Downloading apps from the Google Play Store is the safest option that you can do to enjoy using your Android mobile device. However, there are apps that you can’t get from the Play Store due to certain reasons. So, users are tempted to acquire APK files from third-parties.
However, doing this can potentially harm your mobile device because they can cause your unit to get infected with malware. This can be avoided though if you follow some useful tips presented here.
Download Apps From Reliable Sources
The safest and most reliable way to download apps is via the Play Store. This is because it has recently added security features that would check apps for possible malware. You can also check the Amazon App Store as an alternate source of apps if it is available in your country.
Stay Away From Unknown Sources
Due to the flexibility of the Android device, it has some good sources of apps on the Internet. Third-party app stores exist all over the Web, but not all of them can be trusted. As a matter of fact, this is not advisable for downloading games to your device.
Sideloading Android APKs
You can share APK files from one friend to the other, which can be a better idea than getting them straight from an unknown source. However, it is disabled by default, which you can enable easily though. Sideloading is the activity to download and install apps other than the Play Store. Well, you can only do this if the app is not available on the official repository or when you don’t have Internet connection to access it online.
Allow Permissions Only If Necessary
Apps are granted permission by the Android OS to gain access to anything on your device. This is a good way to fend off malicious apps that may cause trouble to your device. So, it is important to determine if the app has the intent to access your files maliciously, considering its unreasonable requests to access your photos, contacts, and personal information.
