The APK Extractor is extremely simple to use. After opening the application, you will see a list of all the applications on your device. Clicking on one of them will start the extraction of the installation file, which will be saved in a specific folder.
Opening APK Files on Android
To open an APK file on your Android device, you simply need to download it like any other file and then open it when it’s available. However, due to a security block, APK files not installed from the Google Play Store may not install immediately.
Finding Installed APK Applications
To find the APKs of the applications installed on your device, go to the System/Data/App folder. Each application has a copy of its executable here, along with a folder containing the data. Simply find the application you’re interested in and get a copy of the executable.
Location of APK Files on Android
Method One: Installed apps in "/data/apps" can generally be found using an advanced file explorer. You can simply copy the APK files from this point and paste them wherever you want. However, an advanced file explorer can be used to extract the APKs of installed apps on a non-rooted Android phone.
Extracting Android Files
To decompress files:
- Access Files by Google on your Android device.
- Tap on Browse at the bottom.
- Tap on a folder containing a .zip file you want to decompress.
- Select the desired file.
- A popup showing the contents of the file will appear.
- Tap on Enter.
- You can preview the extracted files.
- Tap on Finish.
Creating an APK File
To create an APK file, use Android Studio.
- Select the name of your application.
- Find the Build folder, the subfolder outputs, and the file with the extension .apk, without the unligned extension.
Opening APK Files on Samsung
To open and install APK files on Samsung:
- Go to the Settings interface on your Android device.
- Under settings, look for Security.
- Select the Unknown sources button and move it to the right.
- The options menu of the Google Play application will appear.
- Include Play Protect in the list of Google Play options.
- Open the Play Protect settings.
Installing Unknown Applications on Android
To install unknown applications on Android:
- Go to the settings of your mobile device.
- Choose Biometrics & Security or Security.
- Then, choose Install unknown apps.
- Alternatively, go to Settings, then to the menu (consisting of three vertical dots) in the upper right corner.
- Choose Special Access, then Install unknown apps.
- Here, you need to select one of the recommended options.
Launching an Application
To open an application, simply tap on its corresponding icon on the Home screen. You can also swipe up the Home button, then swipe to the right and select the app running in the background.
Removing APK Files on Android
The best way to uninstall an APK on Android is to:
- Drag the application to the trash can and confirm by holding your finger on it.
- Uninstall the application by holding your finger on it and tapping Remove.
- Go to the settings, select the application to remove, and choose Uninstall or Remove.