APK is an Application Package Kit file. This package kit format is used to install application software on the Google Android operating system. Generally, these files come in the form of apps. Many of these applications are free to download while some are paid for which you have to pay an amount to download.
With a list of millions of applications, there are times you may need to download an app from other sites. Perhaps these apps are not available in your country or have gone outdated. The best way to install these apps to your Android is through a PC. But how? This blog will help you to install your favorite apps on your Android smartphones and tablets using a Windows or Mac PC.
Why Install APK Files
Installing APK files can give you access to leaked features before their official release. Another reason is that you can download and install any Android application which is not available on Play Store or if you want to downgrade the app to previous versions.
A very recent example is downloading BGMI or PUBG, which is not available in some countries but it’s still available on the internet as APK. And if you have an older Android version smartphone and some of its apps are not working, you can install the older version by downloading the previous version’s APK files.
Steps To Install APK on Android via PC using USB
Before installing APK files, you need to give authorization to support third-party applications. You can do this through the following steps.
- Go to your Android Settings.
- Scroll down to Apps & Notifications or the Privacy menu.
- Then click on the Manage button.
- Choose Special Access, here you will find the unknown sources option.
- Click on the box or tick the switch to allow the installation of apps other than the Google Play Store.
- Connect your phone and PC through USB. On your Phone choose the USB option as MTP.
- Choose the APK you want to install. Right-click and Choose Send to option. Select your Device and click Next.
- In this way, the APK file starts transferring to your device. Once it is completed, open File Manager on your device.
- Find the transferred APK and tap install. The file starts installing on your smartphone.
How to Install APK Files from PC Using Apps
If you want to prefer a great way to organize your files, there’s also another option. You can use a third-party phone manager to install APK on your device. As if you have moved the files on your android without any built-in manager you won’t be able to download them.
In this case, you can use the software to install apps both on your android and SD card. These phone managers are handy and much easier to use.
- Install APK From PC Through Coolmuster
- Install APK From PC Through Apowersoft
Install APK on Android Phone from PC using Coolmuster
Coolmuster is a software management tool for computers that helps transfer APK from PCs to smartphones. This will help you to move photos, videos, messages, and files from your computer to android much faster than Bluetooth.
- Go to your Computer Browser and type Coolmuster Android Assistant.
- Click on their official website and download the software for your system.
- Once this is installed, open it and click on the Android Assistant.
- Now connect your Android device to the computer through a USB cable. A list of instructions will appear on the screen.
- Follow the given instructions to enable the software for detecting your device.
- Click the App and then install the button from the top.
- Choose the APK file from the computer and click Open to transfer it to your Android.
Install APK From PC Through Apowersoft
Similar to Coolmuster, Apowersoft is a phone manager used for installing APK to devices. It enables you to modify, transfer, restore, and back up your smartphone files with APK files. To transfer files through this application you need to follow the below steps.
- Download the Apowersoft Phone Manager from Play Store.
- Connect your smartphone and PC via a USB cable.
- Once connected, open the App and Click on the Apps icon on the top.
- Now click the install button and select the APK files on your computer.
- Follow the given instructions and install the files on your phone.
Install APK File to Android from PC via ADB
ADB is Android Debug Bridge. This is a tool that helps you in performing various tasks on your android device through the computer. By ADB commands you can also install APK files on your device.
- First, you need to download and install ADB drivers on your computer.
- Open Settings -> About Phone -> Build Number. Press the build number 7 times.
- Now again Settings -> Developer options -> USB Debugging.
- Connect your Android to your PC and set the USB as data transfer.
- Now open the ADB Folder on your PC.
- Right-click anywhere and choose Open Command Window.
- Now in the Pop-up window, type adb devices to check whether the system recognized your phone or not.
- Type adb install command to install the app on your Android. The app name is the actual app name you need to install. For instance, facebook.apk.
- To transfer APK from PC to Android, type the push command and enter PC and phone paths in the reverse order.
adb push /sdcard/%path-on-phone% %path-on-PC%
However, you must ensure to use /sdcard/ in the path, even if you don’t have an SD card slot in your phone. Also do keep in mind that your phone path will be formatted by a forward slash (/) while the path in PC is formatted by a backslash (\).
Conclusion
Now before we wrap up, we recommend you use Google Play Store to install any app. It is still one of the quickest and safest ways to download apps on any Android Device. Google Play’s protection mechanism ensures that all applications are free from malware even before installing on your device. So you should only have to resort to manual installation in special cases as discussed in the blog, only when required. Also, disable unknown sources after installing the APK file to prevent any malicious app installation.
