how to get an app that is no longer available

On older versions of Android, when you tap “Settings” you will be taken to a screen where you will give permission to allow unknown apps to be installed on a system-wide level. If you have Android 8 (Oreo) or later, you can tap “Settings,” and you will be taken to a screen where you can authorize that specific app (Drive, Gmail, or whatever app you shared to) to install unknown apps. This is where it can get a bit tricky.At this point, your phone will probably warn you that it is not allowed to install unknown apps. It’ll probably have a long name starting with the app’s title and ending with “.apk.”

Find the file you shared by opening Drive, your email, or wherever you saved it.

Select “Share,” then select a destination you’ll be able to access on your other phone - like Google Drive or an email to yourself.įind the file you want to transfer, and share it.

Find the app you want to save and tap the three-dot menu icon beside it.

Open the app, accept its terms, and grant it permission to access files on your device.

It’s free with ads or 99 cents (via an in-app upgrade) for an ad-free experience.

Download APK Extractor Pro from the Play Store.

Here’s how to get started: On your old device So proceed with caution and only if you’re comfortable with the risks involved. Using an app that isn’t actively updated isn’t the most advisable thing to do, and going off the beaten path and installing apps manually is something that shouldn’t be done haphazardly, in general.

That’s what you download when you install an app from the Play Store, and that’s what you’ll need to find, save, and share in order to transfer an app from one phone to another.īefore we dive in, a quick warning: if an app is no longer maintained in the Play Store, it isn’t going to be updated anymore and thus may run the risk of not being fully secure or compliant with current Android standards. If you don’t know what an APK isįirst things first: the file that contains an app on Android is called an APK, or Android application package. All you need is a touch of power-user knowledge. Well, take heart: Android actually makes it pretty easy to find and save application files from a phone and then transfer them to another device for manual installation. But every now and then, an exception arises - like when you move to a new phone and suddenly realize a favorite app from your old device is no longer available in the Play Store.

Most phone owners don’t generally need to see application files or know where such assets are located. In the name of simplicity, our modern mobile operating systems have covered up the ugly inner workings of app installation and taken file handling out of our hands.īy and large, that’s a positive. You install ‘em with a couple of quick clicks from the Play Store, but you never actually see the associated files or have direct access to what’s downloaded.

How to get an app that is no longer available