That is, of course, your call-that’s why there’s a toggle to allow other apps to be installed, after all. But First, a Disclaimerīefore we get started on how to do it, however, let’s first talk about why this setting is disabled by default, and the security implications you could potentially face by allowing your phone to accept installations outside of the Play Store.īasically, when you allow any application to be installed on your phone, you’re essentially bypassing the security protocols that are enabled in the Play Store-the stuff Google does behind the scenes to make sure all the apps you install from the official channels are safe for you, your phone, and your data.
It can also help you get the latest and greatest version of an app if the latest update is rolling out in stages. One of my favorite apps, Skitch, was discontinued a few years ago, but the old version still works. In any of those cases, you may want to sideload the app onto your phone. But there are occasions when even these “official” apps aren’t available for some reason-maybe they’re restricted in your region, not compatible with your phone, or some other equally as unimportant third thing.
Why would you need to do this? After all, most of the applications you want are more than likely in the Google Play Store.
