Every android user should know this term: “APK”. Because this concept refers to the soul of any of your devices. Well, “soul” or “brain”, because the truth is that it contains the complete structure for that device to function. Know how to drive and how to extract APK from any Android app It's very important. because if there is no APK, you will not be able to use that app.
There are many terms that you should know if you are immersed in the digital world. And today we all are to a greater or lesser extent. For this reason, and because we know that perhaps the topic scares you a little, we want to teach you everything about this file, so that you know what it is, what it is for, how it works and how to extract it.
Memorize this concept: “APK” or “Android Application Package”. Sooner or later you will hear about it and you will need to identify it. It is better to learn it and anticipate it. Or did you come to this post because you desperately need to solve an APK problem? Keep reading!
What is “APK”
We have already advanced the most relevant notions in the first lines. However, there is a lot to learn about the APK. First of all, it is a file. Now, what is it for and why is it so important?
This file makes it possible for applications can be distributed and installed. To use these apps you have to locate the APK file and an Android device into which you will dump those files.
It contains endless data, among which are metadata, codes and countless resources essential for the operation of that app. They come in compressed format, so that it can be stored taking up minimal space.
If you have ever been looking for your mobile phone or a tablet that runs on the Android system, you have surely come across some APK files, although, possibly, you haven't really known what to do with them. You may have even been tempted to delete said file to save space. However, if you deleted it, you would have made a mess!
You will understand how important APK files are when you want to install that app on another device. Without them, forget about the app working. But, if what you want is to share that app on another mobile phone or tablet, you will need to manage the file.
That is, the APK will go unnoticed by you, so much so that you will even try to delete it when you review your list of installed files. But thanks to them your phone and its services are working.
Extract an APK, do I really need to learn this?
Technology issues make most of us nervous. Unless we are one of those brainiacs who were born with the computer science gene in their veins. If this is not your case, perhaps you consider yourself reluctant to understand topics of this nature. Banish this thought! You are perfectly capable of understanding it and handling the APK of your mobile or tablet. And you're going to see it.
Someday you will want to back up your apps. Maybe because you want to restore your phone or buy another one. To do this, you will need to extract the APK and move it to the new device.
The same goes for any other modifications you want to make to your devices. Take note of everything, because extract an APK:
- It is a backup copy of your phones.
- Through the APK you can share or transfer apps between other devices.
- You can modify those applications, for example, sound, ads, etc.
There may be other circumstances in which you are interested in driving and knowing how to extract APK from any android application.
This is how to extract an APK from an Android device: Step-by-step guide
There are two methods to extract the APK of an app. The first is to do it using an application made for this purpose. And the second way is to use a file explorer. Let's see how both alternatives work so that you can choose the one that best suits you and you can install APK apps.
Extract APK using a specific application
If you decided to help me in one way app to extract APKThere are some that are quite good. One of them is APK Creator and the other is called Apktool. Let's take a look at them.
Starting with APK Creator, you can find it in the Play Store:
- You simply have to open it and, when it shows you all the apps on your device, mark the one from which you want to extract the APK.
- Confirm that you want to extract the APK and you can now download and save it.
- And you can now share or install that app on another device, thanks to the fact that you extracted the APK.
The second app available for this purpose is Apktool. This tool is more complex, all things considered. The steps are the following:
- Download the tool.
- Follow its manufacturer's instructions to install it.
- To decompile the app you will need to use your computer and search for the app you want to decompile.
- Use the following command to run the tool: apktool d application_name.apk
- A folder with the entire file will be downloaded.
- Make any modifications you need to these files.
- When you're done, you'll have to compile again. Use the tool for this.
- Type the command apktool b application_name.apk
- A folder named “dist” will be created, in which the files with your modifications will appear.
As you can see, to use this second tool, you have to be familiar with computing at a higher level.
Extract APK using file explorer
Be careful because Not all file explorers can extract APKs. Some of the ones that are worth it are “ES File Explorer” or “Solid Explorer”. The steps you have to follow are the following:
- Once the file explorer is installed, go to the site where you have the app you want to use.
- If you leave the file pressed for a few seconds, a list of options will be displayed.
- Select the option that says “Copy” or “Extract”.
- You can now save the file.
Now, where will these APK files go when you download them? Because it can happen that you go crazy trying to locate them. Don't look everywhere, these will always go to the SD card or internal memory. There are no more places.
you learned how to extract APK from any Android app and you just need to start practicing.