For Android users, one of the best things about the operating system is the amount of control Android gives them. Unlike Apple, Android lets you do much more to your phone regarding apps. But Google Play isn’t perfect; it has its own risks. APK files, for instance, aren’t authorized by Google Play, and they can be harmful to your phone. If you want to make sure an APK is safe before installing it, you can take a few precautions.
Enabling APK on Android
APK is not a default feature on Android devices. If you want to use the Google Play Store to download and install apps on your Android device, you must enable APK on your Android first.
Go to Settings > Security > Unknown Sources, and then tap the toggle switch to enable APK
Checking APKs for Malware
Smartphone users are increasingly becoming more aware of the risks of downloading and installing APK files. So before you install any APK file, make sure you check it out first. Some websites scan APK files for malware, so you will know if the APK is safe or not.
Going to an APK website that has scanners can be risky. They can track you after visiting these websites by installing a cookie on your Android device. If you are downloading many APK files, make sure you clear your browser’s cookie after scanning the APK files.
Uninstalling APK Files
Uninstalling APK files can be done the same way you uninstall apps with Google Play. Go to Settings > Apps and tap the app you want to uninstall. Then tap Uninstall, and finally, tap OK to confirm.
How to Check APK Files for Security Risks
Download an APK scanning app such as VirusTotal APK. Use this app to run a check on the APK files you have downloaded. The scanning process is usually swift, and the app will tell you if the APK file contains malware or not.
Precaution: Don’t Download APK Files From Third-Party Websites
There are a lot of APK download websites online that claim to offer the latest versions of popular apps, but these websites aren’t always what they seem. There are a lot of fake APK download websites on the internet, and you don’t want to download APK files from these websites.
You shouldn’t download APK files from a website because, when you do, you won’t know where the files are coming from. Some of the apps on these websites will use malware to track your activity. Also, the authors could modify APK files on these websites to include malware.
The best way to find APK files that are safe and secure is to go to the search results on Google Play Store. Just head to the Play Store website and search for the app you want to download. When you have found the app, you want to install, tap the app, and then tap Install.
If the app is in the Google Play Store, the probability that the APK file is safe is higher. You are also likely to get the most recent version of the app.
Conclusion
APK files are just like any other file you download and install on your Android device. As long as you download APK files from trusted websites and only download APK files from reputable publishers, you should be able to install APK files without any difficulty. Just make sure you’re careful when you download APK files, and you should be able to use APK files on your Android device freely.
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