Android is a great platform for downloading apps, but it can be difficult to find the right app for your needs. Fortunately, there are several alternatives to the Google Play Store that allow you to download apps without using Google Play. In this article, we'll discuss how to install apps from unknown sources on Android 10, as well as the best app stores for downloading Android apps without using Google Play. The first step in downloading apps without using Google Play is to enable the “Install from unknown sources” option on your Android device.
To do this, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the Settings gear. Scroll down and tap Biometrics and Security. Then, tap the application you'll use to download the files. The first and most obvious alternative to the Google Play Store is the Amazon Appstore.
This is probably the Play Store's biggest competitor, as it's the default app store sold on all Amazon Fire tablets. We've compared the Play Store to the Amazon Appstore in the past, but the Amazon option has been updated and grown a bit since then. If you prefer Android over iOS because Android is technically open source, then F-Droid is the app store for you. F-Droid doesn't have as many apps as the other options on this list, but it is the largest mobile app store that exclusively offers free and open source software.
You don't have to love Linux to find value in F-Droid. By definition, all the applications here are free to use. Not only that, you can be more confident that the software doesn't contain any malware. F-Droid even warns when apps can track your behavior or location. The latest version of F-Droid not only fits current Android design guidelines, but it also provides categories and recommendations to help you discover the apps that do what you need.
This is especially valuable because if you're using F-Droid, you'll probably have to replace most of the apps you're used to. SlideMe is an app store that is sold on many devices that don't have Google Play. It is aimed at device manufacturers looking to sell in regions where the Play Store doesn't offer very good services. SlideMe is also looking for developers whose applications are not welcome on Google Play (although it doesn't allow apps with adult content). The store app that you download to your phone is called SAM, SlideMe's app manager. SlideMe's selection of apps is larger than F-Droid's, but smaller than Amazon's.
You'll find more games here than on F-Droid and you'll be able to avoid the tracking that comes with using Amazon. While SlideMe can reach areas underserved by the Play Store, the company is actually headquartered in Seattle. Every application is subject to review, so you can expect a certain degree of quality and safety. Humble Bundle didn't start out as an app store; initially, it offered a set of semi-regular packages that allowed you to pay whatever you wanted for a game package. If you paid more than a certain amount, you unlocked the full package; a portion of each sale went to charity. Eventually, Humble Bundle went from a series of bundles to a full-fledged app store.
The site also sells soundtracks and books. The Humble Bundle Android app isn't a complete store; instead, it's a hub for downloading the apps you've purchased and installing occasional updates. Humble Store may not contain anywhere near the selection found on the Play Store or Amazon Appstore, but all downloads are DRM-free. That means that you are the owner of the software you buy here, which you can download and back up however you want. Android app bundles save bandwidth and storage space, but make it difficult for people to share apps with each other outside of Google Play Store. However, applications downloaded using this method are exactly as secure as those downloaded from the official Android store. Try downloading APKs from trusted websites; avoid direct downloads from mediafire and derivatives.
You may want to revoke permissions after installing a third-party application so that additional applications are not installed without your knowledge. Application packages for Android are packaged in APK files that can also be downloaded from outside of Google Play (for example, through your web browser). If for any reason you have trouble downloading an APK directly to your Android device, you can also download it to your PC and then transfer it via cable (select Transfer files) or visit your phone's browser (requesting desktop site from browser settings) and then downloading it directly. Now that you know how to manually install any app on Android without using Google Play, you can also download apps directly to Chromecast with Google TV or Android TV. As long as your device has enough RAM and internal storage to run secondary applications, there should be no problem. One of the great things about APKs is being able to find older versions of applications with exaggerated size and hardware requirements in current versions without significant improvement.
