How to install an APK on Android (step by step)
By AltFTool Team · Updated 1 Nov 2026
An APK is the install file for an Android app. Phones only install apps from the Play Store by default, so you give one app (usually Chrome or your file manager) a one-time permission to install the file you downloaded.
Before you start
- Check your Android version in Settings > About phone. Each AltFTool app page lists the minimum version it needs.
- Download only from the official page. For AltFTool apps that is altftool.com/apps.
- Optional but smart: verify the file's SHA-256 with the AltFTool APK checker before you open it.
Install the APK
- 1
Download the file
Tap Download APK on the app's page. Chrome may warn that the file type can harm your device; tap Download anyway only if it came from the official page.
- 2
Open it
Tap the finished download in the notification, or open Files > Downloads and tap the .apk file.
- 3
Allow this source once
Android shows 'For your security, your phone is not allowed to install unknown apps from this source'. Tap Settings, turn on 'Allow from this source', then press back.
- 4
Install
Tap Install. If Google Play Protect asks to scan the app, let it scan. When it finishes, tap Open.
- 5
Switch the setting off again
Go to Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps, pick the browser or file manager you used, and turn 'Allow from this source' off.
Menu names on different phones
- Pixel and most Android 12+ phones: Settings > Apps > Special app access > Install unknown apps.
- Samsung (One UI): Settings > Apps > (three-dot menu) Special access > Install unknown apps.
- Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO (HyperOS/MIUI): Settings > Privacy protection or Apps > Special permissions > Install unknown apps.
- Android 7 and older used a single 'Unknown sources' switch in Settings > Security.
Questions
Is installing an APK legal?
Yes. Installing an app outside the Play Store is a normal Android feature. What matters is where the file comes from: install only files published by the app's own developer.
Will the app update by itself?
No. Apps installed from an APK do not update through the Play Store. Check the app's page for a newer version and install it over the old one; your data stays.
Do I need to keep 'Install unknown apps' on?
No. Turn it off after installing. You only need it again the next time you install or update an APK from that same browser or file manager.
