BlueStacks, an Android App player, which allows users to run Android apps on their PCs. When it was newly launched, it was a craze among users, but it fades away gradually by time as BlueStacks only houses very few Android apps to enjoy and the same goes for the BlueStacks Android App channel. To enjoy more Android apps on BlueStacks and Android like experience, you may find this tutorial useful.
How To Install Android App(.apk) Files In BlueStacks?
- First of all, if you are not having BlueStacks Android App player at your hands, download BlueStacks.
- Now we need Android App(.apk) direct file, Android Market wouldn’t provide you the direct .apk files(you need a Google Account and an Android Smartphone to download from there), but there are few other resources from where you can download the direct .apk(Android App extension) files. My favorite spot for direct .apk files is Freeware Lovers Android or GetJar, download some Android App files to test.
- I assume that by now, BlueStacks is installed on your Windows PC. Right Click the .apk Android file, you downloaded in the previous step. Open With>>Choose default program.
- Now, browse to C:Program FilesBlueStacksHD-Android Apk Handler Application Program. Click on OK.
- Check “Always use the selected program to open this file kind of file“. From now onwards, you just have to double click the Android app(.apk) direct files to install it in BlueStacks.
- Android app will begin it’s installation. Once installed, it will show you the confirmation message.
- Now, launch BlueStacks from the Desktop icon, there you’ll see the newly installed Android app(.apk) files in the menu. Click to open and enjoy the Android App on BlueStacks.
- Please note, some Android apps you may not be able to install and enjoy in BlueStacks. You may be prompted by this message, as per now, BlueStacks doesn’t support binary translation(Guys at the XDA Forums said).
So now enjoy outside Android apps(.apk) files in BlueStacks. Do let us know how it works out for you.
[...] Unzip the package, now using the previous tutorial install the Android Market App in BlueStacks. [...]
This is a great article. It surely will bring back the lost interest in BlueStacks.
Thanks Taiwo, yeah it is a great alternative if you are not having an Android Smartphone to enjoy apps
That’s a useful trick. Will help the Android lovers to try out there fav app on their computer before installing it on their phone. Thanks.
Welcome Namit
Thanks you for the tutorial, this is very useful for me..
bluestack doesn’t just load many popular apps on my windows 7..
Yeah Micke, First check whether you are following the procedure right or not. If yes, the app should work, but few may not work as clearly mentioned in the article. But still you can enjoy a lots of them. Keep trying my friend
^^ Amit, i tried all possible ways i can..
Mounted .apk on bluestack on handler app (x)
Open with hd-handler (x)
tried changing to run as admin open with (x)
tried internal browser 2dld, didnt install at all(x)
Hi
Can it play angry birds? I see angry birds icon in your screenshot above. But, i downloaded the angry birds seasons from a mediafire.com link and it showed the above mentioned problem. Then, how did you install it?
Hi Lamia, Same problem here, it got installed, but refused to start. We can’ play Angry Birds using BlueStacks.
Android apps with these warnings can’t be used in BlueStacks.
So, those apps can never be played on blustacks? Not even in final official release version?
Hey Lamia, Can’t really say about the final version, but hoping for the best. Probably, these glitches should be resolved by the time the final version of BlueStacks arrives in the market. Will let you know about this.
[...] This post have details. How To Install Outside Android Apps(.apk) in BlueStacks | Direct Android App installation in BlueSta… <iframe width="420" height="315" [...]
[...] Now the Android apk files are downloaded to your PC, stash them into your Android Smartphone and enjoy, users can also share them with friends and followers too. Don’t own an Android device, you can also install apk files on Bluestacks. [...]
My Bluestacks on laptop doesn’t open anymore after trying to install few apks the way you described! What’s the problem?
Hi Maxos, if that BlueStacks version is not working, then please download and install the new version recently launched. Here’s more news about it. http://www.pcmastero.com/2012/03/bluestacks-app-player-for-windows-beta-1-is-out-whats-inside.html
[...] Now to install and run Android apps, you can either download Android apps from the sources offered by BlueStacks App Player Beta-1 version, else if you are having one with you, you can follow my earlier tutorial to download and install Android apk files in BlueStacks. [...]
Did as you recommended. the new version wanted the old uninstalled.. I uninstalled. the setup warned of graphic upgrade for games.. no problem. The setup stopped with weird error stating that I have a software on my computer called “Rocket Dock” with which BlueStack is not compatible!! Why the two different programs have to be compatible if they are there for different functions plus they will not run together?
Hi Maxos, same thing happened with me too. Although, that’s compulsory to uninstall the older version, but for the Rocket Dock problem, use System Restore once, restore your system to some point back before you try to install the new version of BlueStacks. Same thing happened with me, but with System Restore, it worked out for me.
Hello Amit, Aptoide crashes a lot on my HTC vision so I installed Bluestacks on my laptop and aptoide is working just fine on bluestacks. I just want to know where all those apk files downloaded through aptoide so I can install them on my phone. (on my phone all aptoide apk files stored sd/.aptoide)
Hi Amiab, Yeah BlueStacks works great on Windows. But if you want apk files for some Android app(here Aptoide), then you can download it from some external source(Freewarelovers – Android), or you can use this method to download apk files from Android Market
Tnx Amit for your suggestions, anyway I found exact solution to my problem.
e no mac???
Sorry, not sure about how to install that in Mac.
Great tutorial! Thanks!
Now I can play Uniwar and other Android games on my PC
I followed all the steps and the game downloaded.
However, when I click on the game, it loads and then goes back to the homepage. It won’t play the game!
Any hints?
Hey Kieran, try it with some other game, any game that doesn’t require high graphic resources. Or try out some apps.
But Thanks for the feedback, will try to come up with the solution.
can i have a link for the best instagram apk that i can install or use in bluestack
Hey Mariah, you can install Instagram from Google Play Store. Let me know if you face any problem downloading and installing it.
[...] How To Install Android Apps(.apk files) in BlueStacks and How To Download Android Apps From Android Market In BlueStacks. [...]
[...] was hard back then, I mean, installing outside Android apps(.apk files) in BlueStacks. It’s fairly simple to install outside Android apps(.apk files) on WindowsAndroid, without [...]
hi, when i atempted to install mx player i got this message (apk installation failed: install_failed_shared_user_incompatible) how to fix this error if possiple please.
Hi Mahdi, there’re certain Android .apk files you can’t install on Bluestack, so I’d recommend you to look for an alternative. This is a common issue with Bluestacks, not all Android apps works in this windows app player. I’m Sorry.
I am an android app developer, do you think that it is a good emulator to test my applications before deploying them into the market?
In a way, yes it is. But there’re some Android apps that may not work properly on it, on top, that also depends on your system’s hardware. Some apps may not even work on it, so BlueStacks has its flaws.
Though, priority would be to use an Android phone, and then any other emulator you consider is the best option for you.
this is a really great article, I was just about to throw blue stacks in the can because I had trouble downloading apps directly from it… thanks to this article my bluestacks is back on track…