Get to know .APK File, the Simple Way

No one can deny the dominance of Android devices in the smartphone market. About 88 percent of the world’s smartphones are using the android platform. It is certain that you have a file with the apk. extension and having trouble on how to open it. You don’t have to worry anymore since techshift provides us a comprehensive step-by-step visual guide on how to open a .APK file across different operating systems.

What is .APK?

The .APK file stands for Android Package. Google created the file format to share and install applications on Android devices. It is an executable file or in zip format, thus it cannot be read because it is compiled. However, it can be opened using 7 software on 4 platforms.

Here’s the step-by-step guide by Techshift.net on how to open .APK file on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android:

Opening .APK file on Windows OS

There are four simple steps on how to open a .apk file on Windows. Keep in mind that this will only work on Windows 7, 8, and 10

1. You need to download specific software that can open the file like Google Android SDK, BlueStacks, Core WinZip, 7-Zip, and RARLAB WinRAR.
2. Finding the original location of the file is the second step. You can usually find it in the /download/ folder.
3. Once you found the file, perform a right-click on it and choose the “Open with” option.
4. After clicking the “Open with” option, you will need to select the software you downloaded to open the .apk file (e.g. Google Android SDK). Click on the software and click “OK”.

Opening .APK file on Mac OS

Like on Windows, there are also just four easy steps on how to open a .apk file on Mac OS.

1. Downloading software that can open the file is also the first step here. On Mac OS, Google Android SDK and BlueStacks can be used too, but you can also download Apple Archive Utility.
2. Locating the downloaded file is the second step. It is commonly found in the /download/ folder.
3. Press right-click on the file and click the “Open with” option.
4. Once you click “Open with”, you should see the software you downloaded to open the file (let’s say, in this case, we used Google Android SDK again). Choose the software and click on “OK”.
   

In summary, opening an .apk file is not hard, there are just programs that you first need to install on your device in order to open the file. This may vary depending on the operating system you are using. For Windows, you can use Google Android SDK, BlueStacks, Corel WinZip, 7-Zip, RARLAB WinRAR programs. For Mac OS, you can download Google Android SDK, Apple Archive Utility, and BlueStacks programs. Only download Google Android SDK on Linux. Finally, for Android, simply install the Google Android software.