How to convert installed apps to APK files

You might be changing your Android or you’re just backing up all your 3^rd party apps; no matter the reason, you will need APK or the apps to be able to do so. Getting the APK of the apps that are installed in your Android is not that complicated, but it is not so straight forward either. This guide will help you with it. Here’s How to convert installed apps to APK files.

Convert Installed Apps to APK Files

But before we begin, let’s get a basic understanding of APK. Android Package or Android Application Package is a compressed file that consists of the data necessary for the app to run properly. The files inside it are extracted to the Android device to let the user run that particular app. Backing up the APK of an app doesn’t necessarily back up the data that was added after the user started using the app. You will only get the factory version of the app if you restore the backed up APK.

You can easily share the APK with other Android devices that are inaccessible to the internet and are in need of the app that you have installed. You back up all the apps on your Android and transfer it to your new phone. The app can be modified by modifying its APK.

There are a couple of methods you can use to convert an app to APK.

Using Es File Explorer to convert installed apps to APK

You probably already have ES File Explorer on your Android. Using this file manager, you can easily convert installed apps to APK, the app has a dedicated function that does so. Follow the steps below;

Step 1: Open ES File Explorer.

Step 2: Tap on App from the homepage. If you can’t find it, slide the side panel and tap on App.

Step 3: You will get the list of all the app installed on your Android. You want to select the apps that you want to convert to APK and then tap the backup button. You can also just copy the app and paste it on a folder of your choice.

Step 4: If you choose to backup route, you can find the APKs on Backups > Apps.

Using Solid Explorer to get the APKs of the installed apps

This method is similar to the previous one. If you use Solid Explorer, you can get the APKs of the installed apps and system apps just by tapping a few times.

Step 1: Open Solid Explorer.

Step 2: Slide the side panel by sliding the screen from left to right.

Step 3: Scroll down the panel and tap on Applications.

Step 4: You will see folders named System Apps and User Apps. If the APK you’re trying to get is of an app that came with the device, go to System Apps. If you installed the app yourself, go to the User Apps folder.

Step 5: Long press the app you want the APK of and then hit the copy button located at the bottom left corner.

Step 6: Go to the folder you want to paste the APK file and then tap on the Paste button located at the bottom right corner.

Using APK Extractor

You can also use a separate dedicated app to get the APKs of the apps installed on your Android. This is the easiest method on this guide as most of the things are done automatically. APK Extractor shows all the user-installed apps and most of the system apps that you can easily convert to APK.

Step 1: Open APK Extractor.

Step 2: You will see the list of apps installed on your Android.

Step 3: From the list, find the app you want to convert to APK.

Step 4: Tap on the app to save its APK on your device’s storage.

That’s it. Depending on the type of app, you can find it on either user-installed apps or system apps category.

Using APK Share & Backup

There are many apps in the Google Play Store which allows you to convert your installed apps into APK files so that you can share them with other apps or keep them as backups – like the one used on method 3. One such app is APK Share & Backup which doesn’t even require root privileges to convert and save your apps into APKs install files. Follow these steps to convert installed apps to APK files and share them:

Step 1: Install APK Share & Backup

Step 2: Open APK share

Step 3: From the list, you can select a single app or multiple apps

Step 4: Press Share to share the APK of the app to other apps like Gmail, Drive, Email, Bluetooth, and so on.

Step 5: Press Backup to save the APK file to your SDcard or external storage

This is a very handy app if you want to instantly transfer your app’s APKs to your friends via Bluetooth. Also, make sure that “Allow installation from Unknown Sources” is checked in your Android’s Security settings. For this:

•  Go to your Android’s system settings
•  Open Security
• Check “Unknown Sources”
• Now install the APK file