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APK stands for Android Package (sometimes Android Package Kit or Android Application Package). It's the file format that Android uses to distribute and install apps. As a result, APKs contain all the elements that an app needs to install correctly on your device. An APK is an archive file, meaning that it contains multiple files, plus some metadata about them. You're probably familiar with other types of archive files, like ZIP and RAR.As it turns out, APKs are a variant of the JAR (Java Archive) file format, since a lot of Android is built in Java. All APKs are ZIP files at their core, but they must contain additional information to properly function as an APK. https://boldscripts.com/ allow you to install apps on your Android phone. They're similar to the APPX files used to install Store apps on Windows 10, as well as corresponding package files on other platforms. When you open an APK on your device, it contains the instructions to install on your phone, plus provides information about itself to your device.Sideloading APKs also lets you install apps on your device that aren't available on Google Play. You might find an app that isn't allowed on Google Play because it violates a policy, or maybe you want to test your friend's app that's currently in development. Just like desktop software, though, downloading APK files from random websites can be dangerous. While Google Play has filters in place to catch most dangerous apps, there's not as much protection when you're installing APKs on your own.Only download APKs from trusted sites. Be wary of any page that promises you a paid app for free?that's a common tactic to install malware on your device.You might have come across a file on your phone called base.apk and wondered what it does. You'll only be able to see these base.apk files if you have root access on your phone, since they're in protected system folders. This is a file that you'll find in every app folder. It contains the APK that you downloaded from Google Play, used to install the app initially. If you check the size of this file against the file size reported on the app's Play Store page, they should match up. APK backup apps can use these o make a copy of the installed apps on your phone. If you want, you can also manually copy these files elsewhere for your own use. But this isn't necessary for backing up your Android device, so if you're not rooted, don't worry about these files.