This is a classic Android geek problem. A great update to your favorite app has arrived, you read about it on Android Police because of course you subscribed to their RSS feed. However, this update, man, this update is really good. You go to the Play Store, search for the app, and get frustrated! There are no updates available for you. Your only crime? You probably don’t live in the same region where the update first started rolling out. And it’s not your fault.
So the only thing you can do now is wait. Wait for the update to show up for you. Sometimes I waited up to 2-3 days for updates to apps like Dropbox, Pushbullet, and even Google Maps to roll out to my device. But I’m taking a stand. No more.
Solution? Install signed APK manually
When you download an app from the Play Store, it’s a signed version. It’s basically telling your phone that all is well. No malware or sneaky content here.
If you download an APK that is signed and comes from a trusted source, you can install that APK manually on the current version of your app and you won’t lose any data. And yes, when the next update comes out, you will be able to update from the Play Store (I ran some tests to make sure, check more on that below).
Where to get these signed APKs from?
Don’t just get APKs from any random source. You’ll need to make sure it’s signed and secure. And one source that I can totally recommend is APK Mirror. The site is free to use and they are really quick to put out APKs for the most popular apps. Also, since it is run by Android Police, most of the time you will find links to updated apps right in the articles.
APK Mirror also stores previous versions of your apps in case you want to revert to a better working version (can’t really do that from the Play Store). APK Mirror also integrates with Pushbullet. So you can choose to receive updates for all website uploads, or a more sane option is to subscribe to updates for specific apps. Say your 10 favorite apps.
Beyond APK Mirror: APK Mirror is run by a small team and community members. While they will have the latest APKs for the most popular apps, the chances of them having APKs for lesser known apps are very low. In that case, try some other website (make sure the app is signed) or try downloading the APK directly from the Play Store on your PC.
How to download APK
When you manually update apps, you’re essentially loading them. For that, you will first need to activate Unknown sources optionally by going to Setting -> Protect.
Now go to APK Mirror website, detect Download button, tap it and start downloading right on your android phone.
Once the app is downloaded, tap it from the notification drawer and you’ll get a screen that basically tells you that you can install this update. Clap Setting And after that Finished.
That’s it, you now have the latest update for the app.
How did I test?
To make sure this method works in different situations, I made two tests.
First was a real world test where I needed to get the latest update for Google Maps (9.12) but this update wasn’t rolled out so I updated it manually using the above method. Everything works fine and I have the new custom name feature to use. Then a new update (9.12.1) came out and I was able to update it via the Play Store without any problems.
Second, I went to APK Mirror and downloaded the Legacy version of Fleksy (5.0) from April 3rd. I installed it. And then to the Play Store. From there, I was able to update the app directly to the latest version (6.0) without any problems.
So the moral of the story is that as long as you’re using a signed APK, all your previous data plus future updates from the Play Store will remain intact.
Let’s talk about apps that are worth following for updates
Apps like Pushbullet, AirDroid, and Google apps are worth keeping an eye on for updates. You just need to know that most of the time, they will come with some new and great features.
Which apps will you monitor? Share with us in our forums.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
