The Android application system turned out to be universal and convenient for developers immediately after its launch. You can develop a program for Android for free and publish it on the Play Store with a few basic limitations. This has led to the emergence of many truly useful applications, some of which are not available on iOS or other platforms. Their launch usually requires an Android smartphone or tablet. But what if you want to try the service for Android without such a device? To do this, you will have to run the APK file on the computer.
What is an APK file?
Android Package Kit (APK) is a package file format used by the Android operating system to distribute and install mobile applications. Just as Windows (PC) uses the an.exe file to install software, the APK does the same for Android.
When you download this package, you get the application. Most users download services from the Google Play Store without ever noticing the word APK. But there are times when you need to do otherwise. For example, if you need to download the APK program to your computer.
What might this format be for?
The APK files of new Android builds often become available earlier than the official release time of the program. This gives you early access to all the new useful features. In addition, some applications are limited to regions and you cannot download them directly.
Software updates can take a long time if they are expected to be officially released. Getting the latest APK for your favorite apps will let you take advantage of these benefits sooner. If you did not like the new version of a program, you can install its old distribution by downloading it in the specified format.
What do you need to keep in mind?
Some APK services allow you to download pirated applications. This is illegal, so such downloads should be avoided. To make matters worse, schematically, APK files can contain malware.
How to download such a service and transfer it to a smartphone or tablet?
Download the APK file to your computer. You can save it to your desktop or any other folder on your PC.
Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cable. If you do not have a wire that comes with the device, you can use any compatible one.
Touch file transfer on your Android device. Browse to the APK file on your computer. To do this, open the folder where you downloaded it. Right click on it. Click the Submit button.
Select your Android gadget from the menu that opens. Its name depends on the manufacturer and model, but it should be at the bottom of the list. The APK file will be transferred to your device.
Open the file manager of your Android. It is usually called “My Files” and is available in the application list. If you don’t see in the file manager, click on “Downloads,” then select a storage location. If you do not have any of these options, you can download a free file manager in the official Google store.
Find the APK file. If you have an external SD card in Android, it may be located in the “external drive” folder. Click on the APK file. A confirmation message appears asking if you really want to install the file. Click the confirmation answer in the lower right corner of the screen. Now the application will be installed on your mobile device. After installation is complete, a confirmation message appears. Click on Finish.
If you need to run on a PC
Fortunately, there are tricks with which you can run Android applications on a regular old Windows PC. There are several different ways to solve this problem, each of which has its own strengths and weaknesses. How to install the APK file on a computer in order to be able to fully run it?
Android Studio
One popular way to get an APK that runs on a PC is to use the Android emulator released by Google as part of the official Android Studio. The emulator can be used to create virtual devices running any version of Android. You can do this with different resolutions and hardware configurations.
The main disadvantage is the somewhat complicated setup process. You will need to find the installer from Google on the site and go through the installation process to download the platforms you want. Google has some pre-configured emulation options available in the menu for Nexus / Pixel devices, but you can also set the settings manually. Once you have downloaded your virtual device, you will need to install the APK applications on your computer. But here you should remember that the emulator is an open-source version of bone stock Android without applications from the Google store.
Since there is no Play Store, you need to perform some file management. To do this, select the APK downloaded on the computer and drag it into the Tools folder in the SDK directory. Then use the command line to run adb install filename.apk. The program should be added to the application list of your virtual device.
The big advantage here is that the Android emulator is downloaded directly from the source. The way the applications are displayed in it will be the same as on the devices, and almost everything should work. It is great for testing application builds before downloading them to test devices. The biggest problem is that the emulator is quite slow, and you are unlikely to want to run programs in it all the time.
BlueStacks App Player
If you want to get a few applications and games running on your computer with minimal effort, BlueStacks is best for you. This service is a way to open the APK on a computer and make Android programs work on the device. In fact, this is the ability to run full (but greatly modified) versions of Android.
Its main advantage is the built-in Play Store, so you will have instant access to all downloaded content.
The BlueStacks client is loaded in the desktop window with various categories of applications, such as games, social networks, etc. Clicking on the name of the application or the search result launches the full Play Store client displayed on tablets. You can navigate this interface in the same way as on a real Android device.
Main advantage
Full access to the Play Store means that you don’t have to spend time additionally downloading applications. Most games will run well, but keep in mind that you will have problems managing many of them with the mouse. If your PC has a touch screen, you can still use applications and games that are designed to run on a smartphone or tablet. The program for the APK files on the BlueStacks computer uses technology in which Android applications run in a layer on top of Windows.
The only real problem with this service is that it does not work with the standard Android assembly. All changes made by the company to obtain applications running on a PC can cause problems: some programs do not start or unexpectedly crash. This customized environment also has little value as a development tool, because there is no guarantee that all created options and settings will also run on the real Android device.
Remix-OS
If you do not mind the additional settings, you can use a more complex way to install the APK on your computer by installing a modified version of the OS on your PC. There are several Android ports that will work on a PC, but not all systems can start them correctly.
The two leading options for the full installation of Android on a computer are Android x86 and the Remix OS based on x86 architecture. There is also a version of Remix for launching applications that runs on Windows, but it is not very convenient to use.
None of the above options are in perfect condition, but Remix OS is a bit more specific. This system requires at least 2 GB of RAM and a dual-core 2 GHz processor, but in practice you will need more for good performance. The user interface is not Android - it is based on the x86 project code, but has been changed for a more functional desktop. This may be preferable. You can install the system on top of Windows, but this is not a good idea. The best solution would be to create a separate hard drive partition and install Android on it. The Remix installer helps you do this so that you can open and fully use the APK programs on your computer.
If you don’t want to install Android on your PC, you can try running one of these operating systems in the VirtualBox virtual machine, which in practice runs a little faster than the official Android emulator. Launch speeds will probably still not be enough for games, but most applications should install and work correctly. Also, iteration of Play Services is missing.
So which way is better?
What is the best way to open APKs on your computer? It depends on your ultimate goals and objectives. First of all, think about how many APK files you want to run and how often. The best choice for you will depend on this.
If you need to check a service with the intention of downloading it to other Android devices, an emulator is the best way. This method is best suited for developers because the configuration and management of applications is complex. The launch is slow, but you can see how everything will work on a real platform.
If you are interested in getting more than a few applications running on your computer, BlueStacks App Player is the best solution. It is fast, has access to the Play Store and works on devices with multi-touch Windows.
If you want to use Android applications constantly on your computer, you can consider installing Remix OS. To make the system work correctly, it will take some time to complete all the settings, but this is a complete Android-based OS for your PC.