There are a lot of fantastic applications on the Quest Store. However, you might be wondering how to Sideload Apk from SideQuest, and that’s why we’re here. Did you realize you can download apps or games, encounters, and practical tools from a unique library?
With SideQuest, you can broaden your horizons with tools, indie gems of all kinds, and unofficial mods, all things considered, both paid and free. Learn how to do it with the help of this tutorial.
SideQuest has a magnificent library of content. It includes cool multiplayer games, mods for games you currently own on Quest, for example, Beat Saber, and devices that can allow you to do things Meta doesn’t necessarily, in all cases, permit.
What is sideloading?
The phrase “sideloading” refers to the loading of content onto contemporary computers from sources that have not been cleared by content reviewers. However, you should use caution when sideloading.
For instance, sideloading technically refers to obtaining an untested program from the internet and installing it on Windows. So proceed with caution, albeit sometimes it’s not as frightening as it seems.
When it comes to Quest, sideloading is the act of installing material on a device that has not been reviewed or validated by Meta and has not been made available through the game’s official shop.
Why, and what, would I sideload?
Why would you ever add anything further to the Quest if the store already has so much high-quality optimized material on it?
Users can perform tasks that are either not possible on the device ordinarily or are not available in the Oculus Store by sideloading, for example:
- Install any developer-published pre-release builds
- Install programs and files that aren’t offered by App Lab or the Oculus Store (either because they were rejected or because they have not yet applied for a listing).
- Use an alternate build of an Oculus Store application that has been approved because alternate builds may offer sideloaded content that isn’t permitted by the store’s policies.
- Loading custom material is possible in some games and apps. For example, it might support a folder containing audio files you could listen to while playing a VR game.
- Install tools that give you a fresh perspective on how you’re approaching your quest.
How do I sideload Apk?
ADB (Android Debug Bridge) commands from your PC are technically sufficient to sideload material onto a Quest, but for the majority of users, SideQuest is a much more convenient choice.
Finding and sideloading content is a reasonably simple procedure thanks to this all-in-one program, which is available across several platforms.
Originally exclusively accessible for PC, Mac, and Linux, it is now also available for Android smartphones and even as a VR software called “Easy Installer” that can be loaded and used directly on your Quest headset.
The most recent build or version of SideQuest for PCs, Linux, and macOS can all be found on SideQuest’s website. Android devices can download the app from the Google Play Store.
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First Time Setup
No matter the technique or version of SideQuest you use, you must complete the following initial setup procedures before you can sideload anything onto your Quest.
Make Sure To Have a USB Cord To Connect Your Quest To Your Pc/Phone
- You can use the charging cable that comes with your Quest if your computer has a USB-C port.
- If not, you might use the cable that comes with the Quest or a USB C to A adapter.
- You’ll need USB C on one end and whatever port your Android phone uses on the other if you intend to utilize it.
On the Oculus/Facebook account connected to your Quest, sign up as a developer
You must first sign up as a developer organization in order to use your Quest in Developer Mode.
Make sure you’re signed into the same Oculus/Facebook profile your Quest is linked to (visit this page to be sure). To agree to the Oculus Terms of Service, type in a new organization name and click the “I understand” checkbox.
Enable Developer Mode on your Quest
Once registered, you may use the Oculus app on your phone to turn on Developer Mode on your Quest.
the Oculus app contains:
1. elect “Settings” in the bottom right corner
2. Make sure your Quest headset shows up in the Settings tab as “Connected”. (If the app is unable to connect to your Quest, check that your Quest is turned on and that Bluetooth and WiFi are both enabled on your phone.)
3. To access more options, click the arrow button next to your device.
4. “More Settings’ should be tapped.
5. Click or tap “Developer Mode.”
6. Change the switch from off to on.
7. Hold the power button down on the side and choose “Power Off” or “Restart” to completely restart your Quest.
Your Quest ought to be in Developer Mode after a restart.
Which Version of SideQuest?
The simplest way to browse, download, and install non-Store and App Lab material directly on your Quest is with the ‘Easy Installer’ VR version of SideQuest, which you can install directly on your headset.
The VR app has all the functionality necessary for installing content and sideloading the majority of apps, despite being a simplified version of the original PC app.
You can browse a selection of App Lab content through the app and download it directly to your headset without exiting VR.
We advise most customers to choose this option because it is the easiest and most practical.
Most functionality is provided via the original SideQuest application for PC, Mac, and Linux, although doing so necessitates having your Quest linked to your computer.
The ability to modify concealed headset settings is one of the extra features that this version of the software has over prior versions. This shouldn’t matter to most individuals and isn’t essential.
The fundamentals of browsing and downloading SideQuest store material onto your Quest from your phone are covered by SideQuest.
You have to link up your headset and phone using a USB. Similar to the VR app, the Android version does not have all of the same features as the PC/Mac/Linux versions.
Opening and linking SideQuest on your Quest
You can locate SideQuest under the Quest App Library’s ‘Unknown Sources’ menu after installing it.
Open your App Library and select the tab in the upper right corner to discover this.
You can launch SideQuest from “Unknown Sources.”
They will give you a connecting code by SideQuest. Go to sdq.st/link on a computer, mobile device, or Meta Browser, sign in to SideQuest (you must create an account on SideQuest right away if you haven’t already), and input the special 6-digit code for your headset.
When asked if you want to link your headset, the browser window will open a dialog box; click the link button there.
Sideload Apk file From An External Source
Quest apps are also online, made available by developers as APK (.apk) files. All you have to do to sideload these is click the “install APK file from folder” button.
By doing this, you’ll be able to find and choose the APK file, that SideQuest then installs. As stated earlier, you can verify the installation’s success on the “Tasks” page.
SideQuest for Android Phones
SideQuest released Android software in April 2021 that enables users to sideload apk using their smartphones as opposed to a PC. Currently, it only supports Android; iOS support is still missing.
Installation
In the Google Play Store, you can download the SideQuest app. Choose an Android smartphone and install the app.
Connect your phone by USB to your Quest, then select OK on the option to “Allow USB Debugging” in your headset.
Launch SideQuest for Android when you’ve finished.
Once everything connects correctly, a green dot should appear in the middle of the SideQuest logo on the toolbar. If not, try disconnecting and then replugging your Quest. In the event that that doesn’t work, rehash the past guidelines.
Sideloading Apps and Games (Android)
Here is a step-by-step procedure on how to sideload apk from SideQuest:
- On the homepage of the SideQuest app, you may explore and search through all of the content they offer.
- Open the listing page for the program you wish to install after finding it.
- Click the “Install to Headset” option to set up the application.
- You may monitor the process on the downloads tab on the app’s toolbar as the software starts to download and then install.
- The installation will be complete when the progress bar displays “Success.”
Alternate Method: Wireless Android Sideloading
It’s likewise conceivable to set up remote sideloading utilizing the Android application, by empowering remote ADB. Some Android versions support this, while others don’t.
To enable remote ADB, associate your Quest with your telephone through USB and open SideQuest. Click on the remote toolbar button on the extreme left. On this screen, you can press ‘Empower Wireless’.
You can then truly separate your Quest from your telephone and press the ‘Interface’ button close to the IP address at the lower part of the application’s remote menu. This will interface your headset to SideQuest remotely, gave you’re on a similar organization, and permit you to sideload applications without a USB association.
Subsequent to empowering remote, you most likely won’t have to interface your Quest genuinely again for some time. SideQuest ought to recall your Quest’s neighborhood IP address, permitting you to simply press the interface button each time you need to sideload apk. Assuming SideQuest fails to remember your Quest’s neighborhood IP address, you can find this in the Wi-Fi settings of your Quest by lengthy pushing on the organization the headset associates with.
Assuming your headset reboots or the battery kicks the bucket, it will cripple remote ADB and you’ll need to play out the means above once more.
Launching Sideloaded Apps
After learning how to sideload apk from SideQuest, now you’re ready to launch your sideloaded apps. App Lab content (installed via SideQuest etc.) will be accessible on the primary page, close by Oculus Store applications, In your Quest’s Application Library.
The content you would run through SideQuest will be on record under the ‘Unknown Sources’ tab. You can track down this segment by choosing the drop-down menu in the upper right of your Quest’s Application Library, and choosing ‘unknown Sources’ when you scroll down.
Caution: You might be in a haste to learn how to sideload apk from SideQuest but when sideloading, you in all actuality do have to remember that you are putting content onto your gadget that might harm your device or be noxious, regardless of whether it shows up so from the get-go.
