Most Android users have been talking about apk files but we don't really know what it is or what it is related to our Android system.
What is an APK file?
The apk files are a type of file that allows the installation of software on Android in a safe and functional way. The file is a derivation of the Java JAR format and is used to distribute and install packaged components on the device-independent Android platform.
Thanks to these files we have the possibility to install applications that are still in the development phase to perform the necessary tests of them. We can extract the apk of a certain application in Android, without needing to be root users, to know in detail this file.
Remember that these apk files are protected by copyright, so improper or unauthorized use of them can be considered illegal. Next we will know some ways how it will be possible to obtain such files on Android.
1. Extract the apk file using a file manager
Step 1
The first step is to install some file management tool, some are:
ES File Explorer
Solid explorer
Step 2
In this case we will use ES File Explorer. The process to extract the apk file from a specific application is simple.
We execute the application and select the APP option in the central panel
Step 3
Once the various applications of the equipment are deployed, we press the application for about three seconds and in the options displayed at the bottom we select the Backup option :
This will store the apk file in the following path. This way we get the apk file using a file manager.
sdcard / backup / apps.
2. Get APK file using APK Extractor
Step 1
APK Extractor is a free application that allows us to extract the file from an application in a very simple way.
We can download and install it in the following link. Its use is simple, when you run the tool automatically it scans the various applications that are installed on the computer:
APK EXTRACTOR
Step 2
Subsequently we hold down the application to which we want to extract the apk file. Once selected click on the download icon located at the top and see the path where the apk file will be stored.
Step 3
This way APK Extractor gives us the way to get an apk file on Android systems. We can configure the application to modify the path where the apk files will be stored.
3. Get apk file using ADB
ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is an alternative that allows us to obtain this type of file using Android developer mode.
Step 1
To use this method we must download the Android SDK tools which Google offers in the following link:
ANDROID DEVELOPER
Once we download the file, which is available for Windows, Linux or Mac OS, we proceed to extract it and we will see the adb file which will allow us to carry out the task:
Step 2
We proceed to press the Shift key and right click on the platform-tools folder and select the Open command window option here. The next step is to connect the computer to the computer and it is necessary that the USB Debugging option is enabled in developer mode.
Step 3
When accessing the command prompt we will enter the following command to list the connected equipment:
abc devices. We will see the following:
Step 4
Below we list the packages that are currently installed on the computer, for this we will use the following command:
adb shell pm list packagesThe result will be as follows:
Step 5
Now just copy the package name to extract the apk file using the following syntax:
adb shell pm path (package)We will use, for example, the com.skype.raider package, we will enter the following:
adb shell pm path com.skype.raider$config[ads_text5] not found
Note:
The term package must not be included.
Step 6
Thanks to this command we will know the path where the apk file of this application is hosted. Finally we can use the pull command to copy that file to the location we want, in this case we will use the following syntax:
adb pull /data/app/com.skype.raider-2/base.apk Desired_pathUsing any of the methods described we will have access to the apk files of our Android applications.
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