Start the download
Open the app page and select Download Now. The external download service may open a website or offer a file. Check the destination’s app name and download information before continuing.
If an APK download starts, wait for your browser to show that it has finished before opening it. If it is paused or incomplete, check your connection and available storage. Opening another website does not mean a file has been saved.
If the button only moves to the installation instructions and no destination opens, check your browser’s Downloads list before trying again. If nothing starts, report the app page and what happened through our Contact Us page.
Find the downloaded file
| Where you downloaded it | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Chrome on Android | Open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu and choose Downloads. If the address bar is at the bottom, swipe up on it to find Downloads. |
| Samsung Galaxy | Open My Files, then Downloads. Use the search icon if you know the filename. |
| Another Android phone | Open the phone’s file manager and look for Downloads, or return to the downloads list in the browser you used. |
Check the filename and download time so you open the file you just selected. Menu names can vary with the phone and app version.
Install an APK on Android
- Open the completed APK from your browser’s downloads list or file manager.
- Read the app name shown by Android. If it is unexpected, cancel and use the guidance below.
- If Android asks for installation permission, open the settings offered by that prompt. On Android 8 and later, permission applies to the particular browser or file manager opening the file.
- Allow that source only if you intend to install this file and have checked its origin. Return to the APK and confirm the installation prompt.
- After installation, return to the same setting and turn off that source’s installation permission.
On Samsung Galaxy: the setting is under Settings → Security and privacy → More security settings → Install unknown apps. Choose the browser or file manager you are using. The path can vary by software version; Settings search can help locate it.
A harmful-app warning or a device-policy block is different from an installation-permission prompt. Keep device protection enabled and read the stated reason before going further.
Update an app already on your phone
Use the update route supplied by the publisher of your installed app. A familiar filename or the word “latest” does not establish that a file is its next release.
Android normally needs the same app package and a compatible signing identity to accept an update. If an update fails or asks you to remove the existing app, check with the publisher before uninstalling it. First confirm how your account and any local progress can be recovered. Do not clear app storage to force an update; that can erase its stored data.
If downloading or installation fails
Keep the exact error message. “App not installed” can have several causes, so start with the symptom you can confirm.
| What happens | What to check next |
|---|---|
| No file appears, or the download is incomplete | Check the browser’s Downloads list, your internet connection and free storage. Retry only after confirming the same intended source. Report a link that repeatedly opens no download. |
| Not enough storage | Find Storage in Settings. Remove only files you no longer need or have backed up, then retry. Avoid Clear storage on your existing game: it deletes the app’s stored data. |
| The file cannot be opened or parsed | Confirm the download finished. A damaged or invalid APK can fail to install. Request a complete compatible file from the publisher; renaming a file does not repair it. |
| Not compatible with this phone | Compare the publisher’s requirements with your Android version and device model. Look under Settings → About phone for Android version, sometimes within Software information. The publisher may need to provide a build for your device. |
| An update conflicts with an installed app | The new file may not match the installed package or signing identity. Ask the publisher for the correct update instead of removing the existing app to make the file fit. |
| Blocked by security or device policy | Read the warning and keep protection enabled. For a managed phone, contact its administrator. For a file warning, ask the publisher or device support to clarify it. |
Changing installation permission does not solve a damaged file, a device incompatibility or an update conflict.
If the file or app name is different
A downloaded filename and an app’s display name can differ. If the Android installation prompt shows an app you did not expect, cancel and return to the source that supplied the file.
To report an unexpected destination, send our app page URL, the destination domain, the filename and the name shown by Android. A screenshot of the prompt can help; remove personal information first. The public-source record on our page does not by itself identify the file supplied by the download service.
Get help with a download
For a broken directory link or a destination that does not match the listing, use our Contact Us page. Include your device model, Android version, browser and the exact message you saw.
For a publisher’s file, an app login or saved progress, use that app’s published support route. The directory cannot access its accounts or restore its data. You do not need to send passwords, OTPs or payment details to report a download problem.
Device and browser instructions
These official instructions cover the settings and file-handling steps used above. Layouts can change between device and software versions.