APKs are built for Android devices. These are native Android files and the android apps’ file format. You may have the question ‘How to install APK file on iPhone’ in your mind when you want to install an APK file on your iPhone.
Well, as stated, APK files are native android files and do not work outside the Android OS. Since iPhone does not run on Android but on iOS, you cannot install the APK files directly. Either you have to use a custom-built Android OS or find the iOS version of the same app file.
Android is the largest platform, and most smartphones run on Android. It is not unusual that you will have an android app you want to use. In that situation, we have compiled some methods for you to try and install the APK file on your iPhone. Please read ahead.
You may also learn how to open the APK files on your iPhone to ease your query.
How To Install Apk File On iPhone?
Installing APK files on iPhone directly is not possible. As stated, APK files are native android files, just like IPA files are native to iOS. These application files do not run across platforms and only can be installed on their respective OS.
You need to use a custom-built Android OS such as iDroid or find the IPA version of the app. It is also common that whenever developer develops an app, they normally make the app in both APK and IPA versions to serve both platforms.
So, if you search for the IPA version of the APK files you have, there is a high possibility that you will find it. So, how do you use iDroid? And where do you search for the IPA version of the APK files?
Stepwise Methods To Install APK Files On iPhone
There is no direct way you can install APK files on iOS. The early version of iOS used to let emulators like iAndroid work with iOS, but apple has removed its support in the latest versions.
So if you cannot use an emulator to install APK files on your iPhone, then you can try the methods below.
Method 1: Find The IPA Version
Yes, this is the best solution. If you are trying to install an APK file, then you may find the IPA version of the same app. IPA files are native iOS files, and if you found the IPA version of your file, you can install them on your iPhone.
You can find these apps on Apple’s own App Store or can also download them from various websites on the internet. If you manage to find the app on App Store, you will not have any issue installing them from there.
And if you cannot find the app on the Apple store, you can still look on the internet to see if any other website has it. However, if you find it on other websites, you need to sideload the app on your iPhone and can install it directly.
Method 2: Use iDroid OS
iDroid OS is an Android lookalike OS that you can install in iOS after jailbreak. This is a very risky solution as it may make your iPhone useless. Jailbreaking is technically cracking the iOS and finding a way to use the device’s hardware with your program, in this case, iDroid.
So if you want to risk the iPhone, you can go ahead and jailbreak it to install iDroid.
There is no other solutions that can answer your ‘How to install APK file on iPhone?’ question. Maybe soon, we will have an Android emulator in iOS with which you can use Android apps on your iPhone.
FAQs
Some frequently asked questions related to ‘How to install APK file on iPhone?’ are taken from the internet.
To download and install third-party applications on iOS is not as easy as doing it on Android. You either need to use separate app stores or have to use iTunes to install it. If you want to do it using iTunes, connect your iPhone to a computer and use iTunes to select and install the app on your iPhone.
There is no system yet that can convert your APK file to an iOS IPA file. If you are a developer, you can try building up the same app in the IPA version, but if you are not one, there is no possibility of it. This is because APK files are native android files, and iOS only work with their native file version, i.e., IPA. But if you have an app that you want to use on your iPhone, you may be able to file the IPA version of the app on the internet.
No, IPA stands for iOS App Store Package, which is a file version that is primarily developed to run on iOS. These files do not run on other platforms such as Android or windows.
On the other hand, APK is Android Application Package, which is a file version that primarily works on Android. So IPA is not the same as APK, but IPA for iOS is equivalent to APK for Android.
In short, No. You cannot convert IPA to APK as no worldwide technology could achieve this. But if you are a developer, you can try developing the same app in the APK version.
Various apps can emulate iOS on other platforms. For example, ‘Remoted iOS Simulator for Windows PC’ lets you emulate iOS on your Windows PC while you can use appetize.io in your Android Browser to Run iOS Apps on your Android phone.
Conclusion
There are other indirect solutions, such as using iDroid or finding an IPA version of the same file. But there is no certainty that these solutions will work properly either.
Apple makes it very hard to let any other OS emulate on Apple devices. So it is better not to try to do so. There is a possibility that you will break your iPhone and void the warranty.
Hope we answered your question and provided you with valuable information.