How do I install an APK downloaded outside a store?

Question

Accepted Answer

Open the downloaded file — Android will ask for permission to install from this source (the browser or file manager). The permission is granted to that specific source app, not to the whole system.

Steps: download the APK from the download page, open it from the notification shade or through a file manager, tap “Settings” in the dialog that appears, turn on “Allow from this source” and go back — the installation will continue.

Before installing, it is worth comparing the SHA256 checksum with the one on the download page: it is the only way to be sure the file was not replaced along the way. Many file managers can calculate the hash with built-in tools.

If the system warns that an app from an unknown source may be harmful, that is Android's standard warning for any APK outside a store, not the result of checking this particular file.