Open APK File

Open APK File on Windows, Mac OS, Android

APK files are used by Google Android operating system to store installation packages for applications. APK package stores compiled Android application. It also contains all resources which are required for Android application to run. This may include compiled code, images, text, videos, manifests, certificates and many more. APK files are compiled to be run on devices running Android OS but could also be run in emulators on other platforms.

Open APK File on Windows OS

• Try double clicking on the APK file in Windows File Explorer.
• If the APK file emulation software is associated correctly then the file will open.
• If the APK file did not open you should either copy APK file to the compatible Android device or if you still want to launch it on Windows OS you can use one of the following emulators: NoxPlayer, QEMU, BlueStacks.
• To open APK file in the Android emulator you need to launch it and then select File->Open in the main menu.
• In the File Open dialog select APK file to emulate and click "Open".

Open APK file on Android OS

• Open web browser on your Android device.
• Navigate to a page with an APK file you want to install.
• Tap on the APK file link to download the APK file.
• When APK file download is finished tap OPEN to start the installation process.
• If APK installation is disabled on your device you may see a prompt asking you to go to "SETTINGS" and enable APK installations from the unknown sources.
• Tap “Install” to start the installation process.

Open APK File on Mac OS

• Click on the APK file Mac OS Finder.
• If the APK file emulation software is associated correctly in Mac OS then the APK file will open.
• If the APK file did not open properly you should either copy APK file to the compatible Android device or if you still want to launch it on Mac operating system you can open APK file in one of the following APK emulators: NoxPlayer, QEMU, BlueStacks.
• To open APK file in the Android emulator you need to launch it from Launchpad or Applications folder and then select File->Open in the main menu.
• In the File Open dialog select APK file to emulate and click "Open APK File".

How to Open APK File on iPad and iPhone

• Because APK installation files are designed specifically for Android platform they could not be directly opened on iPhone or iPad.
• If you want to run the application located inside the APK file you can check if the version of the app in the APK file is available on Apple App Store.
• It is possible to run the APK file through emulators which are available for various platforms. Android Emulators for iOS are not available in the Apple app store and may require jailbreaking the iOS device which could be dangerous. It may be better to use Android emulators available on other platforms such as BlueStacks, NoxPlayer, QEMU.

For generic instructions on how to open APK files and view what is inside of it follow this guide. Or you can just change the extension of the APK file to ZIP or JAR and open it with WinZip, WinRar, 7-Zip or any other unarchiver. Please note that this will not install an app from the APK file. You will only be able to view internal structure of the APK file.

If you need to install APK file on Android, Windows or Mac OS you can follow these instructions to do this. APK files could not be opened on iOS devices. You should either find a corresponding app in Apple App Store or get an app from developer using IPA file.

To open APK file and view individual files from it you can use application which corresponds to the extracted file format. Some of the resources like images, manifests and XML files could be easily viewed with your default Windows or Mac software. But some like compiled source code, libraries and certificates will require specific applications targeted for these file extensions.

Do not open APK files from websites you do not trust. By doing so you may install malicious software on your device.

To compress data APK file uses an algorithm similar to the one used in a ZIP file.

APK file format is derived from the Java Archive File or JAR. For more information on JAR archives read an article about JAR file.

APK file is similar to MSI files on Microsoft Windows platform, DMG files on Mac OS platform and IPA files on iOS. All of the above file formats are used to install software in a packaged form.