noun

APK

ay-pee-KAY

APK (noun) means the file format used to distribute and install an app on an Android phone or tablet. A single .apk file is a compressed package containing the app's code, images, sounds and settings, which the system unpacks when installing. Example: “The beta isn't on the store yet, so they sent round an APK.”

noun

technical, computing The file format used to distribute and install an app on an Android phone or tablet. A single .apk file is a compressed package containing the app's code, images, sounds and settings, which the system unpacks when installing.

"The beta isn't on the store yet, so they sent round an APK."

"Installing an APK from outside the Play Store is known as sideloading."

How to Use APK

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe file that installs an Android app on a phone.

When to use it

Technical. Written in capitals; the extension is lower case (.apk).

Memory tip

Always spelled out letter by letter.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

AAB IPA EXE → Play Store

Common pairings

APK file install an APK sideload an APK modded APK APK download

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The beta isn't on the store yet, so they sent round an _____.

Etymology

An initialism of Android Package.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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Android package app package installer package app file

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an APK and an AAB?

An AAB, or Android App Bundle, is what developers now upload to Google Play. It contains everything the app might need for every kind of device, and the store then generates a smaller APK tailored to each phone. The APK is still the thing the phone actually installs; the AAB is the packaging developers hand over.

What does sideloading an APK mean?

Installing an app from an APK file obtained somewhere other than an official app store — from a website, a file transfer or a developer directly. Android blocks this by default and requires the user to grant permission to the app doing the installing.

Is an APK the same as an EXE?

They play a similar role on different systems, but they are unrelated formats. An APK installs an app on Android and is essentially a ZIP archive; an EXE runs a program on Windows. Neither will work on the other's platform.