The Android operating system is primarily designed to function as an open platform. To install applications and games, you have two options: either utilize the Google Play Store or install APKs independently. When using Google Play, it is quite difficult to do damage to your phone because the platform has so many built-in safety features.

How to Enable APK Installations on Your Android Device

However, for a variety of reasons, some people might still wish to do it. There are now two different ways to avoid using the Play Store when installing third-party applications. The first way is to get it through a third-party app store like F-Droid, the Amazon App Store, or one of the many others. In this article, we will look at “How to Enable APK Installations on Your Android Device?”

Revoking installation permissions:

After installing an application from a third party, you might wish to go back and remove the rights you granted it to ensure that no more applications are installed without your knowledge. The vast majority of applications, such as Firefox or Amazon, do not misuse the privilege in any significant way; still, it is always preferable to be safe than sorry. 

Step 1: Launch the settings menu on your mobile device.

Step 2: Select the Search bar, then tap it and write “Unknown” without quotation marks.

Step 3: It ought to come up as an option when you conduct a search. Tap it.

Step 4: Tap the Install unknown applications option that appears on the next screen.

Step 5: Find the application whose permission you wish to take away, and then take that permission away. On other devices, it may appear in a different way. In contrast to stock Android, which requires you to click on each app separately, Samsung makes it possible to toggle the setting directly from the menu.

Installing and using third-party app stores:

The most convenient way to obtain and install APKs not distributed by Google is through a third-party app store. Unfortunately, in order to accomplish so, you will need to install an app store that is not affiliated with Apple or Google, but after that, it is quite simple.

Step 1: First, installing the third-party app store of your choice requires you to first download the store to your device.  Because it is an APK from a third party, you will need to install it in the normal manner.

Step 2: Open the app store once it has been installed, then search through the available apps to choose the one you wish to use. You will need to download and install the app.

Step 3: When you click the Install button, you will get the same warning that you saw in the previous stages regarding providing permission to the app to install additional applications.

Step 4: Click the Settings button, scroll down to the app store, and check the box to grant it permission.

Step 5: Go back inside the app and try to reinstall it again. This time around, it ought to work.

Installing APKs pre-Android 8.0 Oreo:

This method is obsolete from a technical standpoint. Despite this, we felt it was important to keep it around in case someone came in with an Android phone that was released many years ago. This method will not work on a phone running Android 8.0 Oreo or a later version of the operating system.

Step 1: First, download the APK file that you wish to install, and then check to see if a file browser is already set up on your device.

Step 2: Proceed to the settings menu on your phone. Select the Security option by tapping on it.

Step 3: Scroll all the way down until you come to Unknown sources, and then click the box next to it.

Step 4: Launch your file browser and navigate to the folder that contains your downloaded files to find the APK. Simply install the application by tapping on the APK and following the on-screen instructions.

Step 5: When you are finished, navigate back to your settings and uncheck the option labeled Unknown sources to stop any further unwanted installs from taking place.