If you ’re an Android user that likes to tinker with your smartphone , you ’ll have belike heard of APKs – but what on the button are they , and what do they do ?
Essentially , Android apps are often distributed as a package file type known as an APK ( little for Android software Package ) .
An APK is basically the app installation file , packaged together with all of its assets and computer code . They are used as a means to streamline getting an app onto your phone or tablet . It ’s essentially how every Android app store , from Google bid to APKPure and more , leave you with the apps and game you want to practice .
Still got interrogation ? Good , because we ’ve get plenty of answers . Keep understand to watch more about APKs .
What is an APK file?
In its simplest form , an APK is a file character , like an MSI for Windows or a DMG for Mac , that take the computer code and resources for Android apps . It ’s often have-to doe with to as an app , but it ’s really more like a container for an app . That ’s because it contains all of the resource , permission , and computer code want to instal and run say app .
As such , it ’s helpful to guess of it like a zipped folder that you may take out and view the contentedness of . When you download an Android app from the Google Play Store , you ’re actually downloading an APK filing cabinet .
Once you ’ve instal the app , you’re able to view the content of the APK file by spread out it in a file manager app or by decompiling the app using an APK analyzer . This is n’t something the vast majority of users will require or need to do , but if you ’re rum about the inner - works of the APK single file , it ’s ready for a expression .
What’s inside an APK?
An APK is a compressed pamphlet that hold the app ’s codification , plus , etc . In the folder , you ’ll find one or more files along with other folders . Let ’s look at a few of those single file :
APK limitations
There are a few limitation of APK files that you need to be aware of before installing apps from outside the Play Store . APKs are sign using a individual key . If they ’re not signed with a certificate , they ca n’t be establish on devices that are n’t owned by the developer .
You also ca n’t install an APK on a equipment run a different Android version to the one it ’s intended for . This means that if you want to install an app on a machine run Android 14 , the app ’s APK must have been built for Android 14 .
Apps installed via an APK wo n’t receive automatic upgrades like those installed from the Play Store . You ’ll have to manually update the app to make certain that it stays unassailable and useable .
Unless you ’re a professional looking to instal proprietary software system , or a developer testing a new app , we recommend most users ward off install apps from outside the Play , or another big name , app store .
Many from less scrupulous sources can contain malware . In some representative , since the software may not be optimised to run on the exact version of Android you ’re using they can also cause carrying out issues .
