How to install an APK

Sideloading is safe when you know where the file came from and you check it before opening it. Here is the whole process, and what our badges are telling you.

Why these apps aren’t on Google Play

Almost everything here is free and open-source software, most of it mirrored from F-Droid, a long-running repository that builds apps from published source code.

Open-source apps skip the Play Store for ordinary reasons:

A Play Store listing costs a one-off developer fee and ongoing policy compliance work that unpaid volunteers often will not take on.
Play requires apps to ship Google’s own libraries for some features. Projects that avoid tracking deliberately refuse them.
Some apps do things Play’s policies restrict — ad-blocking, per-app firewalls, downloading media, automation across other apps.

None of that makes an app unsafe. It does mean nobody is checking it on your behalf, which is what the scanning below is for.

What the safety badges mean

Every build carries the result of a malware scan, checked against VirusTotal’s engines by file hash:

ScannedNo engine flagged this build. The date shown is when it was checked. Only these appear on the site.

Pending scanNo verdict yet — usually a build too new to have been analysed. Held back until it clears.

FlaggedAt least one engine reported something. Never published; kept only for review.

A badge is evidence, not a guarantee. Scanners produce false positives — apps that need broad permissions, like firewalls or automation tools, get flagged more often than their behaviour warrants. Read the permissions list on the app page too.

1. Allow installs from your browser or file manager

Android blocks installs from outside the Play Store by default. On Android 8 and newer the permission is granted per app, not globally:

Open Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps.
Pick the app you will open the APK from — usually your browser (Chrome, Firefox) or your file manager.
Turn on Allow from this source.

Turn it back off when you are done. It only needs to be on for the moment you tap the file. On Android 7 and older the setting is a single global toggle at Settings → Security → Unknown sources.

2. Check the build before you install

Confirm the build shows a green Scanned badge.
Check the package name matches the app you expect — a mismatch is the commonest sign of a repackaged APK.
Skim the permissions. An offline calculator asking for contacts and the microphone deserves suspicion.

3. Check it will run on your device

Each build lists a minimum Android version. Find yours under Settings → About phone → Android version, then use the Runs on filter on the home page to hide anything your device cannot install.

4. Install it

Tap Download on the app page.
Open the file from your notification shade or Downloads folder.
Android lists the permissions it wants — read them, then confirm.
Updates are manual: come back and download the newer build when one appears. Installing over the top keeps your data.

If an install fails

“App not installed” — usually a signature clash with an existing copy. Uninstall the old version first; note this clears its data.
Parse error — the file is truncated or built for a newer Android release than your device runs.
Blocked by Play Protect — worth taking seriously. Do not bypass it unless you are certain of the source.

Related guides

Best privacy apps for Android in 2026 — what to install once sideloading works.
Top lightweight tools under 10MB — for older or storage-limited devices.
All guides — the full blog.

Browse the catalogue when you are ready, or read how builds get listed.