If you have an iPhone, you have probably come across APK files. These are Android apps that you can install on iPhones with a few tweaks. The process of installing these apps is not as straightforward as it should be. It’s always a good idea to explore new apps and games not available in the App Store. Apple restricts access to these files, but there is an easy way around this. So, how to open APK files on iPhone? Let’s explore.
Apple has a very strict policy when it comes to allowing third-party apps. The company wants you to stick with their App Store, and that’s it. Yet, many people want more from their phones, where APK files come in handy. Here you will learn how to open APK files on your iPhone without rooting the device.
Ways to Open APK Files on iPhone
There are two ways to install APK files on an iPhone. The first is using an app dedicated to this job; the second is using a file manager to open APKs.
Also Check
Using App to Open APK File on iPhone
There are no apps that offer to introduce their service as opening APK files on iPhone. Because of that, you can’t open APKs with just a tap of the finger. You would need to go through all those complicated steps to do so, and it may still fail since some files are supposed to be installed via computer.
Using File Manager for Opening APK Files on iPhone
As there is no such app as mentioned above, you have to go with it this way. The first step is going to the App Store and downloading a file manager app for iPhone, which you think can do the job perfectly. But it’s not as simple as it seems since there are only a few apps out there with APK opening features, and they all have their weaknesses.
How to Work with APK Files
APK files have been a common file type used on Android phones. To some extent, APK has become popular for the Google Play Store app and third-party apps submitted to the Android community. APK is an application installation package of Android devices designed by Android app developers and intended to distribute their product via the Internet.
APK files are familiar to Android devices users. If you get an APK file from someone and want to open it on your iPhone, it is impossible due to system restrictions, even if you have downloaded such an APK app on your iOS device before. Correspondingly, if you have a desktop computer with Windows or Mac OS installed and want to install an APK file on your iPhone, you should know how to work with APK files on your iPhone in advance.
Many iPhone fans are eager to know that there is any way to enjoy Android apps on their iDevice without Jailbreak required. It is not possible with original iPhone models because Apple has its App Store where users can download any third-party apps easily.
However, the situation changes when the latest iPhone has been introduced, iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C, which runs on iOS 7. At the same time, the Android system is upgrading with updates released over a year. It’s believed that it’ll be a trend of future years for Apple to open its ecosystem to provide more opportunities for users to install APKs.
Can We Open APK Files on iPhone?
iOS users can’t directly open APK files; they have to download APKs from the web on iPhone, iPad, and iPod. However, it doesn’t mean you can transfer them to your Apple devices without proper procedures. It would be best to eliminate certain restrictions first to install Android apps on iPhones and iPads.
There is a dedicated App Store for Android apps called Google Play, developed by Google. Part of the reason preventing us from directly installing APK files on iPhones is that iOS has no relevant application store to check whether an Android app is safe or not. Therefore, you have to remove this restriction first before you can proceed with further steps.
Install iOS Emulator
Chances are you have heard of BlueStacks, an Android emulator program designed to work on Windows and macOS platforms. Being the most popular Android emulator program in the market, it enables users to access hundreds of thousands of fun and useful applications on your computer. You can download it from its official site as per the operating systems you use for your computer and phone, then follow up installation prompts to complete the operation.
Once BlueStacks is installed, click on the “My Apps” option on the right panel. And here we go: find and launch any APK file you want to open on your iPhone.
Transfer APK Files to Your iPhones and iPads
So far, we have finished the installation and launching part, but we still need a way to move APK files from your computers to iOS devices for us to install them directly. Here iFunbox or iTools will be very helpful. With iFunbox, you can easily copy APK files to your iOS devices for opening on iPhones and iPads via BlueStacks without needing to download each file again.
And it also supports transferring photos, music, videos, and other documents between iPhone/iPad/iPod and computers freely without any restrictions.
Beware of Download Android Apps on iPhone
Even though you have removed the restrictions by transferring APK files to your iPhones and iPads, downloading apps from untrusted sources still poses the risk of damage by viruses. So before downloading any Android app on iPhone, do some research if they are safe or not. Also, never forget to download the apps from reliable sources such as Google Play and App Store.
