But before we start, let us first understand the basics. What is an APK File? Android application package file (or .apk in short) is a format we use to distribute software to Android. In simple words, APK is the program installer for Android. Just like what .exe is for Windows and .dmg for MacOS. However, when you install any app from Play Store, you don’t see the actual APK file. Instead, the Play Store will do the installation internally without giving you access to the actual APK file. Much like installing apps from the App Store on macOS or Windows store on PC. But, if you install apps from outside Google Play Store, you’ll need the APK file. You can use the APK file for several things such as:

  1. Transfer apps to other Android devices that have no internet connectivity.
  2. Take a backup of your favourite apps and store them on your computer.
  3. Saving phone memory by taking a backup of less used apps. Whenever you want to use the app all you have to do is install them on your device. Once you are done using, you can uninstall the app.
  4. Installing apps that are not available on Google Play. For instance, most Android tablets can run WhatsApp without any hitch. But you cannot download it from Play Store. Therefore, you have to install such apps directly using an APK file. The same is applicable to geo-restricted apps.

Extract APK File of Any App on Your Android

The logic is simple — take a backup of the apps. Now, by backup, I don’t mean to take a full backup (which also includes the app data) rather a regular backup, which will only include the APK file. Alternatively, you can also download APK from third party sources. We’ll cover both methods here.

1. APK Extractor

Before we move on to other apps and methods, I’m sure, most of you just need to extract APKs once or twice. Hence it doesn’t make sense to spend time and energy on apps on methods that have more features that you might never use. This app shows you a list of all apps installed on your phone, including system applications. All you have to do is tap and it’s saved. Other bits of features include a dark mode, multiple apk extract, change saved path, share apks, in-app file directory, and more. There is but one drawback that the app shows banner ads which you can easily by-pass with your net off. If you want to remove ads for a day, there is a watch reward video option or you can go premium in under $1. Get APK Extractor

2. Using File Explorer

In Android you can easily backup all your apps using a free file manager app called File Explorer, a popular app to manage all your files and folders. If you haven’t already installed it. Go ahead and download File Manager from Flashlight + Clock on Play Store. Once installed, launch it from the menu. In the main screen, tap on the option “Apps.” This is where all the apps will be listed by File Explorer.

Now, tap and hold the app you want to backup. You can even select multiple apps if need be. After selecting, tap on the option “Backup” appearing at the bottom navbar.

This action will backup the selected apps, tap on the option “Open” to see the backed up apps. This action will take you to the backup location on your Android device.

3. Using AirDroid

This is the best method if you want to store the APK on your computer. Since it’s a browser-based service, it is platform-independent and works on all platforms like Windows, macOS, Linux, or anything else as long as you have a browser in it. AirDroid is a free app that lets you manage your Android device using a computer’s browser. Other than that, you can also use it to take a backup of your installed apps. Start by installing AirDroid from Google Play Store. After installing, open the app. It will ask you to Sign in, this is optional both your computer and Android are connected to the same WiFi Network. Else you will have to create a free Airdroid account. For this instance, I’ve my phone and computer on the same network, so I’ll tap on Skip option on the top right to bypass the sign-in process. Once done, give it all the necessary permission.

And follow the simple instructions to connect your Android device to the Computer’s browser. In general, if both your computer and Android are connected to the same WiFi network, you’ll see an IP address when you open the app.

Type the displayed IP address in the computer’s address bar and press Enter to connect and open AirDrod on your computer.

Once connected, click on the “Apps” icon, select all the apps you want to back up to your computer and click on the “Download” button. As soon as you click on the button, AirDroid will extract the APK files of all the selected apps and downloads them to your computer as a single zip file. That’s it. It is that simple to extract APK from an app using AirDroid.

4. Extracting APK directly from Google play

Unlike other methods on this list which extracts the APK files directly from the installed apps on your Android device, this method lets you extract the APK directly from the Google Play Store. To get the APK  file, go to this web tool, copy and paste the Google Play URL of the app and click on the button “Generate Download Link.” As soon as you click on the button, the web app will fetch the APK  file and gives you the download link. Just click on it to download the APK  file. Since it is fetching the APK file directly from Play Store, you don’t have to worry about infected files. However, you may face some problems on the website due to annoying pop-up ads. But overall, I am using this online tool for months and it always works flawlessly.

Read More: How to extract apk directly from Google Play store

5. Download from Online Sources

Well, guess what, if you need an APK, you don’t really have to extract it from the app. Chances are you can find that APK online. Just do a simple google search with the app name followed by “APK.” This method will save you some time if you need just one APK file. There are many online sources that bundle APK files of popular apps with malware. So, make sure you download the APK  from only the legitimate sources. A good place to look will be sites like APKmirror. The good thing about these online repositories is that you can find any version of the app you want, even if is a 2-year-old one.

How to Find APK Files on Android Phone

If you have a rooted Android device, there is no need to download any third-party app to extract APK files. Simply open the File Manager on your Android, give it Root access and navigate to the following directory depending on what Android phone you have.

Overall these were some of the best ways to extract apk from Android phones. If you want to extract APK to your Android smartphone or tablet then use the file explorer method. If you want to transfer the APK to a computer then use Airdroid. So, which is your favourite method to extract APK from an Android phone? Share in the comments below.