Have you ever seen an APK file, but wondered what it was? Well, you’re in the right place to find out what you need.
In essence, an APK is an archive file for applications on the Android OS. However, that’s not the only way to describe it, APK does so much more than that.
In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about what is an APK so that you can have a full-fledged capacity of using it.
Whenever you’re ready to learn about APK and what it’s for, keep reading.
What Is An APK?
APK, also known as an Android Package Kit is a file extension for a file that is used to distribute applications for the Android OS. It’s the .exe alternative of Windows OS used for installing software. The APK contains all of the necessary data of the application, starting with its resources and going as far as the manifest of the compiled app code.
Most android users download APK files from the Play Store when installing an application. The only reason they don’t know about it is that Android does everything in the background, you only see the front-end. If you know how to manually install applications, there are many other sources for APK files.
Nonetheless, you should be very cautious about downloading APK files, as much as you would be cautious about .exe files. Malware is easily stored in these files and can ruin your device.
These are the following prominent components of a regular APK file.
- META-INF: signature, manifest file, list of archived resources
- lib: native libraries for device architectures
- assets: raw resources that are bundled with application
- res: resources not compiled
- AndroidManifest.xml: version, name, and contents
- resources.arsc: compiled resources
- classes.dex: compiled Java classes
And that’s pretty much it. However, APK files can be customized to other specifications, making the contents variable. Now that you know what is an APK, let’s discover how to open it.
How Do You Open an APK File?
APK files are not restricted to being opened on Android. They can also be opened on MAC, Windows, etc. Opening APK on android simply requires the downloaded file and then opening it via a click. But APK files installed not on Play Store will not install right away, there is a firewall that prevents that from happening.
To bypass the installation restriction on unknown sourced filed, navigate to one of the following menus.
- Settings > Apps & Notifications
- Settings > Security
- Settings > Apps & Notifications > Advanced > Special App Access > Install Unknown Apps
Depending on the version of your device, you might need your application form which you download (Edge, Chrome, Brave) to have permission for installation. If you see Unknown Apps or Unknown Sources, enable that option.
If the APK does not open, browse it with your file manager. If you don’t have one, try Astro or ES File.
On Windows
You can also open APK on Windows using an emulator for Android. BlueStacks is a very popular example. In this application, you visit the My Apps tab and then click on the Install APK option in the corner.
After doing so, you can browse through your files and install any APK you like.
On Mac
Android apps can be tested on Mac as well, but not natively. ARC Welder is an extension for Chrome that runs on all OS. This means you can open your APK on any computer, as long as you have this extension.
On IOS
You cannot install or open APK on iPad or iPhone because the file build is incompatible with how applications work on IOS. The two platforms are not cross-compatible, but emulators can potentially solve this problem.
APK Extraction
Another way to open APK files on any of the potential OS is via an extractor tool. Since APK is just an archive of folders, you can unzip it with WinRar, 7-Zip, or PeaZip to see what makes up the application.
Doing this will not let you use the APK file on the device. To do this, you will need an Android emulator on your device which will run the necessary Android OS on your device.
How to Convert APK?
Even though file conversion is usually done with an application, it’s not really applicable to APK files. That’s because APK files are designed to run on certain devices only, unlike other files like PDF or MP4 that can are opened on many platforms.
Instead, if you want to convert your APK to an archive like ZIP, you will use the extractors mentioned above. Either open the file in the extractor and repackage it, or you can simply change the .APK extension to .ZIP.
This might seem odd because renaming a file does not actually convert a file. But it does work with APK files because the format is already using .ZIP, it’s just appending it as .APK.
You cannot convert APK to IPA for IOS use, neither can you convert APK to EXE for Windows using. But you can certainly find an alternative that works in place of the app that you want to install. Most developers have the same application available on multiple platforms but in the appropriate format.
Instead of using a non-existent APK/EXE converter, you simple open the Windows APK opener and then use it to open the application. It does not need to be .EXE for it to work.
You can also convert APK to BAR to use the application on BlackBerry devices. This is done by uploading your file to the converter, like a Good e-Reader. The conversion happens automatically and then you can download the BAR file back to your device of choice.
Ultimate File Conversion
Now that you know what is an APK, you are that much closer to unlocking the full potential of its use. Unfortunately, there is not a way to convert APK to other platforms, but there are workarounds as mentioned above.
If you’re interested in a variety of file conversions directly in your browser without downloading software, check out our conversion solutions.