External applications or applications of unknown origin are all those that are not in the Play Store or that were at some point, but for various reasons Google has excluded them. Many of these, as they are not approved by Google, they can pose a risk to your device, being capable of causing damage to your mobile, but there are very few that pose a threat.
The process of installation of a external apk is quite simple on devices with Kit-Kat operating system or lower, since it was enough to give permissions to applications from unknown sources and that's it; however, with the arrival of the Oreo operating system, this has become a little more complicated, but it is still possible to install them, although the procedure has changed.
How to allow installation of apps from unknown sources
This is the first step, if you want to install an apk external to Google Play. The first thing to do is to go to the settings and then to the security section. At this point you will have to press on the security option and select Sources unknown.
Finally, you will have to allow installation of unknown sources and accept if a confirmation window appears. Permission from unknown sources works the same for different phone types, so you can do it regardless of the make and model of phone you own.
How to get and install an apk
There are several ways to get an apk, via pc to mobile transfer, mobile to mobile transfer via Bluetooh or go directly to the apk page, from your mobile, and download it.
These applications will go directly to the download folder. There you can locate all apks and install them. To be able to install these applications, you just have to tap it to activate the installation and allow the corresponding permissions.
Install apk with Android Oreo
This operating system has strengthened the security of Google Play much more, making it more complex to install an apk. To do this, we must give the browser permission from which we have downloaded the apk in so I can install it.
To install the apk, you will need to activate the configuration at the same time as the apk download, this is because the unknown sources have disappeared.
Therefore, what you need to do now is download the application directly from Google and when the installation process begins, a message will appear saying that for security reasons, the your phone will not be able to install unknown applications from this source.
We will have to give the option settings in the menu that appeared and then authorize downloads from this source. Then it will be necessary to go back to the application and install it again and now all apks of said browser can be installed without problems.
Activate the apk installation in the settings
With this setting you can allow applications such as Facebook, Gmail, Drive, Messenger, among others, to install apk. To do this you need to access the phone settings, access the advanced settings and select the option for install unknown applications.
When you do this, you will see a menu with icons for Drive, Facebook, and other applications. You have to enter each of them and give them permission so that they can download and install applications of unknown origin.
In this way, any external app coming from these applications can be installed without any problem. It is important to know that in this way your device runs the risk that it can install an apk that contains malware or a malicious file which could damage your cellphone.
Recommendations before installing an apk
As mentioned above, not all applications will be harmful to your mobile, but you must always take precautions. Take into account the installing a security application to reduce the risk of malware installation.
App
