For Android devices, the Google Play Store is the primary place to download and install trustworthy mobile apps but sometimes, you need to download apps without the Google Play Store. This most commonly happens when an app is restricted in your locality or regional unavailability. In such cases, you need to download and install apps without Google Play Store but what are the other options to download apps without Play Store? Let’s find out.
Enable Installation of Apps from Unknown Sources
Before we proceed forward, make sure that you have enabled installation of apps from unknown sources because before installing apps from outside the Play Store, you need to enable this setting. You can enable this setting by:
- Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Advanced > Special app access > Install unknown apps.
- Select the app, browser, or file manager that you will be using to download the apps.
- Toggle on Allow from this source.
After you have enabled app installation from unknown sources, you have three options available, which are discussed below.
1. Using an Alternative App Store
Google Play Store is the most popular app store for Android devices that is installed by default but there are some alternative app stores to Google Play Store that you can use to download and install the apps. Although there are multiple app stores for Android, you should rely on trustable ones only such as Xiaomi GetApps, Samsung Galaxy Store, Huawei AppGallery, and Vivo V-Appstore.
These app stores offer a wide range of popular apps, even some apps that are not available on the Play Store. Make sure that you research the credibility and trustworthiness of an app store before installing any app from it, as these app stores don’t offer the same level of security as Google Play Store APK does.
2. Downloading the APK File from the App Developer’s Website
The next method available to download apps without an app store is by downloading the APK file from the developer’s website. For instance, if there are specific apps that you want to download, such as the VLC Media Player, then head over to the developer’s website and download the APK file from the website. Downloading from the app developer’s original website means that you are downloading a legitimate copy of the app and there are no security concerns involved with it.
The downside is that you have to separately search for and visit the website of each app developer, which can be time-consuming.
3. Downloading the APK File from 3rd Party APK Libraries
Lastly, you have the option available to download the APK of the apps from third-party APK library websites like AppCafe.io. This is a great alternative, as you can download the APKs of multiple apps from a single website. Whether you are looking to download a social media app like Facebook Lite, a multimedia app like Spotify, or a game like Ludo King, you can download them all from a single place.
There are multiple 3rd-party APK library websites that you can visit and download from but we recommend that you use a credible and secure website like AppCafe.io that has no security risks involved with it and you get access to the APK files of multiple apps at once.
Of course, the best option available is to download the apps directly from Google Play Store because it is safe, secure, and easy. However, if you need to download an app that for some reason is not available on the Play Store, then you may employ any of the methods above.
