Installing apps from other sources under Android 8

Google's Play Store offers a wide range of Android apps, but there are still plenty more Android apps out there that you can't find on Google's platform. — dpa

Google's Play Store offers a wide range of Android apps, but there are still plenty more Android apps out there that you can't find on Google's platform.

Alternative sources for Android apps are, for example, the F-Droid catalogue or the APKMirror app archive that offer applications for download in the so-called APK format.

To install applications from other sources on your phone, you have to enable installations from "Unknown sources" in the security settings of Android operating systems up to version 7.

On Android 8, this setting has been replaced by similar permissions granted to each app individually. That means you can allow a browser to install apps from outside Google's Play Store by adjusting the settings of the respective browser.

Experts say that for security reasons, you should always make sure to disable the installation feature after installing an app. — dpa