APK
Technology & Computing abbreviation · File Format
| Stands for | Android Package Kit |
|---|---|
| Categories | Technology & Computing |
APK stands for Android Package Kit, a file format abbreviation.
File format used to distribute and install apps on Android; an APK is a signed ZIP archive containing compiled code, resources and a manifest. Installing APKs from outside Google Play is called sideloading.
Example: The app isn't in our country's Play Store, so I sideloaded the APK from the developer's site.
Usage notes
Android requires users to allow "install unknown apps" for each source before sideloading, and APKs from untrusted sites are a common source of malware. Since August 2021 Google Play has required new apps to be uploaded as Android App Bundles, from which it generates device-specific APKs. Under rules announced in 2025, certified Android phones in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand block standard installs of apps from unregistered developers from September 30, 2026, with a worldwide rollout planned for 2027; adb and an advanced install flow remain available.
Related abbreviations
More file format abbreviations
- AAB – Android App Bundle
- AAC – Advanced Audio Coding
- AI – Adobe Illustrator Artwork
- AIFF – Audio Interchange File Format
- ALAC – Apple Lossless Audio Codec
- AMR – Adaptive Multi-Rate
- APNG – Animated Portable Network Graphics
- ARW – Sony Alpha Raw
- ASF – Advanced Systems Format
- AV1 – AOMedia Video 1
- AVC – Advanced Video Coding
- AVI – Audio Video Interleave