How To Install the XAPK Files

After reading this guide, you will learn about the XAPK file format used to install applications and games on devices with the Android operating system, as well as learn how to install them correctly. For some time now, XAPK files have appeared on many sites that distribute application and game files for Android devices. Many users who for one reason or another cannot or do not want to use Google Play are confused – unlike the well-known APK files, the installation of which does not raise questions, Android “does not understand” how to install XAPK. Let’s see what these file formats are and how they can be installed.

What is XAPK?

Google’s developer policies do not allow apps and games larger than 100 MB to be uploaded to Google Play. In many cases, this is more than enough – most applications do not go beyond this limit. But some games and serious programs that use a lot of data cannot be made small. To solve this problem, Google suggested that developers divide their creations into several parts. One of them is the main APK file, which, in fact, is the application. Other parts are additional resources (the so-called application cache), as well as minor APK files (may be missing). As a rule, the cache “weighs” much more than APK files and is automatically loaded by the application or game after they are installed. Here’s How It Works You download and install a particular product from the Google Play store. After launching a game or application, she reports that she needs to download additional resources. If you agree, the cache is downloaded (sometimes up to several gigabytes), after which you can use the application. This sequence works fine with Google Play, but if you need to install a game or application from another site, you will need to download the installer (APK) and the cache file (OBB). At the same time, there is usually an instruction on the download page that tells you where to place the cache. In principle, this is a simple matter, but sometimes confusing instructions or erroneous user actions can cause the application to not work. Therefore, in recent times, files in the XAPK format are increasingly used to install applications with a cache, which are actually archives containing all the materials necessary for installation. After starting the installation of the XAPK file, the user does not need to think about what to do and where to put which file, which greatly simplifies the installation process. Below we will consider two options for installing XAPK files – using a special program and in “manual” mode (by unpacking the archive).

Installing XAPK using the XAPK Installer

The Android operating system does not have built-in tools for working with XAPK files, so it is recommended to use a special program for this – XAPK Installer, which automatically unpacks the archive, installs the application, and transfers the cache to the desired folder. Once installed, this software will forever save you from the worries of installing such files. You can download the APK file for installing the XAPK Installer application here. After installing it, you will only need to download the desired game or application in XAPK format and click on the downloaded file. The installation will start automatically. At the same time, depending on the requirements of the application or game is installed, you may be prompted for certain permissions.

Unpacking XAPK and manually installing files

Some users do not like to install additional programs or want to control all stages of application installation. They may use a different method to install XAPK files. To do this, you need to “manually” unpack the file, run the installer and transfer the cache to the desired folder. To unpack the XAPK file, you will need an archiver, which is quite possibly already installed on your Android device. Sometimes other programs also have archiver functions (for example, file managers ). After downloading the XAPK file, you will need to change its extension from .xapk to .rar (or .zip) and then use an archiver to unpack it. There will be an APK file (need to be installed) and a directory with a cache (need to be moved to the required directory). Sometimes, the archive contains more than one APK file, but several. In this case, installing the file becomes more complicated and you still have to turn to the services of the XAPK Installer program discussed above. As you can see, “manual” installation of XAPK files requires more user actions and is not always possible, so we still recommend that you use the program – it’s easier and faster.