What are .APK and .XAPK files?
What is an .APK file?
An Android package (APK) is a package file format used by the Android operating system to distribute and install mobile applications and middleware. An APK file is an archive file, specifically a package of type zip format, based on the JAR file format, with .apk as the file extension.
What is a .XAPK file?
An XAPK is a standard zip format that contains Android App Bundles or installation packages (.apk), OBBs, cache assertions, and other data files to ensure an application downloads to Android and runs successfully. The Google Play Store has restrictions on app file size, so for apps over 100MB, developers can use the XAPK file format to let users download APK files on Android without corruption. There are now two types of .XAPK files as shown below.
- Google Play hosts expansion files for your app and provides them to devices for free. Expansion files can be in any format of your choice (ZIP, PDF, MP4, etc.), and they usually contain other resources your application needs.
For simplicity, XAPK = APK + OBB data + Cache + App Icon and Miscellaneous Info.
- Another XAPK file format consists of the Android App Bundle, which is used to generate and serve an optimized APK for each user's device configuration. Each APK is a complete and self-contained version of an application, but they share the same application and package name, and are signed with the same release key. This new XAPK file upload format allows users to get smaller, more optimized downloads because they only download the code and resources needed to run the application.
How to install .XAPK files on Android?
Method 1: Method 1: Directly install the .XAPK file using APKFab APP
APKFab APP lets you quickly install .XAPK files on Android phones and tablets securely. It allows Android users to install, delete and manage .apk files and .xapk files in one place. Users can use APKFab APP to scan .apk files and .xapk files on Android phones or sd cards and install them quickly. Learn more about the APKFab app.
- Step 1: Download the APKFab APP on your Android phone or tablet.
- Step 2: Download the .XAPK file on your Android phone.
- Step 3: Open the APKFab app. Go to Admin -> APK/XAPK List to find the .XAPK file and click Install.
- Step 4: The .XAPK file will be successfully installed on the Android phone or tablet.
Method 2: Install the .XAPK file through the file manager
- Step 1: Download the .XAPK file on Android.
- Step 2: Locate the .XAPK file and rename the extension to .zip format.
- Step 3: Unzip the .zip file.
- Step 4: Find the .obb file (usually named "com.xxxxx.obb") in the file and copy it to the location: /sdcard/storage/emulated/0/Android/obb/.
- Step 5: Install the .apk file and you can successfully run the app on Android!