There are various reasons why you might wish to have the APK file, including the possibility that you want to share it with someone or retain a backup. So here is a guide on How to Find Apk File of Installed App.
Of course, you may reinstall the program from the Play Store or download the APK from other sources, like APKOnline, but doing so will once again cost you data, which you might not have at that moment.
It’s acceptable to do so for a single program, but what if you want APK files for several different apps? that would be 100MB or more in total.
What Is an APK File?
An Android Package file, or APK file, is a file used to distribute applications on Google’s Android Operating System.
APK files are commonly downloaded directly to Android devices using Google Play, however, they can also be available on other websites, and they are saved in the ZIP format.
An AndroidManifest.xml, classes.dex, and resources.arsc file, together with a META-INF and res folder, are some of the contents of a typical APK file.
Why Do You Need The APK File?
Any number of reasons could exist for someone to require the APK file, some of which are listed below.
- Assume you have an app on your phone that is no longer accessible through the Google Play Store and that its creators have taken it down from all other third-party sources. As a result, you are unable to install the same software on a second mobile device at this time because APK files are not yet available. To install the app without any issues on another phone, you can extract the APK file from the installed app.
- If your computer has Android Studio, you can change the APK file to include the necessary signature and use the altered program. You can use it on your own smartphone even if famous Android app repositories don’t allow it.
Whatever your motivation, you can use the following instructions to extract the APK files from installed Android apps.
The fact that you cannot extract system apps from your phone is a crucial point to remember. You can use this approach to obtain the APK file if you manually installed an app from the Google Play Store or any other source. Now let’s get to how to find Apk file of the installed App.
Extract APK File of Any App on Your Android
Get APK files of an installed app using Apk Extractor
Applications like APK Extractor are helpful in this situation. It allows you to extract the APK file of the installed app, as the name would imply.
Even if you may download apps from the Google Play Store and install them on your phone, Android devices need the APK package to install the apps.
This means that every time you install an app on your phone, an APK file is also present, and the APK Extractor software makes it simple to locate and list these APK files.
Although financed by advertisements, the app is free to download. By purchasing the paid edition, which costs roughly $1.99, you can avoid ads.
Click Here to Download the Apk Extractor.
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Get APK files of an installed app using ES Explorer
You may access files on your phone with the wonderful utility tool ES Explorer for Android smartphones.
Obtaining the APK files for the installed apps on your phone is one of its advantages. Go to the App section of the app AP, which is located in the left sidebar under Library, and download the APK file.
You may get a list of the installed apps on your phone by tapping on the app. Long-press the application you wish to download the APK for (you can also multi-select apps).
After that, click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner to see the Share option.
Then you may select whether you want to send it via WhatsApp or another App from the options.
You can also save it to your phone so that you may choose what to do with it. You could use an OTG cable to transfer it to a flash drive, or you might choose to keep it on your phone as a backup.
There are numerous additional apps available in the Play Store that will allow you to obtain an app’s APK file in addition to Apk extractor and ES Explorer.
But I have tested these two to see if they perform as promised. You should use ES Explorer to download the APK files because it has a ton of additional capabilities.
Click Here to Download the ES Explorer.
Get APK files of installed apps using AirDroid
If you want to save the APK on your computer, this is the ideal method. It works on all platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and anything else as long as it has a browser because it is a browser-based service.
Using web browser on a computer, you may control your Android device with the help of the free program AirDroid. In addition, you may use it to back up the installed programs you have.
Install AirDroid first from the Google Play Store. Install the app, then launch it. When your computer and Android are both plugged into the same WiFi network, it will ask you to sign in. You will need to register for a free Airdroid account otherwise. Since my phone and computer are connected to the same network, in this case, I’ll choose Skip to skip the sign-in process. Once finished, grant the required authorization.
And then adhere to the straightforward directions to link your Android handset to the browser on your computer. In general, when you start the app, you’ll see an IP address if your computer and Android are both connected to the same WiFi network.
To connect and launch AirDroid on your computer, enter the indicated IP address in browser’s address box and hit Enter.
Once you’re connected, pick all the apps you want to back up to your computer by clicking on the “Apps” icon, then hit the “Download” option. AirDroid will extract the APK files of all the chosen apps and download them to your computer as a single zip file as soon as you press the button.
I’m done now. It is that easy to use AirDroid to extract an APK from an app.
Click Here to Download the AirDroid.
How to Find Apk File of Installed App
There is no need to download any third-party apps in order to extract APK files if your Android smartphone is rooted. Depending on the model of Android phone you have, just launch the File Manager, grant root access, and navigate to the appropriate directory.
1. /data/app
2. /data/app-private
3. /system/app/
These were generally some of the best techniques for removing Android app files. Use the file explorer method to extract APKs to your Android smartphone or tablet. Use Airdroid if you want to move the APK to a computer. What is your preferred technique for removing APK files from an Android device? Tell us in the comments section.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Where are my APK files stored?
The APK files for user-installed apps are placed in the /data/app/directory on Android devices, while those for preinstalled apps are found in the /system/app folder, and can be accessed using ES File Explorer.
How do I extract data from an app?
To extract data from your Android app (Debuggable), there are numerous stages to follow: Utilize an emulator or rooted device to inspect the files contained in the data folder of your app. There are several ADB shell commands you must run on a non-rooted device in order to extract a single data file or directory.
How can I install an APK file on a PC without any software?
You must apply the ARC Welder extension to your Chrome browser in order to open APK files on a PC without the use of an emulator. This extension is available here. Add APK files after adding the extension, then select “Launch the app.”
How can I change the source code of an APK?
Explore the document you need to alter in Android Code Search (cs.android.com). Press Edit code. The file is already chosen for editing when the Git Source Editor launches. From the Select, a Git branch dropdown list, choose the Git branch where you wish to edit the file and then click Pick branch.
Why is the APK file not opening?
You might need to grant a particular program, such as Chrome, permission to install unofficial APK files depending on your device. Alternatively, if you see it, enable Install from Unknown Sources or Unknown Apps. Try looking for the file using a file manager such as Astro File Manager or ES File Explorer File Manager if it won’t open.
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