Android as we all know, is the most popular mobile phone operating system that is used by millions. Not only is this OS very simple and easy to use but boasts a wide range of multi-faceted applications which can be downloaded by the user. These apps can either be downloaded from Google Play/Android Market or outside of it from different sources. Here we mention a few steps if you are thinking of downloading an application from outside Google Play:
1. First of all, what is to be done is to download the “.apk” file from the internet, and then only can it work on your phone. Basically an “.apk” file is an executable file which can be used to install or load any application in the Android powered phone in the same way the “.exe” files are the usual executable files present for any Windows operating system.
2. But the Android OS by nature keeps the market place as the default place to get the “.apk” files for downloading applications. In order to access the non-market places you have to manually select that option by checking “Unknown Sources” in the applications segment. Here is the navigation trail: Menu->Settings->Applications->Unknown Sources.
3. After downloading the .apk file, next, you have to get it into your SD card and to do that you need a file manager installed in your phone like the ASTRO File Manager app. You need to connect your SD card to your computer and get the .apk file through the USB cable, and with the help of the file manager, bring it into the SD card of your phone.
4. Lastly, the .apk file has to be selected from the phone and to do that you have to again go to the file manager, find the app .apk file there, click on it, and then select the “Open App Manager” option from the Dialog Box that appears. The .apk file should always show up in the SD card, whether in the Downloads folder or somewhere else, and can be easily installed by clicking on the “Install” option.
Apart from the above mentioned process, there is another way to install applications, wherein one can download the .apk file directly on the phone using the internet connection on the phone. Then, it needs to be installed in the normal way
However, one needs to keep in mind the fact that downloading applications other than from the market carries a risk factor, whereas the official Google Play Store is a safer way to download applications.