Mobentoo App Installer will scan your device's SD card as quickly as possible and display a list of all *.apk files found. After which you can easily install the necessary applications in almost one click.
3. Installation via computer and USB
In addition to the above, we know one more, and perhaps the most convenient way - installing *.apk applications by connecting the Android device to the computer via a USB cable. We recommend that you use the InstallAPK program and USB drivers.
Just install InstallAPK on your computer, then connect your smartphone via USB cable and double-click the *.apk file. The program will independently identify the *.apk file and start installing the application on your Android device.
