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The easiest ways to download free apps on Android
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This wikiHow teaches you how to find and download free apps for Android. There are many free apps available for Android, including free games. You can download free Android apps from the Google Play Store, which comes pre-installed on all Android phones and tablets. More advanced users can opt to download apps from an alternative app marketplace like Aptiode—just be aware that the apps found there aren't vetted by Google.
How do I download free apps on Android?
Open the Google Play Store, then hit Top Charts in the second tab below the green banner at the top of the screen. Select Top Free Apps or Top Free Games , and browse the list of apps until you find something you want to download. Tap the app or game, and hit Install to begin downloading it for free.
Steps
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Open the Google Play Store. It's the app that has an icon that resembles a colorful triangle. Tap the icon on your home screen or apps menu to open the app.
- Remember that you have to be connected to the Internet in order to download anything from the Google Play Store. This means you can use an Internet-connected Wi-Fi network or mobile data .
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2Tap Top Charts . It's a tab at the top of your page if you're looking at Games or Apps .Advertisement
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3Tap the drop-down for "Top Charts" and select Top free . It's to the left of "Categories."
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Look for an app to download. Scroll down and browse the list of apps until you see something you find interesting.
- Alternatively, if you know the name of an app or game you want to download, you can tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen, then type the name of the app or game you want to download.
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Tap the app or game you want to download. This displays the game information page.
- If you scroll down, you can view screenshots and user reviews of the app or game.
- The number below "Ratings and reviews" indicates the average user rating from other users. Users are allowed to give an app or game a rating of 1 to 5 stars. 1 star indicates a poor rating. 5 stars indicate an excellent rating.
- To see individual user reviews, scroll down and tap See all reviews below the top positive review and top critical review. This displays a list of user reviews. You can see the user's name and how many stars they rated the app at the top of their comment. Read the user's comment to get a better idea of how they feel about the app or game.
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6Tap Install below the app title. It's the button at the top of the app info page. This installs the app or game. Allow some time for the game to finish installing. After the game finishes installing, you can open the game by tapping its icon on your home screen or apps menu, or by tapping Open in the Google Play Store.
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Go to en.aptoide.com/ in your web browser. You can use any web browser on your Android device.
- Aptoide is an alternative app marketplace that allows you to download apps you won't find in the Play Store. For security reasons, Google does not recommend downloading apps from anywhere except the Play Store. Make sure to fully research any app you find on this store before downloading.
- You'll first have to change some settings on your phone to allow downloads from sources other than the Play Store. To do this:
- Go to Settings .
- Tap Apps .
- Tap â‹® .
- Tap Special access.
- Tap Install unknown apps .
- Tap the source downloading the apps (since you're downloading an alternative, your web browser will be downloading an APK, so tap the toggle next to your browser, like Chrome, to enable it).
- If you're using a Samsung, you have another step to take before you can download apps outside the Google Play Store. This is all enabled for your protection, but here's how you can disable it:
- Go to Settings .
- Tap Security and privacy .
- Tap the toggle next to "Auto Blocker" to turn it off.
- If you're using a Samsung, you have another step to take before you can download apps outside the Google Play Store. This is all enabled for your protection, but here's how you can disable it:
- Aptoide is an alternative app marketplace that allows you to download apps you won't find in the Play Store. For security reasons, Google does not recommend downloading apps from anywhere except the Play Store. Make sure to fully research any app you find on this store before downloading.
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2Tap Download . It's the button at the bottom of the page.
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3Tap Ok or Download . This downloads the APK file, which can be used to install Aptoide.
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4Tap Open and Install . The downloaded APK file is in the downloads section of your browser, or you can tap Open from the pop-up that appears when the file finishes downloading. Opening it will prompt you to install Aptoide.
- Warning: Installing APK files from untrusted sources can cause damage to your phone.
- You may have to select an app that can open APK files. If asked to select an app to open the file with, tap an app such as "Package Installer" and then tap Always to indicate that you want to use this app every time you want to install an APK file.
- If you receive an alert saying that your phone doesn't allow unknown apps, see How to Allow Apps from Unknown Sources on Android to update your settings.
- You can also install APK files using the My Files app on your Android phone.
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Open Aptoide. The icon has a white V shape against an orange background. Tap the icon on your home screen or apps menu to open Aptoide, or tap Open on the pop-up once it finishes installing.
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Tap Skip at the bottom of the screen. When you first open Aptoide, it has a few explanation slides that display at the start. Tap Skip in the lower-right corner to skip these slides and go right to the store.
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Tap Games or Apps . These are the two tabs at the top of the Aptoide store. Tap Games if you want to download games. Tap Apps if you want to download apps.
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Browse for a game or app you find interesting. You can either tap More below "Top Games" or "Top Apps" to see a complete list of the top rated games or apps, or scroll down to browse games by category.
- If you know the name of an app or game you want to download, tap the Search tab at the bottom-center of the screen. It has an icon that resembles a magnifying glass. Then type the name of the game or app you want to download.
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Tap an app or game. This displays the app information page.
- Scroll down to see the average user review of the app. It's the orange number above the button that says "Rate this app." Users are allowed to give an app a rating of 1 to 5 stars. 5 stars indicate an excellent rating. 1 star indicates a poor rating.
- To read individual user reviews, scroll down and tap Read all below the "Top Comments" section. This displays a list of users who reviewed the game. Each review displays the user's name and how many stars they gave the app. Read the comment to the left to get a better idea of how they felt about the app.
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Tap Install . It's the orange button near the top of the app information page. This downloads the app or game as an APK file. You can install the app using the Package Installer app, or using the My Files browser on Android.
- Warning: Some games in Aptoide may contain malicious software that can cause damage to your phone. Only download apps that have a green icon that says "Trusted" on their information page.
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Try an alternative app store. Is the game or app you want not available on the Google Play Store? While the Play Store has security features that ensure the games and apps on the platform are safe, you can also find apps elsewhere. Here are some popular alternatives:
- Samsung Galaxy Store : This usually comes pre-installed on Galaxy devices and has access to exclusive (Samsung-only) apps.
- Amazon Appstore : You can find some discounts or freebies for games or apps this way. (Although this is being discontinued in August 2025 for non-Amazon Android devices, a Fire tablet will still be able to use the Amazon Appstore). [1] X Research source
- F-Droid : This is a popular alternative to the Google Play Store that focuses on open-source software.
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2Download the alternative app store from its official website. For example, if you want to download F-Droid, go to the F-Droid official website . If you're using a Samsung phone or tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Store is most likely pre-installed, so you don't have to download it to use it.
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3Open the alternative app store and search for the app you want to install. Once you’ve installed your alternative app store, you can use it to search for free apps.
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4Download the app. Using an alternative app store is great if you want to download specialized apps that aren't available in the Google Play Store. However, only download apps from sources you recognize, or you run the risk of downloading malware or viruses that endanger your personal information, including payment information.
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About This Article
Article Summary
X
1. Open the Google Play Store.
2. Tap the Top Charts
tab.
3. Tap Top Free Apps
or Top Free Games
.
4. Search for an app or a game you want to download.
5. Tap the app or game.
6. Tap Install
on the game information page.
Did this summary help you?
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 68,921 times.
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