Friday, November 27, 2015

Install apps the right way

Google Play Store is convenient to find and install apps on your phone, but it is a horrible thing and I never enable it on any of my phones, never.

Here is how I find and install apps on my phones:

In a browser, open this link to find your app:

https://play.google.com/store/apps

For example, you can search for "Notification Auto Clear" and get it at this URL:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.necta.notificationclear


Copy the link (URL), open the following link and paste. Then click on "Generate Download Link":

http://downloader-apk.com/


Then click on "generate download link" again, then click on "Proceed to Notification Auto Clear 1.0 (or the app name) apk Download Page". Wait for a few seconds (depending on the size of the app), your browser will pop up the download dialog:


Now your phone will start to download the apk file, once finished, simply click/open it to install the app.

If you did above steps on a computer, then you need to transfer the downloaded apk file to your phone, obviously. Then use a file browser to open/install the apk file. If your phone does not have any file browser yet, then you need to do above steps on your phone for a file browser such as ES File Explorer.

It is not so convenient but well worth it and once you are familiar with the process, it is quite easy.

[update] Another two very easy ways - just open the following URL's on your phone:

http://apkpure.com
http://apkmirror.com

5 comments:

  1. Can you explain what's the bad to install from Google Play Store directly? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then your phone will never in peace, especially when on WiFi, endless auto updating google services and apps. By default all the apps you installed update automatically too. You never know what happens the next morning to the phone that has been working perfectly.

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    2. You do know that the auto updating can be disabled in play store settings, right?
      Downloading apps from 3rd-party website is always unsafe. You never know what they've done through their server. Even though you thought you download the app directly from play store links. You may check md5 or sha1 for apps downloaded from 3rd party website with apps from google store (/data/app). You may find unmatch sometimes, google that and be aware of that.

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    3. Yes I knew that, that's why I said "by default". Even if you disable auto update, some google stuff, including Play Store itself, will still update automatically. I have no choice but disable them all together.

      I've been doing this for years on all my phones, never a problem. Just don't give root privilege to an unknown app and uninstall an evil app immediately.

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