APK files are a great way to get access to apps that are not available in the Google Play Store. But are they safe? In this article, we'll explore the best sites for secure Android APK downloads and how to make sure the APKs you download are safe. When it comes to downloading APKs, there are a few sites that stand out from the rest. APKMirror and APKPure are two of the most popular sites for secure Android APK downloads.
Both sites offer a wide range of applications, from the latest games to productivity tools.
APKMirror
is one of the most popular sites for downloading APKs. It offers a wide range of applications, from the latest games to productivity tools. For each application, you can obtain previous versions, view information extracted from Google Play and access a list of related applications.If an application that you install from APKMirror receives an update from Google Play after you have installed it on your device, it will be updated to the latest version automatically. Arguably APKMirror's biggest main competitor is APKPure. The two sites were launched at about the same time. Like APKMirror, this APK downloader complies with rigorous security practices to ensure that all the APKs you save are safe and virus-free. So how is APKPure secure? The site verifies the legitimacy of all applications before publishing them using SHA1 to ensure that the certificate is secure.
The cryptographic signatures of the new versions of the applications must match the previously published versions, and completely new applications are compared to other software from the same developer. Once again, if APKPure has doubts about the security or origin of an application, the company will not publish it on the site. There are no modified APKs in APKPure. In terms of site usability, APKPure extracts screenshots, application descriptions, and general metadata directly from Google. APKPure also has an Android app available.
You have to download the app to install it, but once it's up and running, it can replace Google Play. We really like APKMirror and APKPure. In reality, you should never have a reason to go to a different place. But let's be cautious and quickly present you with some other options. Aptoide is another giant in the world of APK downloads; it has more than 200 million users and has been responsible for six billion downloads.
Like APKPure, the site offers an APK application for Android that allows you to access the store and download APK files directly from your Android device. All APKs are extracted from the Google Play Store so you can rely on their security and protection. As with the other sites on this list, there's also a lot of metadata, which means you can avoid Google Play altogether if you want to. However, Aptoide allows users to manage their own stores and therefore allows modified APKs to enter the platform. They are well marked, but if you don't pay attention, you may download one by accident.
Yalp Store
is another great option for secure Android apk downloads.Unlike the other applications on this site, there is no web version. Instead, you should install the F-Droid application, which in itself is one of the best alternatives to Google Play. Once the Yalp Store app is installed on your Android device, you can use it to download apps directly from the Google Play Store. This means that you don't have to worry about any middleman injecting malware into APKs before you get hold of them. If you've rooted your device, Yalp Store can even update apps in the background without needing you to do anything on your part.
Best of all, you don't need to have a Google account to download APKs from Google Play. It will be a pleasure for many people who are wary of the Play Store's privacy issue.
ApkMonk
is another popular APK app download site. The site focuses heavily on gaming apps, and trending games currently take center stage on the site's home page. You can also use ApkMonk to download regular applications.Once again, they are organized into popular and trendy categories.
ApkHere
is another great option for secure Android apk downloads if you're looking for foreign-language apps that aren't available in your local default Google Play Store. Sure, there's a lot of content in English for you to dig deeper into, however, you'll also find German APKs, Chinese APKs, Russian APKs and much more. While ApkHere's apks are secure, we can't guarantee the security of some of the applications themselves as China and Russia aren't known for their strong security and privacy practices. Shaik Shahir technically no site is 100% safe to download from and downloading a modified apk can get you banned from the application's real servers.While installing apk files is easy, it may not always be useful or safe. Users should be careful when downloading apk files as it can be a stolen or illegal application. VirusTotal's VirusTotal website allows you to upload your apk files to check for viruses and other problems. Although ApkPure states that it only shares original apks as they are in the Play Store and verifies them using SHA-1 we will check them manually to make sure that they aren't modified in any way.
APK Mirror is generally accepted by Android community as a safe place to obtain apk files as there are many applications that are only available through apk files and not anywhere else. It is a unique signature or key that real developers associate with each application which helps identify if file is in its original state or if it has been modified by someone impersonating developer of that application. But are these files just as secure? What is Huawei doing to ensure that it isn't at risk of malware, viruses and data theft? Digital Trends spoke with Dr Shahir who said that technically no site is 100% safe when downloading apks and downloading modified apks can get users banned from real servers. To make sure that apks users install are safe it would be advisable to scan them first using VirusTotal website or manually check them before installing them on device as Dr Shahir does himself.
