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Here’s how readers sideload APKs on their Android phones in 2026
Third-party app stores are not nearly as popular as you might think.
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Andy Walker / Android Authority
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In mid-August, Google’s long-threatened sideloading restrictions started rolling out on Android. A new advanced flow, coupled with multiple warnings and a 24-hour wait timer, makes it more inconvenient to install apps from popular third-party app stores or sources.
This is a shame, since some of my colleagues’ and my favorite Android apps, like Kvaesitso, reside outside Google’s servers.
But do our readers really rely on these repositories to install apps beyond the Play Store, or do they use another method? We were curious, and how better to sate that curiosity than with a reader poll. We asked, you told us, and the results are as follows.
Andy Walker / Android Authority
We received over 1,800 votes in this poll, which asked readers about their “go-to method for sideloading apps.” Surprisingly, the majority of respondents opted for the simplest and perhaps silliest solution.
Over 63% of voters opt for manually downloaded APKs as part of their sideloading diet. This involves grabbing installation files directly from sources like GitHub or other repositories without going through a middleman and using Android’s package manager to install them.
Granted, there are third-party apps that allow for more advanced single APK installation procedures. InstallWithOptions, for instance, allows me to install apps with various shell permissions, bypassing restrictions. If you rely on this or a similar method, let me know in the comments.
Only 20.7% of respondents chose to emulate the Play Store’s convenience by sideloading apps through an alternative app store. This is my preferred option, using Obtanium to help install and update apps from GitHub, and F-Droid for everything else.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents download and install individual APKs instead of using a third-party app store.
It’s worth noting that F-Droid isn’t one of Google’s verified third-party app stores, but I certainly value the ease of use these platforms afford. Obtanium, for instance, allows me to update apps in bulk from various sources. If you install APKs individually, you’ll have to manually check for updates on every app. Speaking from experience, this process is far more trouble than it’s worth.
Lastly, 16% of readers don’t sideload apps at all, garnering their wares strictly from the Google Play Store. These readers won’t be affected by any of Android’s sideloading restrictions.
With Android’s sideloading restrictions coming into effect, are you changing how you find and install apps outside the Play Store? Are your sideloading days over? Let’s discuss in the comments below.
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