How to Install XAPK on Android

If you are someone who loves tinkering with phones, then you must be familiar with APK files and sideloading them. This file extension eases the process of downloading apps which are not available in the Play Store or your country. Though it has hogged the limelight for many years, there's a new file extension by the name of XAPK now which is slowly making its way to the unofficial Android app stores.

The XAPK files are package container for Android apps and very similar to the APK files. However, you can't sideload these files onto your Android phone. So, how do XAPK files work?

Worry not, we have figured that out for you. In this post, we will demonstrate how to install XAPK files on Android.

WHAT ARE XAPK FILES

Uploading apps into the Play Store isn't an easy task, and app developers have to keep several things in mind while developing them. One of the several restrictions is the file size, which usually must be less than 100 MB. That is quite a challenge for graphics intensive games.

Hence, app developers have to resort to workarounds like uploading separate APK files or bundling the OBB file and graphics data in a different package. That is the reason graphics-intensive games like Asphalt 9, PUBG, MARVEL Super War downloads additional files when you launch them for the first time.

Another workaround packaging everything in a compressed zipped folder, and XAPK files follow this path. XAPK is a new file format for packaging Android apps and games. As we mentioned above, these are compressed container files (or Zip files) that contain the APK package and the OBB cache asset file.

When it comes to the security of your device, you must exercise the same level of caution as you do for APK files, since installing a file from unverified sources may compromise your device and hackers can control it remotely. You need to verify that the XAPK files are from a trusted and reliable source, and most important, that it's a signed version.

ADVANTAGES OF XAPK FILES

The benefits of XAPK files are many. Since large apps tend to use them mostly, you can save internet data by downloading it once and then transferring to your other phone or tablet. It's also a huge time-saver. If you may have noticed, the download speed is slow at times in the case of in-app downloads. And this way you can avoid waiting forever for a download to finish.

You can avoid all the unnecessary hassle that is associated with installing region-specific apps. Installing XAPK files is a one-click process, saving you both the time and data.

HOW TO INSTALL XAPK FILE ON ANDROID

Unlike APK files, you can't go just to the phone's File Explorer and click on the Install button for XAPK file. It needs a XAPK file installer. Or if you don't mind tinkering around your phone, you can play with the file extension and force the phone to treat it as an APK installation.

Installing XAPKs through File Manager

This process is a tad longer process compared the installation using a third party app (and a bit complicated). But as I mentioned above, if you want to avoid installing an additional app, this is the way to go about it.

- Step 1: Once the XAPK file has finished downloading, go to File Manager (or File Explorer) and rename the extension to zip.

- Step 2: After that, long press on the file to decompress it and it will reveal two major files — an APK file and an Android folder.

- Step 3: Tap on the Android folder and go to the OBB folder. Copy the OBB file and paste it inside the OBB folder of your Android's internal storage.

Locate your phone's OBB folder under Internal Storage/Android/OBB.

NOTE: The path of the OBB folder may vary depending on the make of your phone.

Step 4: Once done, install the APK file as you'd typically do.

If it's a fairly recent XAPK file and no new updates were pushed, the odds are that your game will start almost immediately.

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The different tutorials that are found in this channel have the only educational purpose. I do not take responsibility for the misuse this content done individually.