If you are using an Android phone you would have been already familiar with apk (.apk) android app extension, which allow Android users to be able to sideload apps to their mobile device. Sideload means downloading apps from external third-party sites and installing it on an Android device without accessing the Play Store. But there are now new Android app extensions that most people are not aware of; the “apkm”, “xapk”, and “apks”.
Today, we will be showing you how you can install these apps on your Android device. The apkm, xapk, and apks differ in the sense that they are “multiple apks” bundled together to make a single app. The “apk” Android app extension that has been the norm since the genesis of Android is a combination of codes and data that makes a single app, while the new extensions are combination of multiple apks and data that makes a single app.
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The apkm extension originated from apkmirror, an app hosting site owned by Android Police, while the apks android app extension originated from APKPure. You may ask, why are these new extensions becoming the norm outside the Play Store? The thing is, there is a restriction on app size when uploading apps to the Play Store. Google does not allow developers to host app that is more than 100MB in size on the Play Store.
This create a challenge for most app developers. The result is OBB, an encrypted file that needs to be downloaded for some apps to work. Most of these developers opt-in to use OBB for their apps which in most instances will automatically be downloaded immediately after the app is launched. But with the new App Bundle, this may no longer be needed. With the apkm, xapk and apks app bundle, developers can bundled multiple data (apk, obb, and other data) into a single app.
Another advantage of app bundle, which was formally introduced by Google in 2018, is that apps with different infrastructure made for specific screen size (320dpi, 480dpi, and 640dpi) or architecture (armeabi-v7a, arm64-v8a, x86 and x86_64) can now be bundled together without users worrying about finding the specific version of an app that work on their phones.
Now, how can you install these apps on your Android phone? The new app extensions cannot be install directly on Android as you already figured out (that’s why you are here). The only way to install them is to have installers that can install the apps on your phone. Unfortunately, the apkm, xapk and apks differs greatly and the procedures for each is different. We need to use separate app installer.
How to install apkm apps on Android
- Download and install apkmirror app to your phone from here
- Launch it from the app drawer
- Browse to the folder where you saved the apkm file you want to install
- Locate the apkm file that you want to install and tap on it
- At the bottom of the installation page, tap the “install” button to start installation
How to install xapk apps on Android
- Download and install APKPure app from here
- Launch it from the app drawer
- Click the menu button at the top-right of the homepage
- Select “APK / XAPK Management” from the menu list
- The list of apk and xapk apps stored in your phone storage will be displayed
- Tap the “install” button in front of the app you want to install to start installation
How to install apks app on Android
- Download and install SAI (Split Apks Installer) from here
- Launch the app from the app drawer
- Click “Install Apks” and browse to the location where the app is stored in your phone
- Select it to begin installation
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