To get started, download an APK file using either Google Chrome or the stock Android browser. You can either download the APK file on your mobile device or on your computer, although the latter is a little more difficult. Grooveshark now offers the app on its Web site for users to sideload. After a dispute with Google, however, the app was removed. You should only download APK files from trusted developers and companies.įor example, Grooveshark, a free online music streaming service, previously had an app in the Play store. Never, and I mean ever, use sideloading as a way to pirate applications doing so will likely result in your Android device getting a virus. This is where some people usually run into trouble. The next step will be finding an Android package file, also known as an APK, which is the way Android apps are distributed and installed. On devices running an earlier version of Android, go to Settings, open the Applications option, select Unknown sources, and click OK on the popup alert. This can be enabled by selecting the Verify apps option in the Security settings. Depending on your device, you can also choose to be warned before installing harmful apps. Selecting this option will allow you to install apps outside of the Google Play store.
You may not have been aware that apps no longer available in the Play store can still be installed on your Android device through a process known as "sideloading."įrom your smartphone or tablet running Android 4.0 or higher, go to Settings, scroll down to Security, and select Unknown sources.
Once an app is removed, however, all hope isn't lost. Google has removed apps from the Play store for a number of reasons, the most common being that they violate the company's policy. It gives Android users access to more than one million apps, such as Facebook, Pandora, and Instagram, among thousands of others, but what do you do when Google unexpectedly pulls an app from its marketplace? The Google Play store is a great resource that can enhance your mobile experience.
In this case, we do not recommend installing a third-party APK not officially supported by Google. Editor's note, May 26, 2017: Due to increased security concerns, CNET no longer recommends installing third-party apps not officially supported by a device's official app store.
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