Obtaining Android apps outside of the Google Play Store can be a mixed bag. While Android offers the flexibility to install most apps, you must be cautious about where you get these files.

Sometimes, not every Android app will be available on the Google Play Store in your region, which means you'll need to install the APK file instead.

How to install Android apps on Windows 11 If you thought you’d be able to install apps directly from the Microsoft Store or a desktop version of Google Play, you’d be wrong.

Windows 11 is working on the ability to download Android apps. Here's a guide on how to install the on your Windows 11 computer.

Microsoft Windows 11 provides native support for running Android apps, but installing and running APK files on a Mac is much less streamlined.

So how do you go about getting Android apps without the Play Store? And why would you want to? I'll tackle all the essential questions here, including installing third-party app stores.