You can get the official APK file from Play Store without using Play Store. You can download APKs available on the Google Play Store using a web tool that generates a download link or an APK extractor app on your Android device.
When you download an app from the Play Store, you are installing an APK file onto your Android device, but you cannot download the file directly. There are several ways to get APK files from Google Play.
Although it is not possible to obtain APK files directly from the Google Play Store, there are several methods we can use to obtain "official" APK files without resorting to piracy. We'll show you how to do this on desktop and Android.
Download the APK from the desktop version of Google Play
You can use a web tool to download the APK file by pasting the Google Play Store URL. These files are the same ones you get from the Play Store, and you can choose different versions to download.
First, we need the URL of the app or game on Google Play Store. Visit play.google.com in your web browser and use the search function to find the app or game, then copy the URL from the address bar.
Now navigate to apkcombo.com/downloader/ in your web browser. Paste the URL into the top text box.
Next, select the device type from the Device drop-down menu. You can also select the architecture and Android version, but this is usually not required. If the downloaded APK does not run on the device, then you should check if the version is compatible.
After making your selection, click the "Generate Download Link" button.
A download link will be generated below the button – click the down arrow icon to download the APK file.
Everything here belongs to it! The APK will be found wherever your browser downloads are stored! Now you can transfer the APK to your Android device for installation.
Download APK from Play Store on Android
You cannot download APK files directly from the Play Store on Android, but you can extract APK files from apps and games that you have installed from the Play Store. This way, you'll still get the same APK file, but you'll need to download the app or game from the Play Store first.
First, download “App APK Extractor & Analyser” from Play Store.
Open the app and you will see all the apps and games installed on your device. You can filter by User, System, or All.
Select any app you want to get the APK of.
Click "Extract Application" from the pop-up menu.
The file manager will open and you can choose where to download the file. Click "Save" to download.
The APK will download to your preferred location and you can do whatever you want with it.
Download APK from alternative app store
Since the Play Store doesn't let you download APK files directly, it's often easier to use an alternative store, such as APKMirror.com. APK Mirror is a trusted source for downloading APK files.
Go to APK Mirror in your web browser and use the search function to find the app whose APK you want to download.
There will most likely be multiple versions available - choose the latest one.
There may also be multiple variants of this version available. Find the file that's compatible with your device, and download the one labeled "APK" -- not "Bundle." Click the download icon.
Click the "Download APK" button on the next screen. Make sure to click the button next to the "Verified safe to install" label.
How to install APK on Android
Sideloading Android apps (installing APKs from outside the Play Store) is easy - just open the APK file and Android's built-in installer does the rest. However, you need to first give the app you use to open the APK file permission to install apps from unknown sources.
First, we need to open the APK. If you use a browser to download an APK, you'll usually see an option to "open" it after downloading. You can also find the downloaded APK from your file manager's Downloads folder.
A message will pop up informing you that you need to allow the app to "Install unknown apps" before the APK can be installed. Click "Settings" to get there.
Toggle the switch to "Allow from this source." You need to do this for any app you use to install the APK, but only once.
Now you can click "Install" on the next pop-up window to complete the installation of the APK.
This app, along with all other apps on your device, can be found in Your Apps.
In general, you should try to install apps and games from the Play Store whenever possible. However, sometimes it is necessary to use APK files. You can also try third-party Android app stores, such as the open source F-Droid.