With Google’s ambitious plan to move from APKs to the Android App Bundle (AAB) as the new standard for apps uploaded to the Play Store, you may be wondering how to install AAB files on your Android device. Is sideloading AAB files as easy as installing an APK? In this article we will discuss exactly that and explain how to install App Bundles on an Android device.
Installing Android Application Packages: A Step-by-Step Guide (2021)
In this article, we have included methods to download and install application packages along with a brief explanation of what Android application packages are. Be sure to read until the end to learn all about installing Android app bundles on your device.
What are Android App Bundles and How Do They Compare to APKs?
As part of its efforts, Google first announced Android App Bundles at Google I/O 2018. To reduce the size of Android apps. Google Play creates APK files with App Bundles based on different device configurations such as CPU architecture, DPI and languages. These separate APK files that serve a specific purpose are called split APKs. Google Play then offers the appropriate configuration of the app (what works best for your device) through a process called Dynamic Delivery.
What makes App Bundles important right now is that Google recently announced plans to begin mandating new apps to be released as Android App Bundles (AAB) from August 2021. From now on, new apps on Google Play will use the Android App Bundle (AAB) format instead of APK. Similarly, all apps use Play Asset Delivery or Play Feature Delivery instead of OBB for expansion files typically used in games. Check out this detailed explanation between APK and AAB for more information.
It wouldn’t be a genius to guess that Google will eventually apply this requirement to existing apps. In fact, popular app manufacturers such as Adobe, LinkedIn, Netflix, and Twitter have already adopted this format. And with Google’s latest announcement, developers who haven’t shown interest in app bundles until now are likely to jump ship to streamline the app delivery process.
So how does the switch to AAB affect app sideloading on Android devices? Well, with the increase of app bundles, the process of sideloading apps has gotten complicated. Instead of a single APK install file, we now have different formats such as .apks (a combination of .apk file and all split apk files), .xapk (APK file + OBB data file) and .apkm (app bundle from APKMirror). Web site).
Since .aab files are uploaded directly to Google Play and you cannot install them directly using the native package installer, you cannot easily find .aab files of your favorite apps on the internet. If you are a developer, you can use Google’s package tool to: creating APKs from an Android App Bundle. However, if you want to test an .aab file, we’ve also included a free app at the end of the article that can load .aab files.
How to Download Android Application Packages
Since there is no official central repository to download AAB files on Android phones, We’ll have to trust third-party app hosting sites like APKMirror To sideload application packages. However, there is a problem when you use APKMirror for app bundles. The APKMirror website uses its own format for app packages named .apkm. As a result, you will need to use the APKMirror Installer utility to install the .apkm files.
To download an .apkm file, APKMirror (website link), search and open the list of app you want to download and click on “Download APK Package”. The website will now download an .apkm file that you can install using the APKMirror Installer application.
Install Android Application Packages on Your Device
After you download an Android App Bundle, you can install it using a dedicated app bundle installer app. Now if you want to install an .apkm file you should use APKMirror Installer. However, if you have a base APK and specific split APKs, you can use the open source app Split APKs Installer (SAI) to install an Android App Bundle.
Although APKMirror Installer has the ability to install .apks files, you have to watch the ads to install the app (you can get a subscription to remove the ads). In summary, if you are installing .apkm files use APKMirror Installer and otherwise use SAI. However, it’s worth mentioning that in a recent update SAI got .apkm support for unencrypted .apkm files.
Method 1: Install .apkm Files Using APKMirror
1. After downloading the .apkm file from APKMirror, Open APKMirror Installer (free, with in-app purchases). Next, select the .apkm file from the “Browse files” option. Tap on the .apkm file name, then tap on it. “Installation package” from the drop-down menu.
2. APKMirror Installer will display the details of the application. Next, Tap “Install app” at the bottom, then tap “Install” again on the pop-up window to complete the process. If this is your first time using APKMirror Installer, Android will ask for app install permissions. It will redirect you to the Settings app and you can enable this toggle.
3. After the installation is complete, you can: Tap on “Open app” That’s it to start using the app. You have successfully installed an Android App Bundle on your device.
Method 2: Install .apks Using SAI and Split Apk Files
You can install .apks, .xapk, split apk files and unencrypted .apkm files using Split APK Installer (SAI). SAI is considered the gold standard for installing application packages in the Android community. Here is how to use SAI app to install split apks:
1. Install SAI from Play Store (freewith in-app purchases) and Tap “Install APKs” at the bottom of the main page. You can now use the internal file picker or the system file picker to select the Android App Bundle you want to install. I recommend using the system file picker.
2. Select Android App Bundle from the file picker and SAI will automatically select split apks that match your device. You can also choose specific split APKs if you need an additional language. Once this is done, tap on “Install”.
3. Press “Install” At the app installation prompt, you will get a pop-up message as soon as the installation is complete.
Method 3: Download .aab Files to Your Device Using App Bundle Installer
Due to the nature of .aab files, it is unlikely that a general user will encounter applications with the .aab file type. However, if you do manage to get to an .aab file, you can use an app called App Bundle Installer to install it. In this demonstration, I will use the .aab file of Power Menu Controls, a powerful application to customize the Android 11 power menu. Here’s how to install .aab files on your Android phone:
1. Install the App Bundle Installer (freecontains ads) and Tap on “Select AAB” from the home screen. When the next page appears, tap the “Select AAB File” button to select your .aab file.
2. Select the .aab file from the Android file manager of your choice and then tap on “Upload File” button in the app to start the installation process.
3. The app will now show you a prompt to tell you how it works. It installs the .aab file, converts the .aab to .apk, signs the .apk file and downloads it to your device. As it is a third party app, proceed at your own risk..
4. When the .apk file is ready, you will see the application installation prompt. Tap “Install” to install the application and after the process is complete, press “Open” to launch the application.
Install AAB Files On Android Phones With Ease!
Which brings us to the end of our guide on how to install Android App Bundles (AAB) on your device. As you can clearly see, sideloading apps as Android App Bundles is not as simple as installing an apk file using the native bundle installer. It will be interesting to see how power users adapt to the transition to the App Bundle in the coming months. Now, if you are someone interested in modding, go ahead and check out the articles on installing ADB on Windows, running ADB from your web browser, and removing bloatware from Android phones.