FAQ

If I install an APK from this website, will I be able to update the app from the Play Store?

Yes, absolutely. The Play Store installs APKs it downloads from Google’s servers, and sideloading from a site like APKMirror.com goes through a very similar process, except you’re the one performing the downloading and initiating the installation (sideloading).

As soon as the Play Store finds a version of the app newer than the one you’ve sideloaded, it will commence an update.

Why did I just get an error when trying to install an APK?

There could be several reasons for installation errors. Here are some of them. You’re trying to install an APK:

• with a cryptographic signature that doesn’t match the already installed one. All APKs hosted on APKMirror.com are signed with official release keys, so make sure the app you’re trying to update was not previously re-signed.
• with a version lower than the one already installed. In other words, you’re trying to downgrade without uninstalling the current app first.
• with libraries meant for a device with a different CPU architecture. For example, if you’re using a 32-bit arm device, you’ll get an error trying to install an APK with arm64 libs inside. However, 64-bit OSes are backwards-compatible with 32-bit ones, so you should have no issues installing APKs with arm libs on an arm64 device.

Why can’t I press the Install button? It’s grayed out on my Android device!

Disable any screen-dimming apps, like Lux or Twilight. For security reasons, Android will gray out the Install button when an app like that is active. See this HowToGeek article for more info.

What are these weird terms I’m seeing on some APKs – dpi, nodpi, arm, arm64, x86?

• DPI: screen density, measured in dots per inch. Each device has a certain DPI metric, and some APKs are optimized for specific DPIs.
  • nodpi: APKs marked nodpi, or not marked with any DPI-related info at all, are meant for all devices.
  • 120, 160, …, 640 dpi: these APKs are meant for specific DPIs only. See the next several questions for more details.
• arm (armeabi, armeabi-v7a), arm64 (arm64, arm64-v8a), x86, x86_64, mips, mips64: these are CPU architectures. See this FAQ entry for more info.

Update 1/23/18: HowToGeek published a detailed explainer here: How to Find Your Android Device’s Info for Correct APK Downloads.

If there are both nodpi and specific dpi APKs available, which one should I download?

If you’re confident of your device’s DPI (dots per inch) value, go ahead and download the APK that most closely matches it. If there is no exact match, pick the APK with a higher DPI than your device, if available. If not, you’ll probably be alright with a slightly lower DPI.

Otherwise, it’s safe to download the nodpi variant – it essentially contains resources that should look right on any device. The only downside of a nodpi APK is that it’s almost always larger in size since it’s not optimized for a specific DPI.

Rule of thumb: When in doubt, go for nodpi.

How can I find out my device’s DPI, architecture, screen size, and other specs?

After trying numerous system info apps, we are currently recommending Droid Hardware Info. It contains the DPI (Device tab), architecture (System tab), Android OS version (Device tab) as well as a plethora of other info.

Is it OK to install arm64 apps on an arm device? What about arm apps on an arm64 device? Likewise, for x86 and x86_64?

Since 64-bit operating systems are backwards-compatible with 32-bit apps, but not vice versa, it’s safe to install 32-bit apps on both 32-bit and 64-bit OSes, but not the other way around.

32-bit APKs installed on 64-bit devices may not be as optimized, so if you have a 64-bit device, install a 64-bit APK when it becomes available, if it exists at all. Many developers simply don’t bother building 64-bit-optimized APKs.

So:

• arm on arm device: OK.
• arm64 on arm device: Nope.
• arm on arm64 device: OK
• arm64 on arm64 device: OK

Same for x86 and x86_64, mips and mips64, etc.

I got an error message that I’ve been blocked by Cloudflare. Why?

If you use a download manager that may download files in multiple simultaneous chunks, such as ADM (Advanced Download Manager), or if you’ve downloaded dozens of APKs in a span of several minutes, you may get temporarily blocked by Cloudflare. The block will lift automatically after a short time, and you don’t need to contact us or do anything but wait.

However, if you are still seeing the block page after an hour or longer, please get in touch.